Sue Johnston, MBA, ABC, IAC-CC

Aided by her knack for cutting through the clutter and presenting ideas clearly and imaginatively, Sue’s done almost everything a professional communicator can do. And she’s done it in many roles (writer, reporter, strategist, trainer) and contexts (corporation, non-profit, small business, education). She helps you focus on what’s important and translate your ideas into messages your audience can understand and act on. (The truly curious can see details in her résumé .)

Formal education and experience give her a grasp of both the theoretical dynamics and the practical aspects of communicating, one-to-many or one-to-one. A passion for learning keeps her ever on the hunt for fresh ideas that continue her development as a professional. An early start as a reporter taught Sue to talk to almost anyone about almost anything, a skill that served her well in her career in corporate communication and is especially valuable in training and coaching.

Sue earned an MBA from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, specializing in Communication Management. Her undergrad studies were in Psychology/Sociology and she continues to follow the  positive psychology movement (much more useful than annoying mice and studying deviance). She’s certified to administer and interpret MBTI®, EQ-i® and other assessments.  She also enjoys helping others improve their writing skills through the Writing Repair Centre.

Sue has earned the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation through the International Association of Business Communicators and is a past Regional Chair for that organization. She’s also an International Association of Coaching Master Certified Coach (MCC-IAC). Sue is the author of Talk To Me: Workplace Conversations That Work.

But more important than credentials, Sue has earned the trust and confidence of employers and clients by consistently delivering results that meet or exceed their expectations.

Andrew Annett – MBA, PMP

With a history of leading major IT projects in a variety of settings, Andrew operates where business, technology, and communication intersect. He brings to It’s Understood extensive knowledge, practical experience and a variety of formal techniques that ease the process of getting things done. His practical approach, honed in his early career in Alberta’s no-nonsense drilling industry,  is balanced by a relentless curiosity about how and why things work, from our machines to our brains to our conversations.

That curiosity about brains and conversations, and a need for a theoretical understanding grounded in something real, led to formal training with Results Coaching Systems. It’s a pragmatic approach to helping others that’s based on a solid foundation of neural research. The process of “engaging the brain to capture the mind” drives our coaching practice and enhances our training effectiveness.

His innate curiosity makes Andrew an enthusiastic and thorough researcher, and he is skilled at teasing out the relevant information from the most confusing situations. Call him when you’re stuck. Or when you’re contemplating something big. He knows how to set the stage for success through planning and exploiting technology to achieve your business goals.

Andrew earned an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. He’s also accredited by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional (PMP). He’s a Certified Results Coach and is pursuing certification by the International Coach Federation.

Andrew is one of the principals of LeanIntuit, an ensemble of independent agents who support the adoption and evolution of agile methods of building software products.

Associates

We are proud to be part of a lively and interesting network of people in related businesses.

Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, MC

Eric Bergman is the principal of Bergman & Associates, a consultancy that specializes in communication training and issues management.

During his 25-year career as a communications professional, Eric has worked in virtually every facet of public relations and organizational communication, earning more than a dozen local, national and international awards for his work. Today, his business is focused on teaching his clients to communicate effectively through the medium of face-to-face communication. He’s developed rocking communication products: presentation skills training ( Presenting With Ease) and media spokesperson training ( At Ease With the Media). Eric’s also an inspiring entrepreneur who’s been in business for himself almost forever.

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