About Us
Corporate Training Zone is managed by:
David Wilson & Paul McNiff.
About David B Wilson
When I was 19 years of age I was studying a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science at university. While studying I was doing a casual job in a large retail organisation to pay my university bills. My goal at the time was to continue my studies and become a medical doctor. During my time in my retail role I was given an opportunity to become a trainer, and train all the new employees who were joining the organisation.
Even though I was nervous about training, and I suffered a lot of anxiety, from the moment I trained my first group of learners, I realized how much I love teaching people and knew that I'd found my calling! From that day on, the idea of living life without focusing every day on helping others to learn and grow, seemed like a waste of time and, to be completely honest, totally pointless to me.
I became immersed in the world of Learning & Development, reading and absorbing everything I could in my attempts to become the best corporate trainer I could be.
I did continue my studies and finished my Biomedical Science degree, but I then turned my casual job into a full-time position where I went on to became head of the training department, managing other trainers, and training and coaching them to train others.
I was totally engrossed with the world of training. I continued to read and learn as much as I could, as I became a sponge for everything "learning-related". I spent a whole bunch of my earnings, as well as loads of energy and time developing my new-found passion in adult education.
I have since trained, designed, managed and coached in several large national and international organizations in Australia, including HSBC Bank, Optus and Myers. I've done several courses and certificates and I hold a Post-Graduate Degree in Adult Education. I've completed advanced communication and adult learning programs and I've literally trained thousand upon thousands of people across a variety of interpersonal, management and trainer development courses and programs.
I am still completely passionate about helping others to learn and grow. I want to contribute to people having the best lives they can. Many years ago I decided that one of the best ways I could contribute was to specialise in helping other Learning & Development Professionals master their training, design and consulting skills, so that they too, could help others to grow. I really do believe that learning is a core life skill that many people have blocks in. And that when their blocks to learning are removed, they experience a very different sense of satisfaction, peace and possibility.
Throughout all the years I've spent educating people I've realized there is always so much more to learn, practice and refine when it comes to teaching others. I've teamed up with my Business Partner Paul McNiff, who is a Psychotherapist and Trainer whose speciality is also helping people learn and grow. Together, we've created the Corporate Training Zone to offer training and development resources to Trainers, Facilitators, Instructional Designers and L & D Consultants.
I'm keen to continue to grow and learn personally as well. Through this website, I'm excited to be able to follow my passion and continue to help other Learning and Development Professionals, like you, to enhance your skills and master your purpose. I'm sure you'll benefit from the many great resources that I've created and found along the way.
Thanks for taking the time to find out a little about me. Here's to your training, designing and consulting successes...
David B Wilson
Corporate Training Zone
About Paul McNiff
I'm a trainer, coach and Psychotherapist (counsellor) and my passion is helping others to develop freedom and skills for success in their lives. Similar to David, I believe that learning and growing are fundamental to success and happiness in life.
My career began in corporate business, where I have managed, coached and consulted for several years. Following my work as a coach and manager, and having dealt with the more challenging levels of change management initiatives for many businesses, I realised that my true passion lies in helping others to reach their potential and overcome the obstacles that hold them back in their lives.
My career then took a very different direction. I returned to study and completed a degree in Psychotherapy (Bachelor of Counselling and Human Change), and, seeking support and counsel from some of the most amazing counselling professionals, I then continued to build a successful, busy private practice in Sydney. In my practice I worked with a wide range of people from depression and suicide to relationship and marriage issues.
My practice was going fine and I was realizing that I spent quite a lot of my time training people and so I decided to formalise my training experience... So, more study... I also undertook training in Clinical Hypnotherapy, which is heavily tied in to Neuro-Linguistic Programming and supports the education and training process.
As I look back at my time in corporate, whether I think about when I was the Personal Assistant to the Chairman of IBM at 19 years of age, or managing Help Desks or Account Management, Coaching or Executive Production roles, I now know that I've probably spent more time focussed on educating, coaching and helping others to grow, than I had realised at the time. So, when David Wilson came to me and suggested that we work together to help others grow in a more formal way, I jumped at the chance.
Corporate Training Zone allows me to develop training programs that are based on deep human change processes and that will create fundamental and tangible results! I have been a Clinical Member of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association of NSW (CAPA), which is a member organisation of the national body, the Psychotherapist and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
I have worked for and consulted to organisations such as IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation as well as a number of medium sized Training and IT organisations.
Outside of the corporate arena I have also worked closely with disabled children and their families as well as with other less privileged members of society. I believe that learning and growing are some of the human elements that all of us share, and that have the potential to really help us to live lives that bring us joy and satisfaction.
I'm thrilled to be able to formally bring my depth of understanding around human change into the Learning & Development arena through Corporate Training Zone. I believe that marrying deep human change processes with Learning & Development processes will yield tangible and profound results for our learners.
Paul McNiff
Corporate Training Zone
