Thank you Mandy!

This month we celebrate 20 (yes 20!!!) splendid years of Mandy Geddes being part of the IECL family. Renee Holder, IECL’s Head of Coaching Products and Programs, reflects on Mandy’s contribution and invites John Matthews, Jane Porter and Gabrielle Schroder to share their reflections as we mark this special occasion. 

I struggle to put into words just what Mandy means to all of us - past and present IECL team members, alumni, members, partners and the broader coaching community. Mandy has contributed so much to IECL over all these years and made an immense difference in the lives of so many people along the way. As a key element of each celebration and every major milestone, Mandy has seen IECL through becoming ICF accredited in 2006 and reaccredited many times since, partnering with Charles Sturt University in 2014, introducing new courses and curriculum and moving into new markets including Asia, Europe and the US. As our global Alumni has grown to 8,000+ it’s Mandy who has had a personal connection with many. 

I first met Mandy 13 years ago when I joined IECL (IEC back then) and quickly recognised Mandy was the linchpin of the organisation. What struck me was how quietly Mandy went about her day whilst building so many relationships, delivering outcomes with mind blowing productivity and holding a wealth of knowledge about coaching, the industry and IECL operations. On top of huge roles and responsibilities, Mandy has always gone way above and beyond to work on the broader business including IECL marketing, membership and events, leading teams and projects, organising countless social events with style and pitching in on whatever was needed on any given day.

Mandy THANK YOU for 20 years of hard work, passion, dedication, wisdom, grace and friendship. We love working with you, learning from you, raising a glass of bubbles with you!

A few words from our Founder John Matthews:

"Mandy has been a key factor to the success of IECL from the very beginning. She demonstrates the style of leadership the world needs more of. Her calm presence, deep listening, and practical actions which embody the coaching mindset have not gone unnoticed over the years by alumni, clients, and staff. It’s been an honour to watch Mandy evolve within herself and with the demands of the market and the organisation. In the various roles she has played over the years and continues to play, the one I appreciate the most has been as a friend. Mandy has put relationship a higher priority to task (which she is very good at) and connection over perfection. Thanks for modeling the values and keeping the spirit of our initial vision alive and thriving."

A few words from Jane Porter:

"Occasionally in life you are lucky enough to meet someone who is all heart. Mandy Geddes is one of these people, she is the beating heart of IECL. Through many iterations of an evolving business Mandy has maintained an ability to stay connected and true to purpose. What a privilege it has been to walk this path together with her in many different ways over many years. I am honoured to have benefited from Mandy’s warm and grounded spirit, strong sense of self and friendship and deeply value the many opportunities we have had to be ‘partners in crime’!"

A few words from IECL lead Gabrielle Schroder:

“Mandy is without doubt the keeper of our flame. This is not simply a measure of time. It is a true testament to the qualities Mandy brings to each one of us and the tremendous ripple effect she has throughout our IECL community everyday. Her positivity, energy and can-do spirit combined with her deep generosity, gratitude, humility are the hallmarks of all that is IECL and the qualities we all aspire to. It is an immense privilege to have the opportunity of working alongside Mandy and to be celebrating all that she has achieved at this time.”

Mandy shares in her own words some reflections on the past 20 years in this LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/did-you-plan-your-career-mandy-geddes-acc-aiecl