Gavin Dagley
Business (Organisational) Psychologist | Executive Coach
Gavin first qualified in Chartered Accounting, working in what is now Ernst & Young. He made an early move to industry and took on the role of Company Secretary and GM Finance at Levene & Co where he reported to the Boards both at company and Group level on the financial and administration functions of the business.
After a series of senior financial roles in the manufacturing, wholesale and construction industries, Gavin re-qualified as a psychologist producing post-graduate thesis on cognitive performance in fatigue conditions and effective career decision-making and transitions. He has been a fulltime executive coach and researcher since 2004 and has completed more than 1,600 paid hours of coaching with high potentials, senior leaders and C-suite executives in private and public sector organisations.
Gavin has been actively involved in the development of the research and standards base for coaching. He is a member of the Standards Australia committee that produced the Handbook on Coaching in Organisations in 2010, and led the ‘exceptional executive coaching’ and the ‘executive presence’ research streams for the Australian Human Resources Institute from 2005 to 2013. Gavin has presented his research to Melbourne Business School, the Australian Human Resources Institute national conference, and the Australian Psychological Society, and has presented a number of professional learning events for the executive coaching stream of the ICF, both locally and internationally.
Gavin’s interest in executive coaching is focused on personal growth in complex and high-demand environments. Successful executives are able to exercise sound judgement, maintain flexibility and build engagement in these taxing contexts. These abilities are based on having a well-developed sense of our personal biases and preferences, and being able more consciously to bring the very best of ourselves to these challenging situations.
Organisational and systemic change and leadership group development have also been a central interest in Gavin’s work. Along with the work he does with leadership teams and groups, he also provides the leadership development facilitation for a Melbourne-based AFL team, and has worked extensively in the Collective Impact method of social change in collaboration with key agencies in the field.
Gavin spends most of his personal time racing or coaching sailing. Gavin has medalled in numerous national events, and has represented Australia and New Zealand at world championships. He has coached at world level in small craft and was awarded the Victorian Coaching Program of the Year in 2012. He also has an abiding interest in playing the guitar, albeit badly.