Sam Winnall
Background
Sam brings extensive leadership experience and supports leaders facing difficult and complex challenges. Her on‑the‑job knowledge from top‑tier organisations, including Singapore Airlines and DHL, and a decade in the Australian and ACT Governments, combined with her business and psychology qualifications, enable her to challenge leaders at all levels to lead well. Sam draws insight from data and pairs this with deep listening sessions to help leaders navigate obstacles, develop with confidence and thrive in their current and future roles.
Coaching philosophy
Sam’s coaching philosophy centres on the belief that clients perform at their best when their core values align with those of their organisation, enabling purposeful and sustainable growth. She believes self‑awareness, a positive mindset and intentional reflection are essential for leaders to realise their potential. Sam fosters a safe, genuine and trust‑based environment and challenges clients to make behavioural changes that align with their values and enhance performance.
Professional Snapshot
Areas of expertise
- Cultural transformation: Guiding leaders to reshape organisational culture toward stronger accountability, alignment with values and improved project delivery.
- Leadership style evolution: Supporting technically oriented leaders to adopt more inclusive, collaborative approaches that build team capability and strengthen their own leadership.
- Navigating challenging environments: Empowering leaders to focus on what they can control, make informed decisions and move forward with clarity.
- Stakeholder relationship management: Building productive relationships with key internal stakeholders to enhance collaboration and influence.
- Strategic advisory for senior leaders: Acting as a trusted sounding board for executives navigating complex and rapid change to support clearer thinking and more confident decision‑making.
Qualifications and accreditations
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), University of New England
- Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Monash University
- Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management, University of Canberra
- International Coach Federation member and graduate of the CoachU program, United States
Group and team coaching
Sam is an experienced organisational leader and executive coach who developed team coaching skills at Nous Group and Right Management Asia Pacific. Recently, she worked with a senior leadership team to strengthen collaboration and performance during a high‑stakes project across six major Victorian hospitals. She has also supported senior teams on strategy development, risk assessment and mitigation planning across sport, health and logistics for more than a decade.
Talent assessor
Sam administers and interprets assessment tools including:
- Psychometric Assessments: Utilising instruments such as Strengths Deployment Inventory 2.0 (SDI2.0) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to uncover key personality dimensions, behavioural motivations and tendencies, and strengths.
- 360-Degree Feedback: Conducting multi-rater feedback processes to provide a holistic view of a client’s performance, leadership style, and areas for development from peers, subordinates, and supervisors.
- Leadership assessment centres: Conducting leadership assessment for individual leaders while at Right Management in Singapore in simulated business environments during full-day and half-day programs for multi-national organisations
Success stories
- Regional Operations Leader: Coached a senior leader in Asia Pacific at a major tech firm to significantly improve stakeholder relationships essential to on‑time delivery of new office projects across the region.
- New Finance Lead: Supported a leader new to the organisation to integrate effectively while navigating cultural challenges and a new industry, leading to a more cohesive and higher‑performing finance team.
- Senior Executive Leader: Provided support to a senior leader experiencing fast‑paced, market‑driven change, resulting in clearer decision‑making, defined action plans and improved divisional performance.