About Play CoLab
Founded in 2016
Our Story
Play Contemporary Leadership CoLab evolved from an observation that despite a global spend of well over US$350billion* per annum in leadership development and training initiatives, there were few examples of leadership that seemed suited to the ever-increasing complexity of contemporary realities. Structural issues such as diversity and inclusion, gender equity right through to environmental sustainability and climate change remained something for the next generation of leaders to sort out. Organisational transformation efforts were reported to have a success rate of only around 15% and individuals were lapping up coaching and development courses but still left wanting.
What if the answer lay in how leadership development itself was delivered? For instance, providers were espousing the benefits of collaborative leadership but not embedding this into their own practice.
So, we embarked on a process of research, experimentation and discovery which has eventuated to a practice centered around group process, collaboration and a kaupapa of raising the consciousness of leaders. Our conversations span the deeply personal to the global, and in so doing, we fundamentally disrupt the worldview of leaders including how they view themselves as agents of transformation.
The work of Play CoLab incorporates leadership development, an understanding of systems and culture and a contemporary take on diversity and inclusion. While our nucleus is small, our participants and consultancy clients become collaborators in contemporary leadership practice so our work has a ripple effect.
*TrainingIndustry.com
The Collaborators
Sandy Burgham
Sandy’s 30+ year working life has afforded her leadership positions in four completely different sectors – communications, research, retail and leadership development. Through these experiences she became curious that every sector had patterned approaches to change, strategy and culture and predictable characteristics amongst those who were typically awarded leadership status. This led to the founding of Play CoLab, a deliberate practice in collaboration and a living enquiry into contemporary leadership approach. Sandy is a widely experienced strategist, researcher and group facilitator. She is also a certified leadership coach. She has been for many years a social commentator, columnist and public speaker on social trends and issues including diversity and inclusion, innovation and reinvention. Her academic interests pertain to the role of gender in systems which lead to a mid-life BA in Gender Studies and History, with first class honours. She considers her identity as a half Japanese half Pakeha New Zealander critical to her mindset and worldview. Sandy is based off-grid on Aotea, Great Barrier Island.
Jenny Devine
Jenny’s life work is about the conscious awakening, growth and development of leaders. She considers herself to be an evolutionary – one of many globally – deeply curious about how we evolve to be a more enduring and mature species that is better able to care for each other, our planet and our collective future. Jenny’s background includes holding leadership positions in the public health sector where her interest in leadership extended past management and leadership practice to the development of leaders. A move to the USA in 2003 enabled her to study directly under the tutorage of Debbie Ford, a pioneer of Jungian shadow work whose integrative approach made it accessible to all people. In 2009 Jenny returned to her native New Zealand to bring this work home. She currently resides at Waihi Beach, New Zealand where she enjoys being deep in the heart of nature. She frequently travels to the USA. Jenny has a B.A. Social Sciences and an M.A. Consciousness Studies. She is a certified integrative coach, an experienced consultant in The Leadership Circle 360 profile, a certified yoga teacher and a recognised mindfulness practitioner.
Jane Horan
Jane is an economic anthropologist with expertise in the analysis of economy and the way this intersects with gender, political economy, and organisational structure. She is an exacting and academically rigorous social researcher and critical thinker, who is skilled at responding to research briefs in nuanced, but pragmatic and innovative ways. She has worked extensively over the last 20 years in contract research and evaluation, designing and conducting research projects for corporate organisations, NGOs, government, and in academia. As a commercial researcher, Jane has been contracting to the business sector where she works with organizations keen to more fundamentally understand the social construction of markets and business contexts, and how the powerful shifts occurring politically and culturally impact not only commercial approaches, but also their social license to operate. Jane is Tangata Tiriti and is a research associate at the James Henare Māori Research Centre at the University of Auckland and collaborates with various research agencies as well as Play.
Moira Mallon
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Moira is on a heartfelt mission to support organisations to grow and develop empowering and confident leaders. For Moira that means supporting experienced and future leaders to be more at ease with the responsibilities, complexities, demands and bountiful opportunities of purposeful leadership. She brings a spirit of partnership to each engagement and a commitment to individual and organisational impact. Moira graduated with a BComm and has a first class Master’s Degree in Business Studies (Management and Organisation Studies). She is a certified coach through the International Coaching Community (ICC) and the International Coach Federation (ICF). She also holds a Certificate in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Moira is a certified facilitator of the Leadership Circle 360 Profile and DISC Flow behaviour profile. She is certified with and practices in line with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and International Coaching Community (ICC) codes of ethics. As an Irish Kiwi she takes great pride in calling two beautiful, creative and enterprising countries home.
Karen Bycroft
Karen is a Non-Executive Director, Leadership Facilitator and Executive Coach, who brings a deep and practical understanding of leadership and organisations with 30 years of business experience working across UK, Australia and New Zealand. She is passionate about helping organisations and individuals optimise their potential by developing commercial business strategies and authentic leadership skills.
She has held senior leadership roles in a number of retail organisations including Marks and Spencer, Sears, Woolworths (UK), and Country Road. Karen is currently a non-executive director for Hallenstein Glassons in New Zealand and spent 6 years on the Board of The Spotlight Group in Australia. She combines her business knowledge with considerable experience in education. She has spent 10 years as a facilitator and coach at Melbourne Business School working on both open and customised leadership programmes. She has also designed and facilitated strategic executive education programs at Monash University, lectured at Oxford Brookes Business School and facilitated modules on the Australian Retailers Association’ Diploma in Retailing. Karen is an Executive and Career Coach with personal clients from a range of organisations and sectors.
