---
title: Our Executive Team Facilitators | Sterling Black
description: Meet Sterling Black's world-class facilitators - they support executive teams to overcome misalignment and lead with clarity, confidence and unity.
image: https://sterlingblack.com/hubfs/Website/sterling-black-people-feature-image.jpg
---

[![SB | Sterling Black](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/sterlingblack_july2025/images/header-logo.png?width=454&height=166&name=header-logo.png "SB | Sterling Black")](https://sterlingblack.com/)

- Services 
    - [Board Effectiveness](https://sterlingblack.com/board-effectiveness)
    - [CEO Succession](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-succession-planning)
    - [CEO & C-Suite Leadership Assessments](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-c-suite-leadership-assessments)
    - [CEO Coaching](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-coaching)
    - [C-Suite Coaching](https://sterlingblack.com/c-suite-coaching)
    - [Executive Team Effectiveness](https://sterlingblack.com/executive-team-effectiveness)
    - [Inspiring Leadership Communications](https://sterlingblack.com/inspiring-leadership-communications)
- People 
    - [Our team](https://sterlingblack.com/people)
    - [CEO & C-Suite Coaches](https://sterlingblack.com/c-suite-ceo-coaches)
    - [Executive Team Facilitators](https://sterlingblack.com/facilitators)
- [About](https://sterlingblack.com/about)
- Sterling Insights 
    - [Articles](https://sterlingblack.com/blog)
    - [Internal vs External CEO Succession Guide](https://sterlingblack.com/internal-vs-external-ceo-succession-guide)
- [Contact](https://sterlingblack.com/contact)

# Our Executive Team Facilitators.

##### Our world-class facilitators have decades of experience driving team effectiveness at the executive level.

![James McLaren](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Team%20Profile%20Images/james-mclaren-profile.png?width=500&height=500&name=james-mclaren-profile.png)

 James McLaren

Experience: 35+ years

 

Types of engagements: Executive team effectiveness, custom team effectiveness workshops

 

Sectors: Professional services, banking, telecommunications, aviation, government organisations, FMCG, healthcare, infrastructure

 

Qualifications:

- MBA (Columbia Business School)
- MBA (London Business School)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Psychology)

![Black and white profile image of Simon Mariner in a suit and tie.](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/People/simon-mariner-profile.png?width=500&height=500&name=simon-mariner-profile.png)

 Simon Mariner

Experience: 25+ years

 

Types of engagements: High-stakes strategic negotiations, complex stakeholder & leadership conflict resolution, crisis & strategic communications, major transformation & enterprise-wide change initiatives, board reporting, governance-aware messaging

 

Sectors: All industries

 

Qualifications:

- MBA (Graduate School of Management, UWA)
- BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Southampton University)
- AFMA accreditation
- Diploma in Financial Services

![Paul Collings](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/People/Paul%20Collings%202.png?width=500&height=500&name=Paul%20Collings%202.png)

 Paul Collings

Experience: 30+ years

 

Types of engagements: Leadership team effectiveness, strategy offsites, high-stakes decision-making, leadership development

 

Sectors: Banking, professional services, insurance, housing, infrastructure, public service

 

Qualifications:

- Bachelor of Economics (University of Western Australia)
- MBA (Australian Graduate School of Management)
- Accreditations include The Leadership Circle, Human Synergistics LS, Team Management Profile, DiSC, Barrett Values Survey

![Amanda Sheard](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/People/Amanda%20Sheard%20profile%20image.png?width=500&height=500&name=Amanda%20Sheard%20profile%20image.png)

 Amanda Sheard

Experience: 30+ years

 

Types of engagements: Organisational transformation, strategic planning, performance improvement, high-stakes conflict management, lifting team effectiveness

 

Sectors: Banking, finance, professional services, FMCG, aviation, education, government organisations

 

Qualifications:

- BA Communications (University of Technology Sydney)
- Manager as Coach program (University of Sydney)
- Change Skills & Approaches to Change (Australian Graduate School of Management)
- Accreditations include Five Chairs (Louise Evans) and Facilitating Transformational Values (Corporate Evolution)

