Theodore White PCC
Career coach, Nobbys Creek. 13 years in practice. Former Head of People. I believe most hiring decisions are more predictable than people think — and that predictability is something you can prepare for.
In late 2013, halfway through a 90-day onboarding review for a newly hired general manager — a candidate I'd personally championed through the process — I asked the line manager how it was going. The answer I got was something I'd heard before in different forms: "She's good. But not quite what we thought we were getting." The candidate was excellent. The brief had been imprecise. She'd prepared for the interview she'd been told to expect, not the one she'd actually been given.
I spent the rest of that afternoon sitting with that. I'd been on the HR side of hiring for 8 years by then. I knew how many people lost roles — or never got them — because of the gap between what they were and how well they could demonstrate it under pressure, in 40 minutes, to a room of people who'd already formed a view from the paper. That gap wasn't about talent. It was a preparation gap, and it was almost entirely preventable.
Two years later, I left the corporate role. I'd been informally coaching colleagues, direct reports and a few external contacts for years — I'd just never called it that or charged for it. I got ICF-accredited, built a practice, and have been doing this full-time since 2016. The work I do now is a more explicit version of what I was already doing inside the organisation: showing people what they look like from the other side of the table, and helping them close the gap.
What I think I bring that's different from most career coaching is that I've sat in the debrief. I've heard the conversation that happens after the candidate leaves the building. Most coaches haven't — they've coached candidates, not run panels. That inside-out view of how hiring decisions actually get made is the most useful thing I have, and I'm fairly evangelical about making sure clients get the benefit of it.
I'm based in Nobbys Creek and work with clients across New South Wales, Sydney, and nationally via video call. I typically see 12–15 clients at a time. I'm not taking on corporate retainers at the moment — individual coaching only.
Credentials
Training and qualifications
ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
International Coaching Federation — requires 500+ logged coaching hours and a performance evaluation. Current credential in good standing.
iPEC Coaching Programme
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching — foundational training including Energy Leadership, Core Dynamics methodology.
11 years in corporate HR leadership
Including four years as Head of People at an ASX-listed company. 600+ hiring panels, multiple executive appointments, talent pipeline management.
Professional indemnity insurance
Full PI cover for all coaching work. Documentation available on request for employer-sponsored coaching arrangements.
Regular professional supervision
Monthly peer-group supervision with an accredited supervisor. ICF ethics code applies to all coaching engagements.
Based in Nobbys Creek, NSW
Sessions via video call Australia-wide. Office address: 48 Wallum Court, Nobbys Creek NSW 2484.
Where I work
Format and availability
All sessions are via video call — Zoom or Google Meet, depending on preference. I work with clients in Melbourne, across New South Wales, Sydney, Brisbane and internationally. Video works well for this kind of work; if anything, it's more convenient than trying to coordinate in-person sessions around Melbourne traffic.
I see 12–15 clients at a time. Availability shifts month to month. The best way to find out if I have space is to book a discovery call — I'll tell you my current wait time in the first few minutes. Most people can usually start within 2–3 weeks.
I don't take on corporate retainers or team coaching at the moment. Individual clients only.
Book a discovery call