Meet The Team

We are passionate about the need for good communication and dedicated to excellence in all we do.

MAUREEN STEELE

Founder, Managing Director, Trainer and Coach

Geneva

BA Honours (DIS) Business Administration & French (Loughborough),

Retail Management, International Marketing Manager and Consultant,

Personal, Management and Executive Coach,

NLP Master Practitioner, Lab Profile Practitioner,

INLPTA Certified Coach Practitioner

What Maureen brings to The Training Box

My early career was in retailing and marketing (London, Vienna). I subsequently became a marketing consultant and then began to work in management training (presentation skills and techniques for international business). I greatly enjoyed developing my expertise in the design of training programmes and tools as well as continuing to exercise my management skills as a director of the company. It was also during this period that I explored a wider range of training and communication tools, especially NLP, and also gained valuable experience in international franchising. In 2006 I set up The Training Box, and invited a hand-picked group of professionals, who are as passionate about good communication as I am, to join me on The Training Box team, either as Associates or as Co-operation Partners.

I am very much at home in the international environment, having lived in 5 different countries and worked in more than 20! I speak German and French. My analytical skills are strong and I have a genuine interest in enabling those with whom I work to become better communicators.

When you work with me…

…you will be challenged, inspired and acquire great tools and techniques for your communication toolkit. You will boost your ability to master your communication challenges with confidence and develop your insight, awareness and flexibility in uncovering creative approaches. My business background and training expertise are there to support your growth and development as a communicator.

Publications:

  • “52 Brilliant Communication Tips” (2011, The Training Box), author.
  • “Coaching for Innovation: Tools and Techniques for Encouraging New Ideas in the Workplace” (2014, Palgrave Macmillan), co-author with Cristina Bianchi.
  • “Revealing all, adopting coaching as a management style” Coaching at Work, Vol 7, Issue 1 2012, co-author with Cristina Bianchi.

JOHN HOLLOWAY

Director, Trainer and Coach

London

BA Hons (DIS) Business Administration & French (Loughborough),

Freelance International Marketing & Fundraising Consultant,

Professional Actor & Voice Coach,

Executive and Personal Presence Coach

What John brings to The Training Box

After graduating, I traveled and worked for 3 years as a teacher in the Pacific, returning to senior management roles in an increasingly competitive fundraising market for several UK-wide charities and more recently international ones. My experience included capital and revenue fundraising, marketing and promotional campaigns, creative copywriting & design, all with £multi-million targets – managing them solo, on a shoestring as well as by recruiting, training and motivating staff teams, all within strict budgets! In 1995 I trained as a professional actor, an experience that taught me a great deal personally and ‘technically’. Since then I have also been involved in devising and delivering training programmes for charities and the retail and customer services industries. I have enjoyed drawing on my individual combination of business and personal experience to offer support, insight and development to individuals or teams. I am clear thinking, creative and culturally sensitive, having lived on 3 continents and I speak French. I believe that each individual can be supported in finding the power within them to be a more effective communicator.

When you work with me…

…you will grow your personal effectiveness and have a more positive impact on those around you. You will discover how to enhance your persuasive skills, build your power to influence and perform beyond your expectations. Supported by my experience in senior management/business consulting, and my professional acting training, we will explore your communication challenges together.

Find out more about John on his website www.johnpatonholloway.co.uk

MARTIN MEIRHOFER

Associate, Trainer and Coach

Vienna

Master (Mag.) and Doctorate (Dr.) Social Sciences and Business Administration (Vienna University),

Controller, Finance and General Manager,

Vice President IT Industry,

Temporary Manager and Consultant,

Communication and Executive Coach

What Martin brings to The Training Box

I started my career as a financial controller for multinational companies (Vienna and London). Subsequently I became Sales Director and GM of a newly established Austrian subsidiary selling and supporting large mainframes. This was followed by a posting to London as VP for most of the European territories with overall performance responsibility. In 1995, I began to work as a consultant, coach and project-oriented temporary manager mainly in the IT industry. It is my belief that industry and market knowledge are key elements of successful management but good communication is at least equally important. This is why I have joined Maureen’s group of specialists in The Training Box team to strengthen their range of great coaching and training offers, in particular those addressed to middle and upper management.

I feel very much at home in a European environment, having lived in England and Austria and worked in most European countries. German is my native tongue and I also speak English and French. My management background always reminds me what a powerful enabler communication skills are and I do enjoy stimulating others to get their messages across effectively.

When you work with me…

… you will be focussed on how important it is succeed in today’s ultra dynamic markets. My role is to motivate you to develop ways to stay at the cutting edge of personal communication and to assist you in making sure that your important messages get across to the market and to internal audiences, for the benefit of you and your organisation.

 

BRIGITTE THORNELY

Associate, Trainer and Coach

Vienna

MBA (Master of Business Administration – University of Vienna, Austria),

International Marketing and Key Account Manager,

Management Trainer and Coach

What Brigitte brings to The Training Box

I started my career in marketing and sales with multinational companies (Colgate-Palmolive, Mars) in Austria and Germany. What interested me most about my various management positions was how to motivate people from different backgrounds to work towards a common goal. The success of this process relies heavily on communication – a subject which has fascinated me ever since. I have worked as a management trainer for over 15 years, specializing in presentation skills, train-the-trainer and cross-cultural programmes. Serving as a member of the Board of the International School of Abidjan has given me experience within a non-profit environment.

I feel very much at home in a European environment, having lived in England and Austria and worked in most European countries. German is my native tongue and I also speak English and French. Training gives me the opportunity to draw on my international management experience, get to know new people with diverse backgrounds, learn from/with others and share the joy of improved performance.

When you work with me…

��� you will benefit from the wealth of my cross-cultural experience, acquiring tools and techniques that are indispensable in mastering your own diverse communication challenges. My aim is to provide use my train-the-trainer background to provide the best possible learning environment to fit both individual and group needs.

CRISTINA BIANCHI

Co-operation Partner, Enhance Training and Development

Geneva

Degree in Politics and International Law (Università Statale, Milan, Italy),

Post-graduate Diploma in Development Studies (University of London),

Post-graduate Diploma in Training and Development (University of Leicester),

Certification in Coaching and Mentoring (CIPD),

DISC and Belbin Team Roles accredited

About Cristina

Creative, multi-talented and truly international, Cristina is an inspirational trainer, facilitator and coach. She focuses on management and leadership development, cultural diversity, conflict management, and effective communication.  With hands-on professional experience in both the public and private sector, Cristina values diversity and encourages the exploration of alternative solutions with her clients, applying her creativity to reach win-win outcomes. An accomplished public speaker, Cristina speaks at various forums on topics such as the role of culture in business, women and leadership, diversity and innovation, and coaching for performance. She is co-author, with Maureen Steele, of “Coaching for Innovation: Tools and Techniques for Encouraging New Ideas in the Workplace��� (2014, Palgrave Macmillan). Cristina believes that everybody has talent and the potential to be successful. Working in partnership with you, she will explore your potential and find the most appropriate way for you to develop and benefit from your learning.

About Enhance Training and Development

Enhance Training and Development provides professional and personalised training and development solutions in English, Italian, French and German ensuring consistency of content and delivery across regions. The main focus areas are: leadership and management development, communication skills, innovation, cultural diversity, self-management and development and coaching.

Find out more about Enhance Training and Development www.enhance-td.com