What’s your name and where is home? 

My name is Dr. Jessica Tonissen, but you can call me Dr. Jess. Home is Melbourne, where I live with my two little girls. 

What are you known for? 

I'm known for my ability to stretch people to understand themselves in new ways. To look deeply and honestly at the person they are today and the life they are living now, and to take responsibility for creating the version of themselves they get to be in the future. 

What do you do? 

I'm the Head of Leadership and Talent at The Coach Place. I am a highly experienced Coach and facilitator with over 17 years' experience working across the fields of psychology, high performance coaching, leadership and talent development.

Tell us about the experience your clients should expect?

Clients should expect to be surprised, at times uncomfortable, and fully and completely supported. They should expect to be asked better questions, and challenged to take radical responsibility for themselves. I quickly, and often immediately, build connection and a deep trust in my coaching relationships, and hold this as the non-negotiable bedrock for disruption, challenge and lasting change.

Who do you work with?

I work with leaders and teams in various settings, including large corporate organisations undergoing transformation, small agile businesses undertaking growth, and as an independent performance coach and leadership consultant. I've designed and facilitated global leadership and talent development programs, worked with Boards to redesign organisational culture, and supported Executives and CEOs through deep, transformative 1:1 coaching. As someone who is enamoured with what humans are capable of, and who loves anything competitive (including playing amateur soccer!), I’m also passionate about working with athletes who understand potential and success is about practising much more than what can be seen. 

What’s your super power? 

My superpower is my ability to rapidly build deep trust and connection in my coaching relationships. From this place, I am able to provide a space in which you get to experience yourself in new ways, and get access to different choices, which serves as the foundation for lasting and meaningful change.

Finish this sentence - I’m a coach because…

I'm a Coach because I'm obsessed with people and our potential for incredible things. To work with individuals at getting clear on the things that matter most to them, and then defining the best version of themselves in all of those things. I believe that powerful leadership, of ourselves first and then of others, comes from deeply understanding who we are and making conscious and deliberate choices about how we engage in relationships and with our world. 

What values would people call out when describing you?

My core values are connection and growth. These inform how I work and how I live in every element of my life. My purpose is to create deep connections in which brilliant new possibilities emerge.  

Tell us a bit about the personal side of you. 

On the personal side, my most important leadership role is as Mum to my two strong, kind and very funny little girls. They provide endless opportunities for joy, challenge, and personal reflection - the ultimate little mirrors. I love swimming in the ocean, travelling to new places and constantly learning about the art and science of what it means to be human. I deeply value relationships, and cherish time with my favourite people, especially where cheese and wine is involved!