“Dr Laverick is one of the few professionals I have met in my career who has mastered the art of impactful communication, effortlessly transferring her expertise to others. She excels in curating compelling, tactical content while her strategic and innovative approach to training make her a front-line professional in the field.”
Anoush der Boghossian
Head of the WTO Trade and Gender Office
The Art of Communication is the Language of Leadership
Expertise
Dr. Susan Laverick is an acknowledged expert in the field of effective communication. She enables leaders to become high-impact communicators who can confidently articulate powerful visions and influence stakeholders. Her unique approach has proven transformational for clients across the world including the academic, corporate, humanitarian and peacebuilding sectors.
High Impact Communication
The Catalyst for Leadership
As our world adapts to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, human-centred skills have become even more important. Purposeful, effective and authentic communication skills are essential if leaders are to engage with stakeholders, staff and audiences, building vital trust while conveying authenticity. Dr Susan Laverick’s unique approach to communication training delivers measurable and sustainable results. Her clients acquire highly practical skills that enhance impact, including message-driven content, structure and how to deliver presentations with confidence and authority. Key learning is embedded so that excellent performances are not “one-offs” but permanently integrated into an individual’s communication repertoire.
Consultancy expertise covers:
- The crafting and delivery of impactful presentations
- Effective communication for teams
- Enhancing interpersonal communication skills
- The art of crafting a two-minute speech
- Writing for impact
- One-to-one speech writing for key events
Case Study >
Bridging the gap between ideas and their implementation
Organizations often struggle to translate groundbreaking ideas into coherent action plans that resonate with the target audiences. This requires a dedicated communication problem-solving process which Dr. Susan Laverick provides. Her unique three-pillar approach identifies the communication challenge, creates high-impact training that will address it, and accompanies the organization until a project has been implemented.
Consultancy expertise includes:
- Communication advice for projects, helping to translate ideas and visions into action plans that engage stakeholders.
- Supporting project managers in pitches for grants and wider global investment.
- Bringing together practitioners for knowledge-building programs where communication is the common link between peacebuilding and its successful implementation.
Case Study >
Diversity
Bridging the Confidence Gap
Dr Susan Laverick is delighted to support women who are moving into leadership roles working to enhance their authority, confidence, gravitas and communication skills. She encourages them to navigate the gender playing field by providing skills-based coaching that can advance their careers to the next level.
She is frequently invited as a guest speaker at conferences around the world on the challenges women face at all stages of their professional lives and has addressed audiences in New York, Boston, Muscat, London and Geneva.
She has also published articles in peer-reviewed US journals on the priority of soft skills in the leadership discourse.
Case Study >
Dr Susan Laverick
Dr Susan Laverick’s communications background has included Citigroup, the BBC in London and teaching across UN entities in Geneva.
As a seasoned presenter at conferences across the world, her experience represents a valuable resource to clients seeking expert guidance in the drafting of speeches, pitching, and the delivery of impactful presentations. She is also a guest lecturer at the Graduate Institute of Geneva and the University of Geneva where she teaches future leaders how to become more powerful communicators.
Dr Laverick works with Rotary International each year, preparing their laureates for speeches at the UN in Geneva and New York. She is a member of the advisory board of SANCHILD International, a Bosnia-based peacebuilding platform, where her communication expertise provides key support for its projects in the Balkans.
Dr Laverick also specializes in supporting women who are moving into leadership roles, working to enhance their authority and communication skills. She regularly appears as a guest speaker at conferences focused on the professional empowerment of women and has published articles on the role of communication skills in US peer-reviewed journals.
She has a Doctorate in English Literature, completed on an Australian government research scholarship, an MA in History (London University) and is an ICF-qualified executive coach.
Case Studies
Case Study 1 - High Impact Communication
Post-conflict Legacy Workshop: A curated offering including peacebuilding sector experts exploring links between communication and post-conflict recovery.
The Brief:
The Head of the WTO Trade and Gender, World Trade Organization, required a workshop introducing some of the challenges experienced by peace practitioners working in both conflict and post-conflict environments. She also wished to explore the role played by communication in post-conflict zones. The workshop would offer valuable context for the client’s seminal research examining the links between trade, gender and peace.
