Nicole McKenna
Nicole began her career as a lawyer at Arthur Robinson & Hedderwicks (now Allens Linklaters) in Melbourne and then Skadden Arps in New York. She subsequently left the law to pursue a career in human resources and organisational development. In 2001, Nicole led the people-related aspects of the merger which created national law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, and occupied the positions of Director, People & Performance and Director, Partner Development respectively for almost seven years. Nicole relocated to Beijing in 2008, and re-positioned herself as a freelance organisational development consultant on her return to Australia, prior to founding McKenna BDF in 2011.
Nicole has an Arts degree and an Honours degree in Law from Monash University, where she graduated fifth in her class. She is also an alumna of the Editorial Committee of the Monash University Law Review and the Managing Human Capital Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.
Nicole holds an Advanced Certificate in Executive Coaching and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from the Institute of Coaching and Consulting Psychology, an independent body lead by the late Dr Anthony Grant and Dr Michael Cavanagh of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the University of Sydney. She has also completed Coach Accreditation Training at the Institute of Executive Coaching & Leadership in Sydney and Positive Psychology: Martin E. P. Seligman’s Visionary Science online through the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Coach Member of the International Coach Federation and a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia.
Nicole is committed to her own professional development and life-long learning. With that in mind, she regularly participates in a range of learning and development activities and has engaged a highly skilled psychologist and experienced coach to provide regular supervision of her coaching practice.