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Meet the team

Impact is bursting with energetic, talented and passionate people who want to make a difference. Our people work from over 30 global locations.

Lou McDonald, Impact
UK
Lou andMcDonald
Head of Brand

Sum myself up in a paragraph? There’s a challenge! And maybe a good starting point. I like challenge. I like the challenge of grabbing attention with interesting, useful and relevant marketing. From a new website or re-brand to a sell-out festival, for me it’s all about customer first. I like a physical challenge too, and the challenge of how long I can last without listening to music!

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Hisae Hashimoto, Impact International
Japan
Hisae andHashimoto(Sae)
Facilitator

I provide inspiring opportunities for leaders to explore possibilities in expanding sustainable business and organisational development. As a staff support manager I have been leading operations such as talent acquisitions. Supporting others and organisations to expand their full potential is my passion. I enjoy ensuring we have a unique workplace where we can maximise potential and strengths. I love climbing mountains, hot springs and good organic foods.

Michelle Roberts, Impact International
UK
Michelle andRoberts
Head of HR

I love the variety of my role, working with global clients on complex projects and learning from inspiring Impact people, no two days are the same. I’m responsible for the quality of customer service, building excellent client relationships, providing commercial strategies with meticulous project scoping and planning, alongside first class solution delivery and evaluation. I love the outdoors; walking, running or camping with our two boys and crazy cocker spaniel. 

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Sara Baranzini, Impact Italia
Italy
Sara andBaranzini
Senior Consultant and Executive coach

I have experience as an HR Manager in multinational and Italian companies, managing L&D, recruitment, employees relations, coupled with across-the-board experience in consultancy projects on those subjects. Since 2013 I have been supporting organisations to change with a focus on learning and development with main focus on leadership, individual effectiveness, business coaching and change management.

 

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Itsuyo Watanabe(Barbara)
Japan
Itsuyo andWatanabe(Barbara) and
Director, Brand Enhancement Department

As a consultant, I like Impact's programmes because every one of our projects could make the participants think deeply about their issues in the workplace, and move forward for their business success. I am excited when exploring a solution for my clients' current and future business challenges. Besides my job, I like cooking, travelling, fine arts, musicals, Japanese KABUKI, opera etc.

Sabrina Bianchi Impact
Italy
Sabrina andBianchi
Head of marketing and Communication

I joined Impact in early 2022, and it was the best start to the year ever! My commitment is to develop and implement communication and marketing activities to give more and more visibility to the pathways and initiatives we create for our clients. In my spare time, I cheer for Inter and organize dinners and trips with friends and family.

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Steven Nishida
USA
Steven andNishida
Senior Consultant

A lifelong passion for learning and leadership brought me to Impact, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. As a designer, facilitator, and thought partner, I embrace a scholar-practitioner mindset, running to the issues and engaging others with clarity, empathy, and authenticity. My favorite activity of each day is laughing, playing, and making up bedtime stories with my kids. They're hilarious!

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Matteo Villa
Italy
Matteo andVilla
Senior Consultant and Facilitator

I joined Impact in 2023 as a senior Consultant, I’ve worked as training and development manager for a major pharmaceutical multinational and at the Business School of the Politecnico di Milano.

Passionate about learning and innovation, I consider it the 'mission' of consulting to transform companies into people centric, innovative and sustainable workplaces.

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Ryota Motohashi (Motty), Impact International
Japan
Ryota andMotohashi(Motty)
Client Partner

Exploring Human and Organizational Creativity 
I have 8 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, focusing on talent and organizational development. Discovering coaching inspired me to apply it in the field, seeing people transform through intrinsic motivation. This led me to join a coaching firm, supporting various industries.  Motivated by the question, "How can individuals and organizations unlock their potential?", I joined Impact to further develop my expertise.  I enjoy playing the drums and held a live performance last year. My motto: "Immerse myself in what I am passionate about while working." 

Gabrielle Thorpe, Impact
UK
Gabrielle andThorpe
Project Manager

After living in France and working in the ski industry for 13 years, I decided to move back to the UK, joining the Impact Project Management team. I work on several major global client solutions across industries such as insurance, pharmaceuticals, sportswear and automotive. I build strong working relationships, both internally and externally, to support teams through solution design to delivery.

Trudy Bridger, Impact
Australia
Trudy andBridger
Consultant

My role is to build strong, trusted partnerships with clients and help bring our shared purpose to life: liberating human potential and creating organisations that are truly worth working for. I’ve worked across a wide range of roles at Impact, giving me broad experience and a unique perspective on the business. Outside of work, you’ll usually find me out in nature, reading, cooking, or—more likely—chasing after my energetic toddler.

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Scott Rose, Impact
UK
Scott andRose
General Manager

My Impact career began in 2003 with a passion for adventure as a learning experience. Throughout my years at Impact, I've worked with incredibly talented colleagues, clients and people at all levels of leadership seeking to thrive at work. I love helping others make a difference in the world, am a bit of a science geek, a keen runner and love being a Dad to my three young boys.

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Connor Gildert, Sales, Americas
USA
Connor andGildert
Sales Operations Administrator

I work alongside our business development team to ensure we provide quality service to our global clients. I also work closely with our internal teams to help do our bit to help develop the local community. Impact gives me the space to be myself, which usually gets me into trouble...

