Mike Kaaks

I was blessed to encounter a great mentor early in my working life, an experience which has had direct lifelong impact on the way I work and the way I work with others. This relationship reveals the genesis of my absorption into a life of coaching. In the years since establishing this practice I have delivered one-on-one coaching to senior executives in a range of roles, and worked with numerous SME businesses to implement and embed strategic and operational planning and process.

The passing of time has seen deep change from one who valued corporate success above great outcomes for humankind to one with a strong desire to engage and contribute on a broader scale.

That is not to say I abandon what has been learned from a wonderful working life. In fact my experience in the FMCG and Building industries has left me better informed to support others and pursue change. That experience was in leadership positions in Finance, Sales, IT, Strategy and Planning, and Capability. The corporate high points are leading change through people and a four year tenure on the Board of Management of a $1bn FMCG business where an innate quality of providing a cohesive force in the leadership group was my point of difference.

My earliest memories are of life on farms in rural West Australia. Those years spent in the country still inform my sensibilities about life - strong foundations, long timelines, and a binding sense of community. When I engage with you it's my life, my wisdom, my purpose, my values and my beliefs that make the difference. My Being.

I am described by those close to me as a loving joyful person who engenders a warm sense of caring and connectedness; one who sees the world as a place of hope and opportunity, a person who is a great listener, someone who loves stimulating conversation.

I love music, especially Blues, and spend a lot of time reading. My values include learning, loyalty, caring, and achieving. I admire Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Winston Churchill, Steve Waugh, Dawn Fraser, and Martin Luther King amongst others. My growing and widespread family is at the heart of my life. I emigrated from the Netherlands in the 1950's and lived in West Australia until 1990 since when Melbourne has been my home.