Testimonials
"Andonella worked with the Scottish Government from June 2007 until December 2007. From October 2007 she worked on our HR Shared Service Centre Process Re-engineering Programme. Andonella was responsible for reviewing our current recruitment processes then recommending how these could be improved upon based on her previous HR experience. Andonella worked well with the recruitment team and ensured they were engaged throughout the project. She was not afraid to challenge and was very disciplined in ensuring staff delivered promised work on time and would pursue where necessary. Andonella's lively personality and professional attitude allowed her to integrate quickly with Scottish Government staff making her a valuable member of the team. We are currently in the process of implementing her recommendations and would have no hesitation in using her skills in the future."
Lorraine Brown | Head of HR Shared Services
The Scottish Government
Click Here for the full testimonial from the Scottish Government
"Having Andonella on hand to give me advice was brilliant. We had some very intensive one to one sessions, during which Andonella really helped me to gain focus, clarity and above all confidence at a difficult time. The skills that I learned from her I know that I will use again and again. Thank you so much for everything!"
Fiona Kinsella
"Andonella Thomson, Director of Kingscavil Consulting ran a breakout session at the Scottish Arts Marketers’ Forum 2005. The session, entitled Teams: A Picture of Me, invited delegates to choose which of a number of personality types defined by the Belbin model of analysis on team roles and team-working, was best fitting for them as individuals. This was a thought-provoking, insightful and very participative seminar offering a unique perspective on how individuals interact in a working environment. Andonella’s warm and accepting personality encouraged participant engagement in a session that was well structured and delivered in a highly professional but appropriately informal manner."
Gwen McLeod | Audience and Organisational Development Officer
Scottish Arts Council
"Thanks so much for going over everything with me, You have made me look at an interview in a totally different way."
It was helpful to know:
- the do's and dont's
- the tip on taking my notes with me
- being prepared for those difficult questions
- and having questions ready to ask.
I have not heard back about an interview but feel ready and more confident than ever.
Thanks again
Carole
MENTEE FEEDBACK ON ANDONELLA THOMSON
"I was fortunate to be matched to an appropriate mentor by Arts & Business not long after I took up my first Chief Executive position, here at The Audience Business (www.tab.org.uk) in August 2004. My primary objective in seeking out a mentor was to access a neutral and confidential support mechanism whilst I wrestled with the challenges of my new role - heightened by the certain knowledge that my first year / eighteen months in post would be spent working through a complete organisational overhaul and repositioning of the company."
"Throughout our monthly sessions I have found Andonella to be warm, supportive, plain speaking, perceptive, an excellent listener - and a challenge in the most positive of senses. Having recently worked through a coaching exercise with her, I am more aware than ever of her specific communication skills in this area, and the clear structured approach this brings to our finite time together. "
"She carefully sticks to her pre-determined formal role of helping me reach my own conclusions as well as increasing my professional self-knowledge - but in a way which is illuminating and helps me take a step forward, rather than just highlighting weakness and leaving me in limbo without a clear course of action for addressing them. "
"Andonella has largely taken the initiative in making sure we keep up to date with arranging future meetings. She has been very generous with her time, over and above the minimum requested by Arts & Business - both literally in terms of face to face meetings, and indirectly by passing on appropriate background information and reading material that she thinks will be of use between meetings."
Ros Lamont
Chief Executive
The Audience Business
18 May 2005
"Andonella assisted us with the appointment of our Professional Development Manager. It was essential in the interview process to assess candidates abilities across a range of areas, including the ability to impress senior business people and diagnose organisational and individual needs. Andonella's expert input into the process, her insightful questions during the interviews and her experience in assessing applicant experience in the context of the skills required, enabled us to appoint successfully."
Barclay Price
Director
Arts & Business Scotland
"Being mentored by Andonella is a really great experience."
"I think, focus, discuss, suggest, digest, reject and plan all in the space of a couple of hours. And those hours just fly by. In an environment where you need to be in control, solve your own problems and have a very individual remit a mentor with whom you can talk and plan is crucial to working effectively. A great experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend."
Jacqui Bright-Varley
Arts & Business
"I found being coached by Andonella an extremely positive experience. I met with her at a time of confusion regarding which direction to take my business, if any at all!"
"Andonella's coaching style is one of genuine interest and dogged determination to get you to where you want to be, even if you do not understand or know where that may be at the time. It was her continued, regular support and focus that empowered me to open my mind, grow my confidence and achieve what I believed was the impossible."
"She reminds me of a Jack Russell who doesn't let go until she knows that when she does drop you, you land on your feet running, exactly where you want to be! "
"I would highly recommend being coached by Andonella Thomson knowing that you will achieve your goal and more. "
Heather Boyd
Director
Artesian
"I am a Senior Manager within the HR team of one of the Big Four professional service Firms. I worked with Andonella throughout 2006 on the initial stages of a large-scale HR transformation programme. Andonella's reponsibilities included process mapping all As-Is and To-Be HR processes, assisting with project management (drawing up project plans, resource plans etc), providing useful input from her own extensive experience, putting us in touch with other contacts / organisations who have been through similar programmes and being a general 'sounding board' for the team who had not previous HR transformation experience. Throughout this time, Andonella was professional, calm and committed to the project, but also able to understand the 'vision' of where we were trying to get to, how the programme might actually work in practice. This was immensely useful. Andonella is a good team player who fitted in immediately with the internal project team, and who is flexible with travel and working times. Andonella remains a valued contact. "
Alison Blair
Senior Manager
Human Resources
Deloitte & Touche LLP