Isabel Laas

After completing a degree in nursing, I started working in the pharmaceutical industry. Twenty-five years in the industry saw me growing into a seasoned business leader, who served on boards for Johnson & Johnson in South Africa, the UK, and across Europe, in HR, commercial, business, and strategy positions. I have always been passionate about achieving outstanding business results through people, and over the years I saw mentoring and coaching direct reports and many others as powerful methodologies of helping people to grow into their full potential. On returning to South Africa after a five-year assignment in the UK, I decided to pursue my passion for coaching as a career. I am a qualified Time to Think and Integral Coach, and I find the work fulfilling and exceptionally rewarding. I coach as an associate for THNK as well as Connemara, a leadership development company in South Africa.

I believe growing up in Africa has shaped me in many ways: the freedom of wide-open spaces, spectacular natural beauty, and some constraints on resources, awakened wonder, and creative solutions. We are typically "happy" people who don’t take ourselves too seriously. I also like to focus on what I have, rather than what is missing – this "abundance and gratitude" mentality has been shaped over many years and has helped me navigate many difficult situations.