Ozlem Beldan

I embarked on my professional journey spending 15 enriching years in corporate accounting and business transformation projects. Through mid-level and global team leadership roles, including secondments to the UK, India, and Dubai, I delved into the intricate dynamics of financial business levers. Yet, it became increasingly evident that the most impactful transformations stemmed from shifting how people felt and functioned in the workplace. Thus, my focus expanded to encompass human behaviour, leading me to collaborate with specialist consultancies fostering gender diversity, inclusion, equality, belonging, leadership development, and organisational culture shaping. I have experience of working across diverse sectors like Banking & Financial Services, FMCG, Government, Professional Services, Tech, Telecommunications, Transport, and Stevedoring, I've dedicated myself to unlocking human potential and fostering flourishing.

During my academic journey, I delved into various key theories, including Cameron et al.’s six-factor positive practices model, Schein’s organisational culture model, Ryan & Deci’s self-determination theory, Ryff’s psychological well-being model, and Seligman’s PERMA model. Along the way, I realised a gap in the literature concerning minority populations, sparking my passion to democratise well-being science for underrepresented groups, such as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women. I'm committed to bridging this gap by making well-being principles accessible and applicable to all individuals, regardless of background or identity. Through my work, I aim to empower leaders and organisations to foster inclusive environments where everyone can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

My approach is rooted in research, radical compassion, inclusivity, appreciation, strengths-based methodologies, holistic thinking, and systemic understanding. I utilise Whitmore’s (1996) GROW model as a foundation for coaching, supplemented by Cooperrider & Whitney’s (1999) Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process—a framework known for instilling capability and confidence in one’s change journey.

At the heart of LIW lies a steadfast commitment to democratising leadership, echoing my personal and professional ethos of inclusion and collaboration. We actively foster cultures within client organisations that embrace diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. We break down barriers, challenge traditional hierarchies, and ensure that every voice is not just heard but valued.

A participate one shared the below about their experience of working with me:

"Özlem you were an incredible coach for our group! Your inclusivity is an area that really stood out - you truly facilitated that for us” – Team Coaching Cohort member

Another participant also shared:

“Through our conversations and diagnostics I now have a better understanding of my strengths - where, how and how much to use them. You helped me look at things differently which has changed my perspective on myself and the world. I feel more confident about myself and my work, and this is evident in how I have been handling stressful situations at work lately. I feel that working with you has transformed the way I think about things/career/life in general. It has encouraged me to be pro-active about shaping/driving my future. I actually discovered my passion project in one of our sessions and have successfully taken my first step towards it – something I thought I would do in my 60s I am doing it now! If I could summarise in one sentence what I think is the most important thing about working with you is that “you get it”. You always knew what I was talking about and just exactly what I needed” – Leadership Development Coachee.