PIONEERS in leadership and management training joined forces to unveil a new suite of team development programmes.
Gwenllian Owen and Katy Roberts have launched Team Mesen, a collaboration focused on resilience, continuous learning and individual confidence that will “propel collective success”.
The long-time friends and colleagues, who both live on Anglesey, designed a series of bilingual interactive courses for business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals looking to progress in their careers.
Among their services will be individual executive coaching sessions and team development programmes centred on DISC profiling. The programmes are made up of Wisdom Workshops and Coaching Circles where business leaders can share best practice and take a detailed look at their management styles, and how they can improve.
Gwenllian, a former project manager on the ION Leadership and 20Twenty programmes in North Wales, said there is demand in the region for a fresh approach to business management and team development.
“There has been a move to remote and hybrid working post-pandemic, which has benefited many organisations,” she said.
“But both Katy and I received a lot of feedback from people in leadership positions within business who felt very isolated, and in need of not just a confidence boost, but the tools and skills to cope with the demands of an ever-changing work landscape.
“We are all about outcomes and helping them to grow as people, our mission is to inspire and equip leaders at all levels, creating a dynamic culture where they and their teams can thrive and contribute to a shared vision of excellence.
“We have a lot of experience in working with people, people from across Wales and beyond, and fostering trust, listening and creating bespoke solutions that will work for them is pivotal to measuring success – success looks different to each person we meet.”
Katy, a respected leadership and team development mentor and HR consultant, added: “We plan to launch our first programmes in January, something a little different to the norm.
“It will be a chance for delegates to network and share best practice, but importantly to develop themselves both personally and professionally, building resilience and the knowledge and courage to pursue their own dreams and ambitions.
“We have both worked with organisations of all sizes that have faced a wide range of challenges and come through them, so that experience is something we look forward to passing on.”
The first cohort is taking shape, with business owners already having signed up to Team Mesen for the inaugural programme.
With more than five decades of experience in myriad sectors, both Katy and Gwenllian are thrilled to combine their skillsets and return to the management training arena, having discussed the idea for some time.
“We both live and work in the same part of the world, have collaborated professionally in the past and found ourselves thinking more and more what a great opportunity this could be,” said Katy.
Gwenllian added: “We are not taking the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach because that is not what people want, not from the response we’ve had, given the challenges in the UK and globally in recent years.
“We can adapt and be flexible, stealthy and will operate in small groups in satellite locations, bringing an air of fun and excitement to education and application – we can’t wait to get started.”
At their first Re-connect event, some of the top names in business praised the duo for the impact they’ve had on their approach to leadership.
Among those to benefit from their expertise was Robert Boys of Ruthin based Boyns.Net, who said: “I find Gwenllian has a lot of experience in industry and life and she has a very comfortable style that you immediately warm to. If I was to look for a business or life mentor, I would have no hesitation working with Gwenllian to reflect on my business with a view to implementing improvements.”
Bonnie Rowley, Managing Director of Glaslyn Artisan Ice Cream Parlour, Cafe and Pizzeria in Beddgelert, added: “Katy specialises in change management, organisational structure and human resources, exactly what I needed support with when I wanted to create a structure that would allow me to take a step back from the day-to-day operation and work on the strategic growth of the company.
“My business now has two new heads of departments, who will both be taking part in Team Mesen’s Building Leadership Confidence programme, and I am confident that with Katy and Gwenllian’s vast training and coaching experience, coupled with their academic knowledge, the course will be a big success.”
