Why us?

Our clients are our greatest advocates. Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. So when our existing clients go out of their way to tell us about the ongoing benefits of our programmes, you can rest assured that we will do the same for you.

Our passion for people and their organisations makes a difference. We take so much joy in seeing people blossom into happier and more confident and capable individuals. Sharing life-changing “aha” moments with even the most sceptical delegates, or supporting an organisation to reach new heights through positive change, is exceptionally rewarding for both parties.

We pay special attention to each client’s requirements. We involve all key players in designing the journey, reviewing progress and ensuring the cultural message supports the strategy (in the training of delegates or organisational transition).
Our exceptional skills as consultants and facilitators are matched by our long-term experience in contracting jobs effectively. Before we even begin to consult or facilitate to the highest standards, we outline - in a comprehensive contract - exactly what we will do for you and what you will need to do. With the exclusion of grey areas, we are set to meet and exceed your expectations.

We are committed to excellence and high ethical standards. We conduct ourselves and run our business to the highest ethical and moral standards. We promise to be fair, honest, trustworthy and diligent - and to deliver on our promises. Our goal is to ensure that whenever the need emerges, you will only ever consider employing the services of First Facilitation, because you regard our brand as synonymous with quality and value.

Our holistic approach delivers lasting results. We develop each delegate from the inside out and in line with the strategic requirements of the organisation. Using a variety of methodologies - from experiential learning, case studies and role playing to theory, group work, games and videos - we develop delegates’ awareness, knowledge and skills in a meaningful, practical and memorable way. This enables them to internalise and apply the valuable lessons learnt.

Our commitment to ensuring a rewarding experience for each delegate has a rippling effect throughout your organisation. When you feel inspired, you just have to share the experience!

Company

Our history

Established in 2006, First Facilitation has achieved a great deal in its short life. Evolving from a broad HR consultancy, today our focus is on providing pioneering coaching, training and consultancy to some of South Africa’s leading companies.

Our purpose

Through innovative and effective facilitation, we bring about huge shifts in people and their organisations. It is our job to help people in your company to see its future – and to understand how to get there.  Learning thus becomes the catalyst for significant growth and increased productivity.
We are equally committed to influencing societal transformation in South Africa. We want to help meet what we believe to be a major need in our country for the development and growth of effective leaders. We also aim to increase employment and employability, communication, collaboration and co-operation amongst the people of our nation.

What we do

Leadership Development
Through highly experiential, holistic and life-changing programmes we inspire and assist leaders to develop clear direction, focus their priorities, acquire more confidence and ultimately lead their teams to accomplish more than ever before.
Personal Growth & Development
We adopt one-on-one coaching, courses and seminars to empower individuals to reach their full potential. We give them the tools they need to reach their personal objectives and/or to better undertake tasks at work.
Organisational Growth & Change
Our knowledgeable and experienced change management consultants, HR consultants and strategic facilitators will assist your company to manage any organisational change or transition effectively.

Who we are

Put simply: we love what we do! We are truly passionate about facilitating people to become happier and more confident versions of themselves. Sharing the “high” with teams, departments and organisations, as they maximise their impact, is extremely rewarding.
We are also highly skilled, experienced and motivational facilitators, coaches, trainers and consultants. Visit our People page for more information about our Partners, Derek Eaton and Nicky Perks, and Associates.

Why us?

In brief: because we care; because we are highly experienced and competent; because we measure our success first and foremost by impact; because our clients speak highly of us; because we govern ourselves by the values of trust, integrity, openness and courage.

In detail: see the Why us? tab on this page.