![Louise Kovacs](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/People/Louise%20Kovacs%20profile%20image.png?width=500&height=500&name=Louise%20Kovacs%20profile%20image.png)

 Louise Kovacs

Experience: 30+ years

 

Types of engagements: Strategy execution, team performance & dynamics, leading change, organisational culture, cross-cultural orientation

 

Sectors: Finance, investment banking, technology, engineering, retail, healthcare, professional services, resources, government

 

Qualifications:

- Doctorate in Executive Coaching (Middlesex University)
- Masters in Organisational Coaching (University of Sydney)
- Bachelor of Education, Honours (Middlesex University)
- Accreditations include Kaiser Leadership Solutions and Hogan Leadership Profile

![Michael Curtin](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/Coaches/Michael%20Curtin.png?width=500&height=500&name=Michael%20Curtin.png)

 Michael Curtin

Experience: 25+ years

 

Types of engagements: Board & executive team effectiveness, strategy execution, functional board-executive relationships, development interventions, organisational impact, governance function

 

Sectors: Government & public sector, defence, engineering, construction, finance, insurance, technology, media, FMCG, healthcare, energy, not-for-profits, social enterprises

 

Qualifications:

- MBA (University of New England)
- Graduate Diploma in Applied Science
- Currently completing a PhD exploring leadership and AI intersections at Fielding Graduate University, California
- Certified in a wide array of 360 and psychometric tools

![Janine Daniels](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/Coaches/Janine%20Daniels.png?width=500&height=500&name=Janine%20Daniels.png)

 Janine Daniels

Experience: 25+ years

 

Types of engagements: Lifting performance & alignment, transformation & growth, team changes, persistent issues that keep resurfacing

 

Sectors: Finance, private capital, energy & resources, telecommunications, technology, FMCG, healthcare, professional services, infrastructure, education

 

Qualifications:

- MSc in Psychoneuroimmunology (Middlesex University)
- Accreditations include The Leadership Circle, Hogan, Saville, Global Leadership Profile, Vertical Mindset Indicator, Immunity to Change, Case-in-Point methodology
- Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)

![John Matthews](https://sterlingblack.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website/Coaches/John%20Matthews%202.png?width=500&height=500&name=John%20Matthews%202.png)

 John Matthews

Experience: 30+ years

 

Types of engagements: Active learning groups, board strategy planning, whole-of-government approaches, accountability issues with colleagues, leadership intensives

 

Sectors: Banking, finance, legal, engineering, construction, insurance, information technology, academics, health, government

 

Qualifications:

- Masters Degree (Adult Education) (Loyola University, Chicago)
- Bachelor of Arts, Humanities (Dominican University, Chicago)
- ICF Membership
- Master Coach accreditation, IECL, ISLC institutes
- Accredited in numerous leadership and organisational diagnostic tools

## Enquire today

[![Elite Agent](https://sterlingblack.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/sterlingblack_july2025/images/sterling-black-logo.svg "Elite Agent")](https://sterlingblack.com/)

### Contact

**UAE HEAD OFFICE**  
The Offices 3  
Level 3 One Central  
Dubai World Trade Centre  
Sheikh Zayed Road  
Dubai United Arab Emirates

 

**AUSTRALIA**  
Level 22, Suite 3  
8 Chifley Square  
SYDNEY, NSW 2000  
Ph: (02) 8916 6366

### Services

- [Board Effectiveness](https://sterlingblack.com/board-effectiveness)
- [CEO Succession](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-succession-planning)
- [CEO & C-Suite Leadership Assessments](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-c-suite-leadership-assessments)
- [CEO Coaching](https://sterlingblack.com/ceo-coaching)
- [C-Suite Coaching](https://sterlingblack.com/c-suite-coaching)
- [Executive Team Effectiveness](https://sterlingblack.com/executive-team-effectiveness)
- [Inspiring Communications](https://sterlingblack.com/inspiring-leadership-communications)

### About

We are a specialist Board, CEO and C-Suite firm bringing together the world’s most experienced practitioners.

Igniting performance through people.

We mean business.

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[Privacy Policy](https://sterlingblack.com/privacy)

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