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All Case Studies Individual Sankar Hariharan Associate Director, EY When his university friends were transitioning to a master’s degree in computer science, Sankar was asking himself: ‘What is it I can do differently to make me stand out at the end of my studies?’ Opting to enrol on an MBA gave him the ability to bridge between technical and business functions and he’s been in demand by employers ever since. Moving to London Sankar joined EY’s offshore operating centre in his Southern Indian hometown. He did well and was then invited to apply for a position in London. EY has some great career development programmes in place that give colleagues access to global opportunities, but this wasn’t one of them. “I was delighted with the offer, but at the same time nervous, as it was a big step both professionally and personally.” Sankar moved to London to work with the organisation’s executive leadership and almost immediately started running into some unexpected challenges. Learning to speak English confidently Sankar needed to be able to communicate in a concise and authoritative manner. But, working in his second language and feeling the pressure because he was talking to senior executives, he was struggling to do that and was quickly losing confidence in himself. Sankar had worked with people in English before but his preference had always been to have a slide to talk to - to help reinforce his message. His leadership audience were, however, often on the move and Sankar was finding it difficult to do that too. “I’d be on a conference call and would need to convey something, but I would choke or my words would simply fail me,” Sankar explains. “It was impacting my ability to be heard.” Then, one of Sankar’s senior stakeholders told him, ‘they couldn’t buy into what he was saying because he didn’t think he had any confidence in himself’. Introducing Susan That’s when Sankar took another step back, to ask himself what he needed to do differently to succeed. He approached his boss, Ray Schneider. With a degree in psychology, Ray understood the value of coaching, so he introduced Sankar to his first coach, Susan. Susan was selected because of her leadership experience and her ability to blend executive coaching with voice coaching – which includes the teaching of practical tools and exercises. A tailored approach “The very first thing she did when we met was to say a couple of words in Malayalam, my mother tongue. Before we’d even met, she’d looked up my native language and established the impact it had on my English accent. I thought this is just what I need, someone who can tailor their approach to help with my specific challenges.” The duo had eight practical sessions – focusing on voice and confidence. They covered the inner critic, breath control, pronunciation, inflection, projection and message efficiency. “In a virtual world you can’t always see people face-to-face, your voice is your face, your body, your everything, so I needed to master that,” says Sankar. ​ Cultural differences They also addressed some cultural differences - like Sankar’s nervousness about being assertive – even when one of the team hadn’t delivered on something. “As an Indian there are different cultural priorities - you have considerations like hierarchy. I’d always associated assertiveness with arrogance, so I’d shied away from it. There were instances though when I needed to be assertive, so I wanted to find a way to adapt in my professional life, without losing the essence of who I am. Susan really helped me with that.” Sankar Hariharan, EY Continuous, noticeable improvement “Susan is very understanding and patient, she passionately tries to help you - she’s not in a hurry. I quickly realised that this was going to be a journey not a one-day mega event. I’m still using the tools that Susan gave me every day, and every day I make an improvement.” Colleagues have fed back they’ve seen a noticeable difference in how Sankar runs the show and articulates his message. “The difference is I’m now able to table the important points with confidence. I’m not worrying all the time that I might be saying or doing something wrong. I simply accept that I’m human, sometimes I’ll get it wrong but if I make a mistake, I can just learn from it and continue to correct it. At the end of the day everything is a learning, and everything can be changed – I’m proof of that.” "Susan’s impressive. I thought ‘this is just what I need, someone who can tailor their approach to help with my specific challenges’. She’s patient, prepared and the tools she provides are practical. She’s really helped me reframe how I think about things but most importantly she’s helped me be more confident when I speak – and it has had a major positive impact." Sankar Hariharan, EY Want to communicate with greater confidence, authority and presence? I offer five online business voice coaching solutions to suit different needs and budgets. All are designed to give you tailored advice and support. Whether you’re preparing an important interview, pitch, appraisal, meeting, conversation, project or presentation, or just want an objective opinion on how you come across, I’ll give you perspective, feedback and practical things you can do straightaway. Learn More

Business Voice Coaching for Women I specialise in coaching for women because, firstly, I believe better gender balance makes for better business so want to see more women in senior roles, and secondly because, having been a lone female voice in the boardroom myself, I know how challenging it can be for women to speak up and be heard. Coaching for women Voice coaching for women is vital for improving gender balance because, according to research: the sound of a woman's voice may hinder her professional advancement lower-pitched (male) voices tend to command more respect than higher-pitched (female) voices there is a long, sexist history of men telling women to 'hold their tongue' women often soften their language or say less because they fear being called bossy or over-confident' men tend to prefer higher-pitched voices - only not in the workplace​​. Coaching aspiring and established female leaders Skilful, professional business voice coaching can help women overcome these vocal inequalities. Despite the business case for women in leadership, according to the WEF, we are still 136 years away from closing the gender gap . One powerful way of closing the gap, is to coach girls and young women to use their voice and non-verbal communication skills confidently and effectively. The sooner this starts the better as blockers kick in at an early age. Research shows that girls speak less than boys in the classroom. