learning consultant & leadership coach

Summary

Design thinking, whether applied to design projects or business issues in general, can help us source better solutions and thus derive better results.
SONYA R. CALOOY's experience is concentrated in Learning & Development with a focus on Leadership Development, Business Operations and General Business (mostly Management Activities or Functions). Sonya has 25+ years of work experience, with 16 years of management experience, including senior and executive-level positions.

Timeline

  1. -
    Chief Learning Strategist, Leadership Coach, SpiritHawk Coaching & Consulting

    Design and deliver elegant, innovative learning solutions and ecosystems addressing development needs for consulting clients with regional and global stakeholders. Services include leadership development strategy, performance consulting, needs analysis, learning strategy development, instructional and curriculum design, project management, program management, and professional coaching. Possess fully equipped home office suited for telecommuting and remote working engagements.
    • Serving as content creator and producer of micro-learning video modules on Leadership Development for distribution via social media
    • Graduated from ACSTH Program and Advanced Coach Training as required for International Coach Federation credential certification

  2. -
    Chief Laughing Officer (CLO), FUNNY BUSINESS CONSULTING

    Experience design lead for professional consulting firm focused on creating memorable and lighthearted experiences designed for deep insights. Managed design and development of humor-based learning events, experiential learning, industry videos, and facilitation of team-building events.

  3. -
    Senior Learning Design Consultant, MODIS CONSULTING

    Performed design consulting for various Fortune 1000 companies and corporate universities. • Received MODIS Best Practices Award, given for instructional design for "Tribal Journey, " an experiential learning project for Yum! Brands that highlighted culture of high performing teams and weaknesses of struggling franchises.

  4. -
    Senior Learning Design Consultant, SAVI LEARNING

    Served as embedded contractor at Shell. Collaborated with Shell's internal subject matter experts and external university partners in designing and developing corporate academy programs. • Recognized by Brandon Hall Research and publishers of Training magazine as industry "Blended Learning Expert".

  5. -
    Global Head of Design and Development, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

    Oversaw $7.2M budget, team of 6 direct reports and 20+ contract designers developing 550+ global and regional learning interventions annually. • Established blended learning and eLearning quality assurance guidelines and processes, which became standard measurement tools for Shell Learning community. • Managed cross-functional project team migrating content from 27 regional legacy Learning Management Systems (LMS) into centralized LMS, creating single repository for training records and resources. • Managed vendor integration of Moodle LMS and EEDO ForceTen LCMS servers into Shell's Learning Systems Infrastructure, as well as required Moodle and ForceTen certification for all Centre of Excellence team members to enable the transitioning of other design teams into the new system. • Led change process transitioning team from supporting only Exploration business to becoming Center of Expertise (CoE) for Shell Learning globally by restructuring team, scoping design standards and processes, broadly marketing team's advisory skills, and contracting with global design vendors.

  6. -
    Learning Architect, ELS CONSULTING

    Served as Learning Architect for consulting clients. Designed and delivered elegant, innovative learning solutions and ecosystems addressing development needs for clients with regional and global stakeholders such as Hemsley Fraser (Washington, DC), GP Strategies (Columbia, MD), and Virgin Media (London, UK). Maintained consultative relationships with stakeholders and senior leaders. Provided performance and talent development consulting, needs analysis, learning strategy development, instructional and curriculum design, project management, program management, and graphic facilitation.

  7. -
    Learning Leader - Functions & Instructional Design, BAKER HUGHES

    Serve as Learning Leader for all functions across the matrixed company, with focus on development of Learning strategy, curriculum development and delivery, as well opportunities for synergies and sharing of best practices across the horizontal. Additionally serve as Leader for the instructional design COE, ensuring alignment of Learning methodologies and deployment of design best practices across the Learning organization. • Partnered with the executive development team involved in the planning, development and global implementation of Baker Hughes' leadership framework, working with key HR and company stakeholders to distill input collected from 300+ leaders across the company • Led a team of 12 learning managers selected from across the company to collaborate in the planning and development of the Core Competency Catalog, a collection of an aligned set of soft skills, digital skills and leadership competencies mapped to the company values and leadership framework • Launched the Finance Curriculum, ASPIRE Finance Curriculum, and Finance Career Growth microsite • Led the design and development of the new Global Onboarding program: A face-to-face classroom introduction for new hires, Hiring Manager training, a 30-60-90-day New Hire checklist, and facilitated Train-the-Trainer sessions across several regions

  8. Master of Arts in Education, University of Phoenix

    Master in Education (MAEd), Adult Education and Workforce Development, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ

  9. Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design, University of North Texas
  10. -
    TV Studio Manager, Denton State School
  11. -
    Art Director, The IBD Group
  12. -
    Senior Art Director, The Promotion Network
  13. -
    Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Creative Showcase, Inc.
  14. -
    Visiting Scholar, El Centro College
  15. -
    Sr Learning Designer, Shell
  16. -
    Learning Account Manager, Shell
  17. -
    Learning Advisor - Exploration /Commercial /Arctic, Shell

Education Highlights

  • Certified Holobody Coach (CHC)
    Evercoach by Mindvalley
  • Certified Business Coach (CBC)
    Evercoach by Mindvalley
  • ACSTH Certificate in Advanced Coaching
    Envision global leadership (ICF Accredited)
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts
    University of North Texas
  • Master of Education
    University of Phoenix
  • Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD)
    Association of Talent Development (ATD)

Questions & Answers

What are your long-term goals?
To enjoy my work; to work alongside people that share similar passions; to leverage my strengths, experience and skillset to enable organizations and individuals to grow and evolve
What special project are you working on right now?
I have recently submitted my application for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential awarded through the International Coach Federation (ICF).
What tools do you use?
For instructional design, I start with pencil and paper, then transfer thoughts to Microsoft Office products (or Apple Pages) for editing. Depending upon the ultimate deliverables, I will then develop a learning solution using whatever tools are required for the project, such as Adobe Creative Suite, Articulate 360, Vyond, etc.

For graphic design, I start with pencil and paper, then transfer ideas to Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.)

For graphic facilitation, I use pen and paper or tablet and smartboard.
Describe your greatest accomplishment.
Starting my first business, after which I later sold and started 4 more businesses. It was the foundation of my understanding of issues that businesses face in operations, human capital, and the types of goals that are set. Everything else I've accomplished has been built upon the successes and failures of those early lessons.
Who are your main influences?
For instructional design - Dr. Lozanov, the grandfather of Accelerative Learning. For graphic design - Mother Nature.
Why did you choose your profession?
I see my own career as evolving, since I started out with graphic arts, but evolved along the way into the instructional design arts. I have even worked on architectural projects, interiors, and product design. At the heart of it all has always been the essence of all design basics (now known as "design thinking"): determine what problem we're trying to solve, consider what needs to be achieved, observe what is happening in real time, and probe into possibilities.

Blog

A Little Story about Inclusion and Diversity

Sometimes a meaningful message about a serious topic can come through with a little bit of humor (and digital technology). Take a moment to watch Pixar's animated short called "Purl," a familiar workplace story told with a twist.

How many of you have found yourselves in this situation within your own work history?

Click here to watch: Purl

 

Location

United States