I'm passionate about the power of coaching and positive psychology to improve outcomes and wellbeing. My main professional interest is how these interventions can make things better in educational settings and with underrepresented groups. I now work as an executive coach, leadership consultant and academic. My father (Belgian) and my mother (Japanese) were living in Beirut when I was born in 1971. I spent the formative years of my life in Beirut, going to school there (American Community School) and then the American University of Beirut (where I completed a BA and MA in English Literature). Alongside university, I supported the family business (a Japanese Restaurant) while working as a teacher, a journalist and a translator before finally moving into sales and marketing role. In 1997, I moved to the UK with my wife and son in order to complete a PhD in English at the University of Birmingham (Representations of Politically Empowered Women on the Elizabethan Stage). While completing the PhD, I worked at a number of institutions, including Waterstones, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Warwickshire County Council. I completed by PhD in 2007 (better late than never!). Since 2009, I have split my time between developing my own business and working as an academic in the field of coaching psychology, starting as a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London and then an Associate Professor at Henley Business School. From April 2017, I became Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the University of East London. I have also been working for Growth Coaching International, one of the world's leading providers of coach training and development for the education sector. I am currently Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Global Director of Growth Coaching International and Honorary Principal Fellow at the Centre for Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne. When I'm not writing, lecturing, consulting or otherwise being enthusiastic about coaching and positive psychology, I love spending time with my family and travelling. I split my time between England and the Canary Islands. Generally speaking, if it's sunny and warm, I'd like to be riding on my motorcycle! I have plans to write fiction (one day) and travel long distances on the bike.
