Joanna Bown

“Nothing is more validating or affirming than feeling understood. The moment one begins feeling understood, that person becomes more open to influence and change” - Carey

Background

Joanna Bown is an Executive coach in South Africa and owns Distinctions Executive Coaching, a Johannesburg based coaching practice. Joanna worked in Corporate Banking with Citigroup in South Africa for ten years where she partly managed a business segment for their CEEMEA region from Belgium and London. Her previous experience as a Vice President in international banking allows her to understand key issues in the corporate world today and how they relate to a client’s business environment. Joanna’s ability to identify a coaching issue and work with a client toward a sustainable business or personal shift, is key to the coaching outcome.

Areas of Expertise

Joanna is skilled in these areas:

Executive coaching with focused outcomes linked to the client’s business objectives and organizational goals
Developing Leaders and Managers; Career development; Team Performance; Interpersonal & Relational skills and expanding individual Way of Being toward sustainable change
Coaching Circles: managers coach one another towards resolving complex business challenges
Facilitation of coaching skills
Coaching embeds longer term sustainability of new behavior for the client. Measuring the impact of coaching on a client’s business results takes place

Education and Professional Membership

PCC Integral Coach, Centre for Coaching, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Mastery Coach training complete - programs are linked to New Ventures West, a USA Integral coaching school
PCC accredited Member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) USA, with over 1600 hours of coaching
Member of the ICF Gauteng Chapter and COMENSA – Coaches and Mentors of South Africa
Accredited coach to Nedbank, Investec, ABSA/Barclays Group, RMB/Firstrand Group, Anglo American
Accredited South African coach to the Oxford Group, London, UK – Leadership development & Executive Coaching – Coach and facilitator to Anglo American South Africa
Certified Enneagram practitioner for assessment
Mentor for ACC; Mentor and Certification panel for PCC, Centre for Coaching

Coaching Achievements

Coach to Director in the Mining Industry. Coaching focussed on a global implementation, developing networks, relationships and effective teams with improved communication. Results achieved included a smooth rollout of global strategy, improved teamwork, and potential career promotion
Coach to CIO of a large Retail chain. Coaching focussed on Strategy, Leadership development, interpersonal skills and managing a challenging retail implementation. Results included promotion to a Leadership role of a large team, improved relationships and growth in career development
Coach to Country Head of an African corporate & retail Bank. Coaching focussed on Leadership development, Strategic focus, team delegation and building bank towards becoming a leading financial provider. Results achieved included a potential promotion to a regional African role, improved interpersonal skill, and a full Leadership capability.