Client feedback:
“Dr Laverick’s workshop gave me an invaluable perspective to my work as Head of the Trade and Gender Office at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in a very difficult technical and political topic. It focused on the often-overlooked intersection between post-conflict recovery and communication. Her inclusion of renowned experts from the peace sector enriched the discourse. I learned about human security and the importance of sensitive and effective communication for those advocating peace-building projects in post-conflict societies, especially gender issues, and how armed conflicts impact them. I appreciated that work should continue, after peace-treaties, to deepen understanding between communities at war, and how women can be peaceful society builders for the long term. I highly recommend this excellent workshop to anyone needing to explore new ways of apprehending the legacy of conflict.”
Anoush der Boghossian, Head of the WTO Trade and Gender Office
Case Study 2 - High Impact Communication
Preparing Rotary International’s laureates for UN speeches in New York and Geneva
The Brief:
Rotary International required high-impact communication training to prepare its laureates for annual speeches at Rotary Day at the UN in Geneva and New York. The brief was twofold: First to design a program to teach laureates how to distil complex humanitarian projects into memorable two-minute pitches; and second, to deliver the pitches as compelling presentations that engaged donor interest.
Client feedback:
“Each year, Dr Susan Laverick helps six diverse presenters from around the world, who have been honoured as humanitarian laureates, to condense intricate and complex projects into powerful two-minute presentations at the Rotary Day at the United Nations in Geneva and New York. Her understanding of language, context and the power of voice is extraordinary – and she conveys her insights with such grace that nerves are calmed, and authenticity prevails. I marvel at her ability to create exceptional presenters, each time.”
Jane Lawicki Manager – External Relations, Rotary International
Case Study 3 - Bridging the Gap Between Ideas and their Implementation
High impact communication training for Harmony Project, Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Brief:
SANCHILD International brings positive change across communities divided by religious and ethnic differences in Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Founder required a first-class communication specialist to work with nineteen Bosnian humanitarians to develop their visions for community peace building into pitches that would convince, unite and inspire those engaging with them.
Dr. Susan Laverick introduced delegates to a toolkit of communication skills, taking them from conceptualization, the crafting of pitches to the process of confidently delivering a presentation The principal objective was to teach the cohort how to distill and showcase a complex project idea, transform it into a high-impact two-minute pitch, and present this to an audience with confidence, authority and gravitas.
Client feedback:
“Dr Susan Laverick, is an outstanding, passionate and impressive communication expert who I had the honor to invite to support our 2021 HARMONY project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She supported the cohort in conceptualizing, drafting and pitching their positive change projects into high-impact pitches. The workshop lasted one day and she mentored each of the humanitarians, enabling them to identify their concepts and create polished pitches. These were subsequently delivered to a distinguished audience of Bosnians, Rotarians and His Excellency, the Swiss Ambassador to Bosnia.
Dr Laverick enabled the participants to believe in their capacity to confidently deliver their speeches, even though some were terrified by the idea of speaking in public. She ignited their passion and help them deliver their pitches with perfect emotion and professionalism, resulting in many tears from the audience. It was an experience that none of us can forget, a communication marathon day, where I named Dr. Laverick the ‘communication wonder woman’ because of her constant support of the cohort, giving each member the same attention and care. I am extremely grateful for her priceless contribution and impact.”
Sanela Music, Founder, SANCHILD International
Case Study 4 - Diversity
Geneva Peace Week Workshop:
“Enhancing Leadership and Communication for Women on the Frontlines of Peace and Security”
The Brief:
Geneva Peace Week, a major event in the global peacebuilding calendar, offered a workshop for women working on the frontlines of peace and security. The aim was to enhance awareness of the pivotal role played by strong soft skills, including authoritative communication, in the development of leadership potential.
Client feedback:
“Sadly, the number of women in the peace sector still does not reflect the ambitious goals set by the UN, including as foregrounded by the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Now, more than ever, women in peace across the globe need to enhance their leadership profiles so that they can assert their impact when sitting at negotiating tables, supporting conflict resolution efforts and contributing to peacebuilding at all levels.
Our delegates were therefore delighted with Dr. Laverick ‘s online workshop, ‘Enhancing Leadership and Communication on the Frontlines of Peace and Security’ which examined the challenges women face as emerging leaders in the sector via an interactive storytelling session. The follow-up discussion was highly valued, including the need to advocate for one’s career, build networks, and develop confident, authoritative communication skills. Our delegates left with practical, actionable strategies to enhance their personal and professional impact.”
