Innovation. Improvisation. Transformation.

Photograph of Antony Quinn

Hi, I'm Antony. I'm a creative leadership coach, consultant and facilitator in Cambridge, UK. I guide leaders and teams to innovate and collaborate with purpose and vision across cultural boundaries.

Services

Coaching

Feeling stuck in a rut? Lost your sense of purpose? Not sure where to go next with your career or business?

Claire Pedrick at 3D Coaching says “coaching is a conversation where someone feels heard and knows something at the end that they did not know at the beginning”.

I trained with Claire and share her view that coaching is simply one human being facilitating the thinking of another. I’ve been facilitating such thinking for business owners and leaders informally for several years, and am now coaching professionally.

Improvisation Training

Have great individuals but no “team”? Frustrated that ideas go nowhere? Feel anxious when put on the spot?

Applied improvisation draws on the best traditions of improvised theatre (“improv”) to create highly effective teams and leaders who create, communicate and collaborate with ease.

I’ve been an improv actor since 2011 and have introduced the transformative principles of improvisation to Agile software teams, communications professionals, HR directors and foreign language learners.

Improvised Role Play

Are you an in-house or external trainer? Want to stand out from the crowd with your difficult conversations training? Want to add value to your training programmes with ongoing one-to-one skills practice?

As an improv actor applying 20 years experience in business, I take on the role of the ‘other’ in simulations of real-life conversations, giving your training programme participants the chance to put your learning into practice in a safe environment.

Find out more​.

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Thinking Partner

Need some time to work on your business as well as in your business? Struggling to communicate with your IT department? Have an idea that might just transform your business but don’t know where to start?

I with individual clients for whom I act as a ‘thinking partner’ – a blend of coaching, consulting and mentoring. We use a mixture of video, phone and face-to-face time to do this.

The heart of the idea is to create a space where someone can think out loud. The conversations we have provide a rehearsal space where clients can not only reflect but try out new ideas, arguments or presentations. I give them feedback and challenge them. I provide stimulus, frameworks and tools. I may help them design processes or technology solutions.

Senior people are under so much pressure, they need help to create opportunities to think properly, hence the idea of a ‘Thinking Partner’. They value the fact that I have no particular angle or agenda – and tell me this is hard to find.
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Clients

Examples

I’ve helped:
  • 50th Generation host Open Space experiential events for social entrepreneurs to share best practices and advance the field of social innovation. | workshop facilitation
  • Anglia Ruskin University train and mentor startups in business strategy and user experience design for an applied games programme. | workshop facilitation and mentoring
  • Ocean Learning deliver innovation workshops for a global media and exhibitions client as part of a programme to develop skills in innovation and collaboration. | workshop facilitation
  • Sigma Consulting Solutions apply business strategy models to identify new growth opportunities and facilitate user experience (UX) design workshops for clients to improve user engagement. | workshop facilitation
  • The Chartered Institute of Public Relations improve the confidence and effectiveness of PR professionals in face-to-face communication with colleagues and clients. | applied improvisation training
  • The Geek Whisperer give managers, engineering professionals and customer service staff realistic practice in handling difficult conversations to improve well-being, engagement and profitability. | improvised role play
  • Unboxed give intrapreneurs (internal entrepreneurs) realistic practice in interviewing customers for new product development using Lean Startup practices. | improvised role play
  • Wild Monday give NHS doctors, surgeons and other healthcare-professionals in leadership positions realistic practice in handling difficult conversations to improve engagement, productivity and performance of staff. | improvised role play

Testimonials

Antony is an excellent facilitator with an in-depth knowledge of the design process and user experience.
Paul Kenny, owner of Ocean Learning Ltd
Paul Kenny
Owner, Ocean Learning Ltd

About me

I’m a creative leadership coach and consultant in Cambridge, UK. I guide business leaders and teams to innovate and collaborate with purpose and vision across cultural boundaries. I do this through coaching, consulting, workshops and simulations. I draw on my unusual background in computational biology, software development, IT leadership and improvised theatre to introduce fresh ideas and new ways of working to achieve breakthrough solutions. I’ve worked in, and continue to work with, corporates, nonprofits and technology startups. I studied economics in France, computer science in London, genetics in Cambridge, and improvised theatre with the legendary Keith Johnstone. Alongside my native English, I speak French, Spanish and Italian.

LET'S TALK