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for what a McKinsey/Lean In report calls the 'broken rung' on the corporate ladder: for every 100 men hired and promoted to manager only 87 women are promoted, dropping to only 82 for women of colour. Arguably, women can never catch up because there are just too few of them to promote to senior leadership positions. To help mitigate this inequality, I gift time to young people, 30% Club, Future Asset, Women in Sanctions, National Association of Women in Construction, Bromley-by-Bow Centre and others. Case Studies Céline Delacroix - EY To make partner, Céline had to give the presentation of a lifetime. This success story is one woman’s journey to the top and how she worked with Susan ahead of that career-defining moment. Blending voice and executive coaching, the pair worked on mindset, body language, voice and content. Read the case study “I can highly recommend Susan for her great interactive workshops - very useful, insight and fun to attend!” Diana Brightmore-Armour, CEO C. Hoare & Co and FTSE 100 NED “Listen to Susan. She's brilliant.” Nadine Lagarmitte, Managing Director, Global Head Financial Institutions, Global Liquidity and Cash Management, HSBC “Susan has this amazing ability to make people feel like they’ve just asked the most brilliant question or made the most insightful contribution. ” Patricia Galloway, Chief People Officer, UK Infrastructure Bank and NED, Association of Foreign Banks Read more testimonials

Business Voice Coaching for Women I specialise in coaching for women because, firstly, I believe better gender balance makes for better business so want to see more women in senior roles, and secondly because, having been a lone female voice in the boardroom myself, I know how challenging it can be for women to speak up and be heard. Coaching for women Voice coaching for women is vital for improving gender balance because, according to research: the sound of a woman's voice may hinder her professional advancement lower-pitched (male) voices tend to command more respect than higher-pitched (female) voices there is a long, sexist history of men telling women to 'hold their tongue' women often soften their language or say less because they fear being called bossy or over-confident' men tend to prefer higher-pitched voices - only not in the workplace​​. Coaching aspiring and established female leaders Skilful, professional business voice coaching can help women overcome these vocal inequalities. Despite the business case for women in leadership, according to the WEF, we are still 136 years away from closing the gender gap . One powerful way of closing the gap, is to coach girls and young women to use their voice and non-verbal communication skills confidently and effectively. The sooner this starts the better as blockers kick in at an early age. Research shows that girls speak less than boys in the classroom. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for what a McKinsey/Lean In report calls the 'broken rung' on the corporate ladder: for every 100 men hired and promoted to manager only 87 women are promoted, dropping to only 82 for women of colour. Arguably, women can never catch up because there are just too few of them to promote to senior leadership positions. To help mitigate this inequality, I gift time to young people, 30% Club, Future Asset, Women in Sanctions, National Association of Women in Construction, Bromley-by-Bow Centre and others. Case Studies Céline Delacroix - EY To make partner, Céline had to give the presentation of a lifetime. This success story is one woman’s journey to the top and how she worked with Susan ahead of that career-defining moment. Blending voice and executive coaching, the pair worked on mindset, body language, voice and content. Read the case study “I can highly recommend Susan for her great interactive workshops - very useful, insight and fun to attend!” Diana Brightmore-Armour, CEO C. Hoare & Co and FTSE 100 NED “Listen to Susan. She's brilliant.” Nadine Lagarmitte, Managing Director, Global Head Financial Institutions, Global Liquidity and Cash Management, HSBC “Susan has this amazing ability to make people feel like they’ve just asked the most brilliant question or made the most insightful contribution. ” Patricia Galloway, Chief People Officer, UK Infrastructure Bank and NED, Association of Foreign Banks Read more testimonials

All Case Studies Business Coaching confidence with Linnaeus colleagues We love our pets. And, as anyone who has welcomed a furry friend into their life knows, we also love veterinary teams – like those at Linnaeus, who help us keep them well. Linnaeus is one of the UK’s largest veterinary groups, employing nearly 5,000 associates. When working in the profession, being amazing with animals is a given. Equally essential, is the ability to interact capably and confidently with pet owners, colleagues and other stakeholders in what is often a highly charged, emotional environment. Creating a better world for pets Determined to create a better world for pets and pet owners, Linnaeus understands that delivering on its purpose starts with developing its people. That’s why, as part of their ongoing professional development, Linnaeus associates are invited to mentor newly qualified veterinary nurses. Many mentors have no previous management experience, yet must project confidence and instil it in their mentees. Developing confidence, presence, and communication ​ Whether dealing with pet owners, giving clinical presentations, or influencing the wider veterinary community, every day, colleagues across Linnaeus have to handle a wide range of emotional situations, and be able to regulate their own emotional responses. After hearing Susan speak at another Make Your Mark event - and being impressed with the breadth of subjects covered – Sam Thompson, a Veterinary Nursing Post Registration Programme Manager at Linnaeus, booked Susan to deliver a similar session. ​ Practical and specific ​ Interactive and full of practical insights, the workshop dealt with the specific bespoke needs of the group with plenty of time built in for Q&A. Topics spanned managing difficult conversations, avoiding reacting on impulse, helping others improve their confidence and presenting technical content with authority. "I'm conscious of my voice and pitch. As painful as it will be, I’m going to take Susan’s suggestion to record myself and listen back. I also want to see how improving my body language can help. 5/5 for Susan and this workshop." Alison Mann, Linnaeus "You certainly made me feel safe and comfortable to do things that usually sit outside of my comfort zone. