ABOUT SUSAN
I’m Susan Mackay, the founder of Create Connection.
I work with leaders, teams and organisations that want to create more inclusive, connected and sustainable ways of working. My role is not to arrive with a ready-made answer, but to help people see what is happening, hear different perspectives and develop practical ways forward together.
THE THREAD THROUGH MY WORK
Over more than three decades my work has taken me across countries, cultures and very different organisational settings — from broadcasting and communication into international health, development and organisational leadership, with senior and specialist roles at organisations including the BBC, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Throughout, the challenges have involved behaviour, trust, participation, equity and change. That experience is why I created Create Connection, bringing together organisational insight, professional coaching, inclusive practice and thoughtful facilitation in work that remains practical, collaborative and deeply human.
SELECTED JOURNEY
IN PRACTICE
RANGE OF WORK
Coaching, listening, relationships, identity, difference and the conditions that enable people to contribute.
Culture, leadership, collaboration, conflict, decision-making and sustainable ways of working.
Strategy, evidence, behaviour, participation and the wider structures that influence what becomes possible.
HOW I WORK
Every engagement begins by understanding the context, the people involved and what they are experiencing.
Different perspectives and ways of thinking are treated as valuable information, not obstacles to overcome.
Reflection matters, but it becomes most useful when it informs practical choices and everyday behaviour.
I bring experience to the work while remaining open, reflective and willing to revise my understanding.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & CONTINUING LEARNING
professional practice
My work is grounded in clear contracting, confidentiality, professional ethics and an ongoing commitment to supervision, reflection and learning, alongside training in team coaching, professional mentoring and organisational ombuds practice.
continuing learning
I was awarded a Research Masters in Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from the Australian National University in 2010, which strengthened my understanding of culture, participation, power and the importance of seeing change from the perspective of the people living it. I am currently studying for an MSc in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s College London.
I bring that learning into my work carefully. Psychology and neuroscience can offer valuable perspectives on the biological, psychological and social dimensions of human experience, but people are more complex than any single model or explanation.
WRITING AND REFLECTION
I regularly write about culture, coaching, neurodiversity, ethics, conflict, human connection and creative facilitation, connecting evidence, experience and practical questions while remaining open to different perspectives.
Explore insightsTWO CONNECTED PRACTICES
For organisations, leaders and teams
Coaching, consulting, facilitation and learning, working with leaders, teams and organisations.
For individuals and families
Susan’s separate specialist practice, providing dedicated neurodiversity coaching and support for individuals and families.
A PERSONAL NOTE
My interest in neurodiversity is both professional and personal. Understanding my own neurodivergence later in life reminds me to remain curious, avoid assumptions and listen to what each person says they need, rather than assume I know someone else’s experience.
If you are exploring how to strengthen leadership, culture, inclusion, collaboration or change in your organisation, I would be pleased to hear what you are working towards. Susan is based in Nyon, near Geneva, Switzerland, and works internationally online and in person.
LEGO, SERIOUS PLAY, the Minifigure and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse this website.
