Trusted advice. Lasting support.
Words from people we’ve supported.
These reflections share experiences of the leadership, mentoring and guidance behind Head Forward.
I’ve worked with Mel professionally, including working through a new vendor agreement, and have valued her strategic thinking and practical business advice.
During our time doing business together, Mel has also helped me work through staffing, performance and leadership challenges. She asks thoughtful questions, understands the commercial realities and offers sound advice that has helped me make clearer decisions.
Her ability to consider both the business needs and the people involved has been particularly valuable. I trust her judgement and would recommend her to business owners seeking practical, experienced leadership support.
I've had the privilege of working alongside Melanie for many years, beginning as colleagues at Toyota Finance and continuing through different stages of our careers. Even after we stopped working together directly, she remained someone I could turn to for trusted advice and guidance.
Melanie has a unique ability to bring calm, clarity, and practical insight to any situation. She takes the time to understand the challenge, provides thoughtful advice, and empowers others to find their own way forward.
Her support has had a lasting impact on my professional development and confidence as a leader. I would highly recommend Melanie to anyone or any organisation looking to strengthen their leadership capability and create a more positive culture.
I worked with Melanie as a colleague for a number of years. During that time, there were many instances in which Melanie displayed not only great leadership, but her passion for helping others succeed. A great example of this was during a very important time in my career whereby I was applying for a promotion. As part of the interview process for this promotion, I needed to create a presentation pack and present to a room of Leaders within the company. Melanie could see I was in need of some help, and took the time to review what I had done, offer insightful perspectives and explaining things in a way that made sense to me. With Melanie’s help and guidance, I was able to present to the room with confidence, I understood what I was speaking about and I was successful in my application.
Aside from Melanie’s genuine interest in wanting me to succeed, what stood out most was Melanie’s ability to take a piece of information and explain it in a way that makes sense to her audience.
I am forever grateful to Melanie for her help throughout the years.
I had the privilege of working with Mel when I was young in my career. At that time, I was often immature in my approach to work and how I responded to challenges. Mel provided me with guidance in a kind and uplifting way to help me see the big picture, and to get the most out of myself. Whilst we don’t work together anymore, she continues to show me a perspective I might miss, and leads by example in showing us that we can overcome challenges and turn them into bigger opportunities. Thank you Mel for all your support over the years.
I worked with Melanie at a large automotive finance business for eight years, the majority directly alongside her managing the external business partners and as part of the regional leadership team responsible for executing the business plan.
During our time together, Melanie showed a strong interpersonal skill set with highly attuned emotional intelligence, using this to help guide our younger employees in both their careers and personal lives. These people often began showing signs of personal growth and ended up with greater roles in our business.
In her dealings with our external partners, these same skills helped her become a trusted confidant, allowing her to balance our shared interests to great effect, often reaching mutual success goals and targets.
Other personal characteristics that supported these outcomes were Melanie’s willingness to not only have a difficult conversation, but to navigate it with well developed listening skills and empathy leading to early satisfactory outcomes.
Her ability to elevate those around her while consistently achieving strong commercial outcomes make her a great addition to any business, and a valuable asset to any business looking to grow its leadership structure.
Mel has been a trusted sounding board and mentor, offering wise, practical advice and a safe space to talk things through. She listens without judgement and helps turn challenges into opportunities to learn and grow.
Her support goes beyond advice. She shares her knowledge generously, helping others build their skills and confidence. I’ve really valued having someone I can speak openly with, learn from and trust.