People

	Derek Eaton (Partner) B. Soc. Sc (UCT); BA Honours (US); IRDP (USB) Derek has had over 20 years of extensive experience in HR, management, change management and team development. His specific areas of expertise and passion are: Organisational change management Growing leaders and being an integral part of their development process Team development and facilitating processes in this regard Organisational development Coaching He is a member of SA Facilitators Network and is registered as a Psychometrist with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa. Derek is an avid sportsman and spends a lot of his spare time mountain biking, doing the odd road ride, playing men’s masters hockey and playing squash with his boys. He has a big interest in nutrition and healthy living. He is a real family man and is disciplined in ensuring that he spends as much time with his two growing sons and wife as possible.
	Nicky Perks (Partner) B. Soc. Sc (UCT); Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management (UCT) Nicky has over 11 years experience in business process and policy, documentation design, training material development and project management. Her areas of focus within First Facilitation are: Marketing (website, newsletters etc.) Training course administration and logistics General business administration Documentation Nicky is married to Greg and they have two lovely little girls, Lia and Nina. When she gets the chance Nicky loves spending time with her nose buried in a good book or cooking something delicious for her friends and family (having an Italian granny provides loads of inspiration). Spending quality time with the family is top priority and she constantly endeavours to strike a happy balance between work and family commitments. She is at her happiest when walks on the beach or Chapman’s Peak can be factored into her day.
	Gav Coetzee (Associate Consultant) B.Com (UNISA) MBA (USB) Gav has four years experience in management and extensive experience in HR, change management and strategy. He is passionate about: Growing leaders Coaching/counselling Being strategic Developing entrepreneurial skills Gav is a director of SA Facilitators’ Network and a member of the International Association of Facilitators. He loves spending time with his young family, socialising, and keeping fit by swimming, a tad bit of squash and hacking around the golf course. He also loves networking, building and nurturing special relationships. Public speaking and generally being the centre of attention also rank highly on his list of interests.
	Michelle Lawrence (Associate Consultant) MPsych (UWC); BA Psych (COU); BPsych Honours (Stellenbosch) Michelle is registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa as a Counselling Psychologist and has her own practice, which she runs from her office at home. She is also an Equine Assisted Psychotherapist, which includes the use of horses in the psychotherapeutic space. She has been involved in interpersonal skills training for the past five years and one of her passions is observing people change and grow as they begin to utilise new skills, and as a result begin to empower themselves into making more effective life choices. Her areas of expertise are: Personal growth and visioning Coaching Counselling and debriefing skills Equine assisted psychotherapy and assisted learning Interpersonal skills development Communication and conflict management Leadership development Time management Understanding team dynamics and team building and development Facilitation skills Managing change and diversity Stress management Ethics skills Michelle is very involved in empowering teenagers and young adults and serves as the Youth co-ordinator at her church. She runs various courses for teenagers and young adults involving emotional and spiritual development. She also coaches softball at her daughter’s high school and generally supports her daughters in their extensive extra-curricular activities. In her spare time Michelle enjoys reading, walking and catching up with her husband and friends over a plate of sushi.
	Tracy Dunn (Associate Consultant) B.A. (UCT); Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (UCT) Tracy has five years experience in management and 10 years in HR consulting. The areas she particularly likes working in are: Performance management Coaching, especially those new to leadership positions Organisational development Personal mastery and the learning organisation Tracy is currently studying Business Coaching at SACAP. She is married to Petri and weekends are spent keeping their two young daughters and Labrador out of mischief, usually at the beach or hiking in the mountains surrounding Cape Town. After many years living overseas, Tracy is enjoying working and studying with South Africans again.
