Jo Ouston started Jo Ouston & Co in 1990 because she saw the need for people to take control of their own careers and understand how they could take charge of their own development as effective individuals.

In the 1980s, Jo Ouston was Head of Advisory Services at the Institute of Management (now Chartered Management Institute). At that time, recession, the IT revolution and the rise of globalisation meant that individuals suddenly had to face redundancies and the end of the job-for-life culture. During many hours of helping members, it became clear that this totally unfamiliar organisational landscape called for a new approach.

Individuals needed to understand how to deploy their skills and experience, how to tap into their personal motivation and enthusiasm and how to plot their development path. This gave rise to career coaching and development planning.

But it was also clear that many individuals needed to learn how to put themselves across and to tell their story effectively if they were to make their skills and experience count – whether at interviews or in their daily work. This gave rise to our skills development courses and in particular the Developing Personal Presence programme.

Today, it is totally accepted that we should take responsibility for our own direction and there is a continuing place for career coaching as individuals grapple with significant life choices.

It is also increasingly recognised that qualifications and technical knowledge on their own are no guarantee of success. Personal presence and ‘emotional intelligence’ separate those who are effective from the eminently forgettable.

This is recognised by many employers. Over the years, our client base has become increasingly corporate with many organisations using our open courses or bespoke training solutions to develop their people.

Jo Ouston & Co was incorporated as Jo Ouston & Company Limited in 2005 (Registered in England & Wales No 5883735) and accredited as an 'Investor in People' in 2008.