Dr. Claudia Seymour, GPW Focal Point (2020)
Clients
I work closely with a diverse range of organisations, each with their own unique perspectives, needs and priorities. Here are a few of them:
Testimonials
The most powerful and effective way of communicating the impact of the services I provide is through the words of those who have experienced them. Here is a representative sample:
Susan helped me through the process of writing an important speech to be delivered to an evening reception of international diplomats. As a consequence, I was not only able to deliver one of my best speeches, but also strengthened my communication toolbox in general. I would recommend her to anyone who needs to deliver an important speech or to hone communication skills.
The workshop was a fascinating mix of practical and theoretical aspects of public speaking, intertwined in a way that made learning and improvement inevitable […] the individually tailored feedback we received from Dr. Laverick will be invaluable in our quest to (someday) reach our full potential.
It is always important to hear feedback from a professional on what works, what does not work. Everyone in the class expected to hear about their “issues” with public speaking, about “what does not work well”. Dr. Laverick’s approach was to show what needs improvement, what needs to be accentuated to work better. The approach was a tactical, psychological one, discussing public speaking skills with an in-depth analysis based on traits of personality, authority, emotions.
I was particularly impressed by your speech. You managed to convey the message concerning communication “Truth or Spin” in governance contexts in a very powerful and inspiring way. Thank you because your presence left a footprint.
I was not sure how to convey my humanitarian experience for the two-minute pitch at Rotary Day at the UN in New York (2019). Dr Laverick made this complex challenge so easy. I learnt to look at my work’s “big picture” first, then to show case the most inspiring aspects that an audience of international humanitarians and donors would relate to. She also customized the training for each of us, showing us how to change our body language, our image. and our voice to make an impact. This was all priceless.
Dr Laverick’s capacity to connect with her audience is impressive and inspiring. She precisely tailors her teaching and guidance to meet the learning needs of her audience. In our flagship seminar to build team-work skills among our MA-level students, she shares cutting-edge learning that is helping students perform to their highest potential in critical group projects. She provides clear approaches to achieving goals and creative solutions to managing the challenges and realising the great possibilities of group work.
This insightful workshop for women in the peace sector encouraged us to consider how vital it is to nurture our confidence, personal presence, and communication skills. We explored how meetings, negotiations, and difficult conversations might be handled with greater authority, thus building our overall credibility in the moments when it counts most. Thank you!
My leadership coaching sessions with Susan proved transformative. As a woman leader working in a male-dominated world (the construction sector) it was challenging to make the impact I wanted, whilst still being myself. Susan suggested tools and strategies to help find my voice, and to feel comfortable in my role, so that I can now make the most of my experience and move forward in my career.
Dr Susan Laverick was invited to present a two-day Communications Training workshop to the EMEA women of Lionpoint. She delivered the course content in an expertly engaging manner. Attendees were given the techniques and tools to discover a high-impact approach to presenting: “Key Message up front. Distill, curate, and structure content.”
Precise, constructive, and confidence-building feedback was provided to each participant. When this was applied to a use case, the results were immediately visible. Dr Laverick also achieved something intangible, the team left with a renewed understanding of presence and developing individual voices and styles.
I reached out to Dr. Laverick to deliver communications training for a cohort of peacebuilders and community activists. Dr. Laverick’s genuine interest in our work and her professionalism in tailoring the workshop to the needs of the group were truly outstanding. Despite being present online for the workshop, she delivered her training with such warmth, energy and encouragement for the participants, that it felt as though she was right there in the room. She challenged the cohort to the perfect level, bringing out new skills and enhancing the presentation skills that they already had. At the end of the session, participants were asking for more. What she delivered in three short hours, made such an impact on the confidence of those in the room. Next time we will plan for a much longer session! Thank you, Susan, for all of your wonderful work and for exuding the confidence you work to instill in others.
Susan quickly analysed my situation and helped me to implement realistic guidelines so that I could take the necessary steps to develop my career with clarity and focus. I have greatly benefited from her knowledge and expertise as well as her excellent motivational skills. I would highly recommend her to any woman at a transition or turning point in her life.
Dr Susan Laverick is a master at improving communication skills. She knows how to convey the right message in a given context. Her strength is to identify herself with her clients, to understand their challenges and to advise them on achieving impact. For example, how to craft and deliver unforgettable pitches and presentations that showcase project ideas on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