	Clyde Van Zyl (Associate Consultant) BA Hons Clinical Psychology (Cum Laude); B. Soc. Sci. Personnel Management Honours Internationally accredited Life Coaching Certification - UCT Graduate School of Business / New Ventures West (USA); Registered Assessor with the Services Seta; Licensed Myers Briggs Personality Inventory Practitioner; Internationally Accredited Practitioner of Human Synergistics International Assessment tools and products including: Organisational Culture Assessment; Leadership Assessment; Life Styles Inventory / Individual Thinking & Behaviour Styles Assessment; Team & Group Styles Assessment Clyde’s focus areas are: Management and leadership development Stress management Personal mastery Teambuilding Organisational culture development Performance management (including counselling and coaching) Business presentation skills Managing diversity Creativity Clyde has been an HR training specialist and consultant for the past sixteen years, training a wide spectrum of industries and organisations throughout the financial, local government, mining and business sectors. He has facilitated and designed the full spectrum of HR programmes ranging from life skills to leadership and management development, working with clients throughout Africa, including international work. Clyde has undergone training both locally and internationally in the areas of leadership, organisational and personal development. His passion is inspiring and enabling organisations and people to create a better life for themselves and others. Outside of his professional life, Clyde enjoys going to gym and is an ex provincial squash player and squash coach. Clyde has a passion for scuba diving and his favourite holiday destination is a tropical island. Clyde also enjoys the odd round of golf, which is providing extensive material for his stress management programmes!
	Karen Grant (Associate Consultant) B. Com Honours (Strategy, Marketing and Business Management) Karen has 16 years experience in the communications and training industries and is a facilitator, coach and accredited provider of the Strength Deployment Inventory. Her particular focus areas are: Facilitator and trainer in the areas of organisational development, leadership development and personal mastery Business coach Business writer and the training of good business writing practices (including proposals and reports) Account management - Karen was an account manager with Ernst & Young for eight years and provides a programme in best practice account management Karen is married to David, who works as a colourist in the film industry. They have two young sons and work-life balance is an important consideration for Karen. A qualified ballet teacher, she engages in various forms of dance, plays the piano and is an avid reader!
	Gill Baronetti (Associate Consultant) DIPC Gill has over 20 years experience in the IT and financial sector as consultant, trainer, facilitator, project manager, department head, coach and mentor. She is a certified business and life coach, NLP practitioner and accredited provider of the Strength Deployment Inventory, Nancy Kline's Thinking Environment, and Brief Solution Focused Therapy. Her main focus areas are: Leadership, business and holistic lifestyle coaching Team coaching Facilitation (team-building, SDI, strategy, project) Project management Mentoring Training and facilitation Gill is passionate about personal development and personal excellence, both in herself and in others, and her mission is to facilitate self-discovery, growth and success in all aspects of her clients' lives.
	Margaret Townsend (Associate Consultant) Masters of Science (MSC) in Organisational Change Margaret completed her MSC with Ashridge Business School – degree accredited by Middlesex University. The MSC covers a number of different approaches to change management and coaching, including Psychodynamic, Complexity and Appreciative Inquiry. She also has a Practitioner and Master Practitioner Certificate in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). More recently she completed a number of modules at SACAP, including Somatic Coaching and Facilitation Skill 1 and 2. She is currently busy with a two-year Process Work Programme primarily focused on diversity in South Africa. Margaret is an experienced facilitator and coach, and has worked with a wide range of clients -including board level, senior management and professionals from the financial services, pharmaceutical and IT industries. She has worked mainly in the UK, from where she recently emigrated, and is now passionate about working in diverse corporate South Africa. She has an MSC in Organisation Development and combines a commercial, business focus with an in-depth understanding of individual psychology and team dynamics. She is married with two boys and is passionate about boogie-boarding, yoga and Cape Town!
	Louise Simpson (Associate Consultant) Louise has 18 years extensive experience in various HR roles in the financial and IT sector and is a certified coach and NLP practitioner. She is a commercially minded HR professional with broad financial services experience in the IT, Call Centre and Administration environment. Louise is skilled in management practices, change management, business re-structures, outsourcing and leadership. Her specific areas of expertise are: Change management Coaching Organisational development Leadership development Team development Facilitation Louise is married to Wayne and they have two wonderful children, Warren and Courtney. She loves reading, spends quality time on self development and is passionate about her chosen field. She enjoys working with people and organisations at all levels.
