What customers say

Alicia McKay is highly praised for her exceptional ability to transform the way organizations think strategically. Reviewers consistently highlight her engaging and energetic style, which facilitates deep learning during workshops and coaching sessions. Whether it's during challenging times like COVID-19 or navigating complex organizational issues, Alicia's no-nonsense approach and practical insights empower teams to clarify their strategies and embrace innovative thinking. Many testimonials commend her unique talent for making complex concepts accessible and enjoyable, emphasizing not just the professional development she offers, but also the supportive community she nurtures. From individuals re-evaluating their career paths to local government professionals seeking to enhance their strategic leadership skills, Alicia's influence is felt across multiple sectors. Customers express enthusiasm for her Consultants of Choice program, lauding it as a vital resource for anyone considering or already engaged in consulting. Overall, testimonials reflect a strong positive sentiment about Alicia's contributions, making her a recommended choice for those wanting to elevate their organizational effectiveness and personal growth.

Review highlights

Engaging workshopsTransformative coachingPractical insightsSupportive communityHighly recommended
Rebecca David
Rebecca David

Head of Transformation, Fonterra

Alicia has a real talent for simplifying strategy in a way that is both thought provoking and incredibly impactful. We walked away from our short session with a collective understanding of the gaps and opportunities we have, which has given us a renewed energy and focus to really nail our strategy. As a speaker Alicia was engaging and relatable – her wealth of experience is obvious, but at the same time she makes it seem so achievable which I think is a pretty powerful combination
Rebecca David
Rebecca David

Head of Transformation, Fonterra

Alicia has a real talent for simplifying strategy in a way that is both thought provoking and incredibly impactful. We walked away from our short session with a collective understanding of the gaps and opportunities we have, which has given us a renewed energy and focus to really nail our strategy. As a speaker Alicia was engaging and relatable – her wealth of experience is obvious, but at the same time she makes it seem so achievable which I think is a pretty powerful combination

Oct 11, 2023

Oct 11, 2023

Nic Quilty
Nic Quilty

Chief Executive at WasteMINZ

Alicia is up-front and tells it like it is. She is also very good at engaging with the audience. Alicia doesn't read off notes. She gave us learnings and tools we could take away and use. It was inspirational, funny, and vulnerable. I would recommend Alicia for events where you want to challenge your delegates' thinking, inspire them, and make them think differently.

Nic Quilty
Nic Quilty

Chief Executive at WasteMINZ

Alicia is up-front and tells it like it is. She is also very good at engaging with the audience. Alicia doesn't read off notes. She gave us learnings and tools we could take away and use. It was inspirational, funny, and vulnerable. I would recommend Alicia for events where you want to challenge your delegates' thinking, inspire them, and make them think differently.

Jun 7, 2024

Jun 7, 2024

Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett

General Manager, Tamworth Regional Council

THANK YOU for your incredible positive impact on our organisation during 2020. All of our Strategic Projects have progressed in line with our original plans. We have established a new and reinvigorated Executive Team, have regular strategic sessions to evaluate our performance and stay on track, and are finally starting to trust our managers and staff to do their jobs without feeling like we have to meddle/interfere. The change has been noticed not only by our staff and Councillors but by many of our community stakeholders, who have commented on the progressive, positive and proactive attitude that is now becoming evident across all areas of our operations. You taught me so much about my role, purpose, approach, and attitude. You opened my eyes to obstacles that were right in front of me, but they had become so much a part of the scenery that I had become almost oblivious to their impacts on our progress. You are a star.

Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett

General Manager, Tamworth Regional Council

THANK YOU for your incredible positive impact on our organisation during 2020. All of our Strategic Projects have progressed in line with our original plans. We have established a new and reinvigorated Executive Team, have regular strategic sessions to evaluate our performance and stay on track, and are finally starting to trust our managers and staff to do their jobs without feeling like we have to meddle/interfere. The change has been noticed not only by our staff and Councillors but by many of our community stakeholders, who have commented on the progressive, positive and proactive attitude that is now becoming evident across all areas of our operations. You taught me so much about my role, purpose, approach, and attitude. You opened my eyes to obstacles that were right in front of me, but they had become so much a part of the scenery that I had become almost oblivious to their impacts on our progress. You are a star.

Dec 17, 2020

Dec 17, 2020

EK
Ebel Kremer

Southland District Councilor at Southland District Council

Alicia is straight up! She challenges every one in the room. Visionary. Alicia is an exceptional facilitator who understands the topic. She’s easy to listen to and interacts well with participants. Highly recommended! Many thanks for a great day Alicia.
EK
Ebel Kremer

Southland District Councilor at Southland District Council

Alicia is straight up! She challenges every one in the room. Visionary. Alicia is an exceptional facilitator who understands the topic. She’s easy to listen to and interacts well with participants. Highly recommended! Many thanks for a great day Alicia.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

BH
Bodo Hellberg

Senior Consent Officer at Tauranga City Council

Very straight forward, no time wasting. As she said, we did a days work in half a day and her local government insight helped us. Thanks for facilitating the workshop. I took more away than I was hoping for.
BH
Bodo Hellberg

