We are on a mission to create a more human world of work. We do this by helping leaders and teams to understand and manage their minds which is where all potential for great things begins. Over the past decade, we have helped over 350,000 individuals at more than 500 clients to adopt new ways of working and leading.
Our solutions are pragmatic and immediately applicable, delivered by experienced facilitators who have spent decades in the corporate environment. Our solutions can be delivered globally in 28 countries in 17 languages, either in-person or digitally at your desk.
At Potential Project, we live what we teach. Every person in the organization practices mindfulness. So, when you work with us, you will witness our years of experience in organizational and leadership development, change management and consulting. And, you will also feel listened to and understood.
You will feel like you have a true partner who can show you a better way. You will feel hopeful and inspired to begin working and leading in new ways.
Rasmus Hougaard is the founder and CEO of Potential Project and the author of the ground-breaking and best-selling book by Harvard Business Press, “The Mind of the Leader”. Rasmus is nominated by Thinkers 50 as one of the eight most important leadership thinkers in the world today. He writes for Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Business Insider. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and leadership developer who coaches and supports C-suite executives at global organizations such as IKEA, Accenture, Wal-Mart, and Unilever. His forthcoming book, Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way, will be published by Harvard Business Press on December 14, 2021.
Jacqueline Carter is an international partner and leads Potential Project in North America. She works with many of our global accounts including Cisco, Accenture, Danaher, Eli Lilly and IKEA to enhance leadership and organizational performance. She is the co-author of “The Mind of the Leader” published by Harvard Business Review Press in March 2018 and of “One Second Ahead – Enhance Your Performance at Work with Mindfulness” published by Palgrave Macmillan in November 2016. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and a faculty member of the Inner MBA. She also speaks regularly at major conferences including ATD and Work Human. Prior to joining Potential Project, Jacqueline was a leader in Deloitte Consulting’s Change Leadership practice.
Rob is responsible for our global Sales and Client Solutions teams. Prior to joining Potential Project, Rob was a Managing Director with Accenture working in the Technology sector for over 20 years with deep experience in leading complex transformation programs across industries. Having personally experienced the benefits of mind training, Rob became the global sponsor for mindfulness within Accenture, the largest global mind training program at that time.
"I am truly inspired by working with our clients who are at the forefront of creating a more human world of work. I am happiest when co-creating solutions to enable thousands of people to realize their potential at work whilst transforming leadership cultures. The great thing is that my work at Potential Project enables me to combine my commercial and business experience with a passion to bring about transformative mindsets and leadership change."
A Luxembourger, Erick has 30 years of experience in private equity and corporate governance. He is the Managing Partner of his own investment firm, Milestone Investisseurs. He supports the development of Potential Project’s work in Europe and particularly in Switzerland and Luxembourg. Erick's core skills include initiating change at the board level, negotiation, advising management teams on value creation, and leadership. He sits on the board of private companies and trusts in Europe and is on the board of Mind and Life Europe, which bridges and integrates contemplative wisdom and practices with modern research capabilities. Erick has had a daily mindfulness practice for 14 years and is regularly in silent retreat. He received his MBA from Columbia Business School in New York (Award for Excellence) and is an executive coach and a registered mindfulness teacher. He teaches at the University of Strasbourg and at IMD in Lausanne. Erick gives all his corporate mindfulness training fees to www.karuna-shechen.org and www.globalnomad-tibet.com.
I joined Potential Project in 2015 because I am passionate about helping people to realize their full potential at work through better use of their brains, improved cognitions and enhanced focus, clarity and attention. I am proud to have supported the expansion of Potential Project in the United States, including the development of our regional and global facilitator network and the growth of our key global accounts.
My academic background in psychology plus a personal practice in mindfulness and mind training for more than 25 years allows me to bring all of my experiences in executive leadership training, mindfulness in the workplace, workshop facilitation, education, human capital and performance coaching to my role.
I like to say I am "Brooklyn by birth; Boulder by choice" which means that I enjoy splitting time between the busyness of the Big Apple and the serene foothills of Boulder, Colorado with my husband Tom and our blue heeler, CJ, who likes to make regular guest appearances on internal video conference calls.
As Potential Project’s Global Marketing Director, Paula is responsible for brand, content, digital marketing and media. Prior to joining Potential Project in 2019, Paula was the Chief Marketing Officer for Dreyfus at the Bank of New York Mellon and spent 12 years in Citi’s Consumer Bank in senior marketing leadership roles in Engagement Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, Customer Experience and Product Innovation. Paula is a marketing strategist, experience builder and data-driven digital marketer. Her passion is helping companies to deepen connections with clients through smart marketing, engaging experiences and new solutions. Paula is also a former Partner with Deloitte Consulting where she worked with consumer brand companies to transform their operations.