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Ilaria Capogrossi Guarna
Italy
Ilaria andCapogrossi andGuarna
Key Account Support

I had the chance to join Impact Italy in June 2022 Joining Impact has added value to my professional background giving me the opportunity to work with very special collegues in a world company.I support our team and I coordinate the Milan Office.

In my spare time I like to travel to discover new destinations and people. I love animals and sports, especially skiing.

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Roger Nielsen, Impact
Australia
Roger andNielsen
Senior Consultant

Over the past 16 years at Impact I've worked around the world with some truly wonderful people. I've been the lead facilitator on many large-scale initiatives focused on developing leadership capability, high performing teams and coaching. I love the outdoors, and spend many hours at the beach with my wife and daughter.

 

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Fabio Gabbiani
Italy
Fabio andGabbiani and
Senior Consultant and Key Account Leader

With over 26 years as L&D and Internal Communication manager in large multinational companies, I’ve developed deep knowledge in consulting roles, building trusting relationships with all levels of an organization, implementing complex projects. I love my job, the countryside, animals and sports.

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Francesca Filzi
Italy
Francesca andFilzi
Accounting and Financial Support

I manage all Impact Italia accounting processes and love precision, tramezzini (look it up!) and silly jokes. I am also very appreciated for my former athletics experiences and I provide stretching sessions to all colleagues who need to exercise a bit after a long day in the office. I deal with a lot of internal and external stakeholders to make sure everything is ok with our clients, accounts, invoices and bills!

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Sarah Golding, Impact International
UK
Sarah andGolding
Head of Account Management

Here at Impact I have the pleasure of managing a portfolio of impressive global programmes and a number of our key clients. I like to simplify the complex, gain clarity where there is ambiguity and drive efficiency and quality through my project teams. I love meeting different people and understanding what makes them tick! I'm full of energy, constantly smiling and always ready for the next adventure.

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Wendy Lee, Impact
USA
Wendy andLee andBerger
Global Lead, Operations

I was lucky enough to join as the third member of the US team in 2006 and have done almost every role in the business including design, delivery, sales support, project management and even bookkeeping! That breadth of experience has helped me in my current leadership role, it allows me to understand the business from multiple perspectives and focus on operational excellence. My nickname is Wiki because I can usually help find the answer!

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Naoshi Kimura (Woody)
Japan
Naoshi andKimura(Woody)
Manager, Client Success Department

Over 10 years of experience in retail industry, I experienced various roles, managing some stores as a store manager, executing retail strategies as a retail manager, and an internal trainer in the organizational change project, planning, making, delivering the programs to the managers and staffs. I am very much interested in “people change” so very happy to work at Impact to build my career as a professional of people and organizational consultant.

Simon Wagstaff
UK
Simon andWagstaff
Senior Consultant, UK

I joined in 1982 when the company was two years and totalled four people. I have had the great privilege of what seems like two parallel careers - helping to build and develop our business and working with clients to help them do the same with theirs. I love the variety of my role, that at Impact personal talent is more important than hierarchy, and that we have never waivered from our vision to make a positive difference in the world, through leadership development.

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Haruka Maruyama (Maruko)
Japan
Haruka andMaruyama(Maruko)
Assistant Manager, Planner

Working as a planner at Creative and Marketing Department since 2019. Before Impact, my career was mainly on the position of sales and marketing at the bank and advertising agency. My focus is on the capacity building for both individual and team. Virtual team building is one of the fatal themes because I am working as a full remote member. I love traveling around the world with my backpack and enjoying beautiful local delicacies!

Alicja Pietrasz, Marketing Executive
UK
Alicja andPietrasz
Digital Marketing Executive

As a Digital Marketing Executive I am responsible for a broad range of global marketing projects and activities. I believe in Impact's mission, values, methodology and expertise, and I hope that thanks to my work more people around the world will hear about the great changes we make for organisations and their people. I am a nomadic soul and travel often to discover, experience and learn how the world and people differ.

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Martina Case, Impact
UK
Martina andCase
Business Support

I always enjoyed working for companies who share my values and whose work I can be passionate about. I love that Impact wants to make a difference and has the purpose to help build companies worth working for. I enjoy a good adventure and have a passion for travelling, my latest adventure being swapping London life for the great outdoors of the lovely Lake District!

Our awards

Year after year, we continue to be acknowledged for the quality and effectiveness of our partnerships with clients and for our own work on building Impact as an organisation worth working for.

2026 Training Industry Top 20 Leadership Training Company
2026 Training Industry Top 20 Leadership Training Company

Impact is a 2026 Top 20 Leadership Training Company. Training Industry independently assess the training marketplace for top providers. Their Top Leadership Training List, based on capabilities and expertise, includes Impact for the 16th consecutive year. 

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Chief Learning Officer gold award 2025
Gold Excellence in Partnership Award from Chief Learning Officer 2025

Impact won the gold award at the Chief Learning Officer 2025 Learning in Practice Awards for Excellence in Partnership. This recognises our support of Bristol Myers Squibb in implementing a learning and development programme.

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