Senior Consent Officer at Tauranga City Council

Very straight forward, no time wasting. As she said, we did a days work in half a day and her local government insight helped us. Thanks for facilitating the workshop. I took more away than I was hoping for.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

Neels Janse van Rensburg
Neels Janse van Rensburg

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bible Society Incorporated

If you want your leadership, strategy and management paradigms to be challenged, look no further than Alicia McKay. Her professional, unorthodox and no nonsense approach helps organisations take bold and courageous steps towards the future. Our leadership experience with her enabled us to re-direct/prioritize our thinking or strategic priorities helping us navigate through difficult situation especially our current challenges brought on by Covid19.
Neels Janse van Rensburg
Neels Janse van Rensburg

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bible Society Incorporated

If you want your leadership, strategy and management paradigms to be challenged, look no further than Alicia McKay. Her professional, unorthodox and no nonsense approach helps organisations take bold and courageous steps towards the future. Our leadership experience with her enabled us to re-direct/prioritize our thinking or strategic priorities helping us navigate through difficult situation especially our current challenges brought on by Covid19.

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

Mayurie Gunatilaka
Mayurie Gunatilaka

Principal & NZ Country Leader at Arup

Alicia leads high energy, high impact strategy sessions assisting teams solve a range of complex problems. She has a unique ability to assist teams lift up from operational to strategic thinking whist also ensuring we are having a lot of fun along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed and learnt from our strategy sessions with Alicia and would recommend her to anyone who is looking at clarifying their organisational strategy to solving complex customer issues and engaging their teams. Above all she is incredibly talented and fun to work with!
Mayurie Gunatilaka
Mayurie Gunatilaka

Principal & NZ Country Leader at Arup

Alicia leads high energy, high impact strategy sessions assisting teams solve a range of complex problems. She has a unique ability to assist teams lift up from operational to strategic thinking whist also ensuring we are having a lot of fun along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed and learnt from our strategy sessions with Alicia and would recommend her to anyone who is looking at clarifying their organisational strategy to solving complex customer issues and engaging their teams. Above all she is incredibly talented and fun to work with!

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

Dr Lyndsey Dance
Dr Lyndsey Dance

CEO, Safer Farms

Don’t even hesitate - just get this superbly intelligent lady on board to help you and/or you org achieve greatness! Alicia literally fizzes with energy and captures the attention and focus of any audience in order to help guide and facilitate the generation of ideas into a meaningful outcomes. This is no easy feat when dealing with an ultra busy executive leadership team yet Alicia managed it with easy, over a short space of time (6 weeks!) during exceptional circumstances (COVID-19, level 4). By the end of the 6 weeks we had a clear direction of where we needed to steer our organisation in terms of project investments and understood the fundamental principles of sound, robust, practical and GOOD decision making!! Not bad for 6 weeks, eh?! (Thanks Alicia!)
Dr Lyndsey Dance
Dr Lyndsey Dance

CEO, Safer Farms

Don’t even hesitate - just get this superbly intelligent lady on board to help you and/or you org achieve greatness! Alicia literally fizzes with energy and captures the attention and focus of any audience in order to help guide and facilitate the generation of ideas into a meaningful outcomes. This is no easy feat when dealing with an ultra busy executive leadership team yet Alicia managed it with easy, over a short space of time (6 weeks!) during exceptional circumstances (COVID-19, level 4). By the end of the 6 weeks we had a clear direction of where we needed to steer our organisation in terms of project investments and understood the fundamental principles of sound, robust, practical and GOOD decision making!! Not bad for 6 weeks, eh?! (Thanks Alicia!)

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

LD
Lyndsey Dance

General Manager Strategy & Investment, Executive Leadership Team at Stats NZ

Our workshops were relaxed and inclusive and ensured everyone participated and had a voice. Alicia's style is so energising that it didn't matter what time of the day the sessions were scheduled, everyone found themselves focused and paying attention, ready to contribute.
LD
Lyndsey Dance

General Manager Strategy & Investment, Executive Leadership Team at Stats NZ

Our workshops were relaxed and inclusive and ensured everyone participated and had a voice. Alicia's style is so energising that it didn't matter what time of the day the sessions were scheduled, everyone found themselves focused and paying attention, ready to contribute.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

ES
Emma Speight

Director Regional Relationships at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Alicia never gave up, even when achieving an outcome appeared unlikely!
ES
Emma Speight

Director Regional Relationships at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Alicia never gave up, even when achieving an outcome appeared unlikely!

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

David Mackay
David Mackay

Deputy Secretary - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

A huge thank you for your outstanding presentation to my team this afternoon. I’ve had so much great feedback on your session, and some of your phrases have already entered our lexicon. I am very grateful to you for having brought your wisdom, experience, and obvious enthusiasm for the local government sector to our meeting today. Thanks again

David Mackay
David Mackay

Deputy Secretary - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

A huge thank you for your outstanding presentation to my team this afternoon. I’ve had so much great feedback on your session, and some of your phrases have already entered our lexicon. I am very grateful to you for having brought your wisdom, experience, and obvious enthusiasm for the local government sector to our meeting today. Thanks again

Nov 23, 2023

Nov 23, 2023