Thrive Careers Ltd

About

OVERVIEW
Brian Guest has over 20 years of international insurance business experience in FT Global 500 financial services groups. This includes being CEO of overseas insurance subsidiaries, as well as holding senior general management and underwriting responsibilities at international HQ and regional levels. He has lived and run businesses in Asia and Latin America. After several years mentoring internally, Brian has been acting as an independent coach of C-suite and high potential executives and managers for the last fourteen years. His coaching includes supporting executives to confidently grow their communication, persuasion and presentation skills.
BACKGROUND
As a coach, Brian enjoys the challenge of coaching people at career crossroads and individuals starting out and looking to make a difference in the world. He also supports leaders needing to build successful teams and working relationships, as well as further developing their leadership competencies and repertoires. He works in the areas of strengthening strategic thinking and leadership, building self-confidence, managing conflict, difficult conversations and motivating self and others.
Brian’s corporate background includes being CEO of a US$500mn turnover subsidiary of HSBC with 1,500 employees. Under his leadership the business won two annual awards as best performing insurer in Brazil.
His career included significant strategic, operational, M&A and change management experience in both growth and turnaround situations. He has operated successfully for international organizations at HQ, regional and SBU levels in both line and functional roles. He continues to mentor several executives who were previously his subordinates.
Brian utilizes his leadership, management, coaching and organizational experience in helping his clients deal with business and people challenges, get greater clarity on their career direction, position themselves for promotion and transition successfully into next level roles. He has worked with senior and high potential executives in the financial services, consumer, retail, technology, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors.
COACHING APPROACH
Brian believes in building on the strengths of individuals in achieving lasting results. He has a structured approach to career coaching refined from working with many individuals and using useful self assessment tools and best practices for seeking clearer direction and objectives and being successful in the search process and achieving good outcomes.
He challenges coachees and leaders to envisage better options for developing themselves and for overcoming self-imposed, and sometimes newly perceived, obstacles to their success. This can also involve coaching and co-creating practical solutions on how they can improve their working relationships, get the best out of their people and configure their teams and personal support to maximize their own unique contribution and impact.
He supports coachees by leveraging his own experience and through a significant number of coaching solutions and tools he has integrated into his practice. He uses appreciative inquiry to further awareness of strengths and a series of structured tools and self-assessments to support development in such areas as delegation, political savvy, influencing skills, conflict dynamics, team building, working well with bosses, creativity, strategic thinking, communication and presentation skills.
REPRESENTATIVE COACHING ENGAGEMENTS
• Successful career coaching for a marketing professional seeking to move country and in a new professional direction.
• Long term career and leadership coaching and mentoring of individuals on the road to the C-suite of large organizations.
• CEO of an international benefits company to broaden and improve his leadership skills, building on his areas of strength.
• Transition coaching for executives stepping up a level from functional to general management and from SBU management to leading a portfolio of regional businesses.
• Country CEO of a major manufacturer to improve his confidence in meeting, communicating with and presenting to new people and audiences.
• Leadership development coaching for high potential international executives operating in diverse sectors
• The top team of a business operating in over 50 countries to improve teamwork and alignment.
• Regional marketing director, major global manufacturer, coached on improving listening and questioning skills. 360 based feedback recognised significant improvements.
• Coaching support to a senior financial manager in a global insurance subsidiary for preparedness to assume a CFO role. Performed 360 interviews and coached on strategic thinking and support and improving his time management and prioritisation. Coachee assumed a CFO role at the end of the assignment.
• Business development director for Latin America for large global conglomerate, coaching to help ensure a successful and effective transition into this new role. Stakeholder interviews. Coaching for more effective and positive meeting interventions. Also challenging and supporting the planning and priorities for the initial 180 days in role.
LANGUAGES
• English
• Portuguese
• Spanish
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Certified Professional Coach (CPC), College of Executive Coaching of California, 2005
• Post-graduate executive coaching program with UK Chief Executives Office, 2005
• UK Chartered Accountant, 1981
• MA in Natural Sciences, Cambridge University, UK
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Brian is a rare guide and wise co-explorer. His wealth of experience, commitment to strong values, and his determination to ensure I would manifestly benefit from his support combined to help me enormously during a particularly challenging period in my role and career. Brian's knowledge and skills and his qualities as a genuine and generous person enabled me to find the courage and determination to do the best for my organization and with integrity. He is simply an outstanding person to have walking by your side.” Michael West, Executive Dean (CEO equivalent), major international business school
“Brian provides highly effective business strategy facilitation, analysis and guidance, as well as team and individual coaching. He facilitated a successful two day strategy offsite for our top team which challenged us to take a fresh look at our direction and priorities and gave us a roadmap we needed to move on and achieve.” Hugh Gallagher Vice-Chairman, International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA)
“Working with Brian changed my career – I learnt a lot from his logical way of thinking and especially how to manage teams in stressful situations. His capacity to read the personal moment of each team member and lead them individually and collectively in the right direction was exceptional. He is the best coach and mentor I have.” Alfredo Lalia Neto, CEO Sompo International, Brazil, and formerly CEO Zurich Santander Insurance, Brazil.

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