As Director of People and Operations at Potential Project, Jenni is responsible for providing the infrastructure, systems and resourcing to enable the delivery of organizational strategy. Jenni’s understanding of the challenges and dynamics of organizational life comes from her experience in both leadership and program director roles. Prior to joining Potential Project in 2016, she ran her own consultancy company leading large scale transformation programs and mergers, organizational re-structuring and cross organizational collaborations. She has worked across a wide range of business sectors that include government, transport, leisure, public health and human resources. She is passionate about supporting individuals, teams and organisations to open up to the opportunities created during change by developing new behaviors and skills that ensure personal and organizational success.
Christel Leonhard is responsible for global financial management with Potential Project. Christel joined Potential Project in 2016. Prior to that, Christel worked in financial risk in corporations and financial institutions. Christel holds a MBA from CBS in Copenhagen. Christel has had a daily mindfulness practice for 10 years.
Nick Hobson, PhD is the Director of Behavioral and Data Sciences at Potential Project and a behavioral science strategist for leading organizations and brands. An honest broker of science, he helps create knowledge communities where academics and practitioners can work together in order to achieve high-impact, evidence-based work for individual and organizational change. A trained social psychologist and neuroscientist, Nick’s academic research focuses on how people’s emotions and thoughts within groups impact their behavior, both individually and as a collective. His podcast, It’s All Just a Bunch of BS, is an award-winning show covering the promises and perils of applied behavioral science in work and life. He has published in leading academic science journals and is a regular content contributor for top media outlets including HBR, Forbes, Inc.com, New York Times, Business Insider, NPR, Vice, and Psychology Today.
I came to mind training a decade ago after a serious brush with cancer following the birth of my son James. After spending 20 years as a leader and change agent in the sales and operations functions of large corporations and constantly striving for that elusive perfection at work and home, I found myself drawn to a new career and a new way of being.
As a Senior Facilitator, Country Director and a Partner of Potential Project Australia, I get to draw from all my diverse skills (including qualifications in Economics, Counselling/Performance Psychology and Operations Research/Statistics) and rich work/life experiences and “play” every day with some amazing clients and colleagues from around the world.
One of my greatest joys is helping leaders and teams to unlock potential and powerful change –starting with the mind.
As well as facilitating Mindset and Leadership programs, I’ve been honoured to share what we do as co-author of One Second Ahead – Enhance Your Performance at Work With Mindfulness and via the HBR-published book The Mind of the Leader –How to Lead Yourself, Your People and Your Organisation for Extraordinary Results, where I contributed as a strategic advisor and researcher.
You can also often find me on stage (or in more recent times on Zoom conferences) talking about how mind training can bring greater calm, effectiveness, resilience and even happiness to your work and life. Some of my “pinch me” moments have been presenting at Happiness and its Causes, The Workplace Wellbeing Festival and The World Leading Schools Association Conference in Prague.
I also enjoy sitting on a number of boards, and in my spare time you can find me singing and playing bass in our band The Vagus Nerve, walking my dog through the streets of Sydney and hanging out with family.
Marut is an experienced executive leadership facilitator and consultant who brings more than 25 years experience to working with senior leaders. She provides leadership development & consulting to help clients develop, assess and train their leaders. She frequently works with founders and C-suite executives to take their leadership from "good to great."
She has provided facilitation and consulting to clients globally and has worked in many sectors including financial services, tech, manufacturing, IT, consulting and consumer products in the India, US, Europe and Asia markets. Some organizations she has worked with include Coca Cola, Qualcomm, Mindtree, Genpact, Capgemini, KAS (Kmart), Kois International, KPMGandBritish Council.
She has had an intense personal mindfulness practice for more than 15 years, influenced by the ancient wisdom of Hindu scriptures andis an experienced speaker who has led interactive sessions with small teams, as well as delivered keynotes to large audiences (250+ attendees). Her passion led her to organise the annual Mindful Leadership Summit in India bringing global thought leadership on a platform with Indian CXOs.She strongly believes in creating a more human world of work by enhancing organizational performance and mental wellbeing of teams.
Her education includes Certificate in HR Management IIM Kozikhode, Certified Facilitator & Consultant with Potential Project, MDP Leeds University, MBA in Marketing, Maharishi Dayanand University, PG Diploma in Computer Application and BSc from Kurukshetra University.
Specialties:
Leadership Development, Talent Development, Emotional Intelligence, Mindful Leadership, Mindfulness, Public Speaking, Facilitation & Training, Insight Meditation.