	Dr Kevin Lentin (Associate Consultant) B. Soc. Sc. (Psych., Natal University), D.C. (Cum Laude), Life Chiropractic College (USA), Dip. Appl. Clin. Nutrit. (Australia), ILS Paramedic (EMS, Cape) Kevin has 25 years experience as a chiropractor. He has built his practice around an Integrated Health model, incorporating his extensive experience in clinical nutrition, psycho-emotional health and the the neuro-musculo-skeletal system and thereby offering a totally holistic approach to empowering individuals to function at their optimum potential. Kevin is passionate about: Empowering individuals to thrive, physically, mentally and emotionally Presenting his ‘Managing Life’ pearls of wisdom to anyone who’ll listen! Understanding the physiological impact of ‘stress’ Helping the community through his voluntary paramedic work Kevin says: ‘The University of Life has taught me so much. There have been so many successes, and naturally, a few failures along the way, but the learnings have made me stronger, more compassionate, less egotistical (I think!) and definitely more equipped to lecture on some of the topics. So now my passion is to share the knowledge by combining my experience and my clinical, scientific training to help individuals understand how to ‘stay healthy’.
	Sheryl Cooke (Associate Consultant) Sheryl has had 18 years experience in HR, management, change management and people development. Her main areas of expertise are: Leadership development Organisational development Facilitation Team dynamics and development Change management Performance management Sheryl is married to Craig and has two daughters with whom she likes to spend as much time as possible. Sheryl’s passion (other than seeing people grow and develop) is travelling in Africa and Overseas. She loves to explore different places and cultures.
	Ann Bakkes (Associate Consultant) B.Com (RAU); BA Hons (US); Honours in Coaching (USB). Ann has over 12 years extensive experience in project, programme, senior and executive management. She has specialised in people and coaching for the last five years. A member of COMENSA, her specific areas of expertise and passion are: Individual coaching Team coaching and conflict management Project/programme management and training Project/programme consulting Ann is a versatile lady that enjoys the balance of life from running half marathons, horse riding, hiking, playing the piano and sewing. She has a big interest in people and hopes to shine her light on people’s journey of self discovery. She is a mom and loves spending time with her son Luca and husband Tiaan.
	Paul Sturrock (Associate) Paul is a partner in Partners for Impact, a business which offers a comprehensive service designed to enhance the effectiveness of donors’ investment in their not-for-profit partners. His strength is creating spaces through facilitation and coaching in which people grow in self awareness and understanding, which enables them to relate better to others and to become more influential leaders. He has extensive experience in working with diverse teams and enabling them to appreciate one another and maximise the group potential. Paul is very committed to his family and enjoys spending time with his wife, Colleen, and children, Lucy, Richard and David. He is involved in serving the community through his church, being on a school governing body and assisting NGOs. He is an avid sportsman and loves running, playing tennis and fishing.
	Glenn Widelko (Associate Consultant) BSocSc (SW) & Accredited Coach As an international coach and learning facilitator, Glenn brings a wealth of experience to the design and facilitation of innovative learning solutions. Over the past 15 years Glenn has coached and facilitated at all levels of an organisations including The Co-op, Nokia,  ExxonMobil, SAP, RBS, Shell, SpecSavers, AstraZeneca, Fujitsu and various government organisations. His specific areas of expertise and passion are: Leadership / Management Development Coaching & Performance Management Leading (Remote) Teams / Team Building Partnering & Consulting Skills Self-Awareness – Personal Brand & Impact Emotional Intelligence, Relationships & Communication Assertiveness, Conflict Resolution & Influencing Strategies Real Conversations & Delivering Difficult Messages Facilitation Skills Releasing Genuine Confidence Outside work Glenn’s passions are getting outdoors with his family, playing guitar, body surfing, running, gardening and some DIY. Based on his work as coach and facilitator, Glenn is in the process of completing his first book titled Confidence – The Natural State. Rather than psyching up a facade of pseudo-confidence that never lasts, the book enables people to release a reservoir of real confidence from within.
	Candi Berg (Admin Assistant) Candi has been working with the First Facilitation team in an administrative position for the past two years. She adds value to the organisation by utilising her excellent organisation skills and assisting Nicky with the logistics of running our business. Candi is married to Lawrence and they have two gorgeous little girls. In her spare time she enjoys keeping fit by playing and coaching tennis as well as ballet dancing.

BBBEE & Accreditations

SETA Accreditation

First Facilitation is an accredited provider of education and training with the Services Sector Education & Training Authority (SETA). We are currently in the process of attaining full accreditation.

BBBEE Status

First Facilitation qualifies as an Exempted Micro Enterprise in terms of the 09 February 2007 
Gazetted Codes of Good Practice and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53/2003. 
 Click here for the BEE certificate.