Clarendon Wallace, a coaching and leadership development firm, has opened a new office in the City of Hamilton.

The firm founded by former underwriting executive Lorene Phillips, is now located on the first floor of the Kitson Building at 5 Reid Street. The new space will also house programmes and trainings for Mrs Phillips’ two other businesses: the International Coaching and Leadership Institute, co-founded with Bermudian Jessica Lightbourne and American Sophia Casey, and the British School of Etiquette — Bermuda chapter.

“I made the decision last autumn to open up an office in the heart of the city and innately people started wondering why I’d want to open a space in the midst of the pandemic,” Mrs Phillips said.

But she was confident this was the right time.

“My clients were telling me they were missing in-person connections and I personally know how powerful in-person coaching work could be,” she said. “I also wanted to be ahead of the curve by taking a calculated risk to invest in an office that allows me to better serve clients, while also demonstrating our long-term commitment to this work.”

After working in underwriting for more than 25 years, Mrs Phillips officially launched Clarendon Wallace in February 2020.

She had just returned home to Bermuda after spending five years working in London. She knew “in her gut” that she needed to step into her purpose, by providing support through coaching to individuals as they rise through organisations, so they can succeed on their own terms.

In addition to a private office area, ideal for private one-on-one coaching, the new space boasts a small co-working area that can be utilised by clients, as well as a boardroom that can comfortably accommodate 10 to 12 people.

Mrs Phillips felt the location was perfect for work done by both Clarendon Wallace and the ICLI, which is looking to facilitate professional training sessions and team-building programmes, as well as host in-person events.

Founded by three women of colour professional coaches and headquartered in Bermuda, ICLI launched in October 2021 with the ultimate goal of providing better standardisation for the coaching profession in Bermuda and the Caribbean.

The founders of ICLI set their sights on making professional coaching more accessible for persons and communities of colour.

The women say their first cohort of students in late 2021 was “extremely engaged”, with all participants experiencing significant growth, both professionally and personally, thanks to the leadership development programme.

Participants took part in the virtual learning experience from Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as Curaçao, St Lucia, Bermuda, Canada and the United States.

ICLI founder Ms Lightbourne was excited for the chance to enjoy the office space while hosting larger group events and functions.

“It’s a warm and relaxing environment, while also being professional,” she said. “I love so many different features of the location, from the co-working and café area to the boardroom, which is spacious and ideal for the coaching and leadership training work we do.”

In addition to the new office space, ICLI has celebrated two other recent milestones including a Professional Certified Coaching Certification acquired by Ms Lightbourne and the Master Certified Coach Certification earned by Ms Casey, both through the International Coaching Federation.

“We are reflecting our own desire to upskill ourselves so that we can take our clients further,” Ms Lightbourne explained. “We take our craft seriously. We are invested in our own professional growth so we can deliver a higher level of coach training to the people we serve both here in Bermuda and internationally.”

Events are already lined up in the coming week at 5 Reid Street, including an official office opening on Saturday, followed by a networking event scheduled for April 1 for the Bermuda Coaching Network.

“On Saturday, we’ll be having a small, invitation-only gathering for clients and partners,” Mrs Phillips said. “Due to ongoing precautions around the coronavirus, we’ve decided to host two events on the same day, each accommodating 15 to 20 people, so we can introduce people to the space safely and responsibly.”

The next ICLI cohort will launch late next month.

For more information, visit www.trainingbyicli.com. To learn more about Clarendon Wallace, see www.clarendonwallace.com.