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone participating, so thank you Susan." Sophie Venables, Linnaeus "What stood out for me was taking techniques I use in my personal life and allowing them to cross into the workplace. This session was packed with lots of advice to take away." Cath Dean, Linnaeus Interactive and content-rich, my Make Your Mark with Susan Room® workshops and keynote offer a whistle-stop tour of mindset, body language, speech and voice, leaving participants with a powerful toolkit they can use straight away to feel, look and sound confident, especially when under pressure. Learn More

Privacy Policy Last updated: Monday 20 February 2023 This is the privacy notice of Susan Room Limited. In this document, "we", "our", or "us" refer to Susan Room Limited. We are company number 13245976 registered in UK. Our registered office is at Busbys Chartered Accountants, Unit 7, Pickhill Business Centre, Smallhythe Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7LZ ​ Introduction: This is a notice to inform you of our policy about all information that we record about you. It sets out the conditions under which we may process any information that we collect from you, or that you provide to us. It covers information that could identify you (“personal information”) and information that could not. In the context of the law and this notice, “process” means collect, store, transfer, use or otherwise act on information. We regret that if there are one or more points below with which you are not happy, your only recourse is to leave our website immediately. We take seriously the protection of your privacy and confidentiality. We understand that all visitors to our website are entitled to know that their personal data will not be used for any purpose unintended by them, and will not accidentally fall into the hands of a third party. We undertake to preserve the confidentiality of all information you provide to us, and hope that you reciprocate. Our policy complies with UK law accordingly implemented, including that required by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The law requires us to tell you about your rights and our obligations to you in regards to the processing and control of your personal data. We do this now, by requesting that you read the information provided at www.knowyourprivacyrights.org Except as set out below, we do not share, or sell, or disclose to a third party, any information collected through our website. The bases on which we process information about you: The law requires us to determine under which of six defined bases we process different categories of your personal information, and to notify you of the basis for each category. If a basis on which we process your personal information is no longer relevant then we shall immediately stop processing your data. If the basis changes then if required by law we shall notify you of the change and of any new basis under which we have determined that we can continue to process your information. 1. Information we process because we have a contractual obligation with you When you create an account on our website, buy a product or service from us, or otherwise agree to our terms and conditions, a contract is formed between you and us. In order to carry out our obligations under that contract we must process the information you give us. Some of this information may be personal information. We may use it in order to: verify your identity for security purposes sell products to you provide you with our services provide you with suggestions and advice on products, services and how to obtain the most from using our website We process this information on the basis there is a contract between us, or that you have requested we use the information before we enter into a legal contract. Additionally, we may aggregate this information in a general way and use it to provide class information, for example to monitor our performance with respect to a particular service we provide. If we use it for this purpose, you as an individual will not be personally identifiable. We shall continue to process this information until the contract between us ends or is terminated by either party under the terms of the contract. 2. Information we process with your consent Through certain actions when otherwise there is no contractual relationship between us, such as when you browse our website or ask us to provide you more information about our business, including job opportunities and our products and services, you provide your consent to us to process information that may be personal information. Wherever possible, we aim to obtain your explicit consent to process this information, for example, by asking you to agree to our use of cookies. Sometimes you might give your consent implicitly, such as when you send us a message by e-mail to which you would reasonably expect us to reply. Except where you have consented to our use of your information for a specific purpose, we do not use your information in any way that would identify you personally. We may aggregate it in a general way and use it to provide class information, for example to monitor the performance of a particular page on our website. If you have given us explicit permission to do so, we may from time to time pass your name and contact information to selected associates whom we consider may provide services or products you would find useful. We continue to process your information on this basis until you withdraw your consent or it can be reasonably assumed that your consent no longer exists. You may withdraw your consent at any time by instructing us by using our contact page on the website. However, if you do so, you may not be able to use our website or our services further. ​ 3. Information we process for the purposes of legitimate interests We may process information on the basis there is a legitimate interest, either to you or to us, of doing so. Where we process your information on this basis, we do after having given careful consideration to: whether the same objective could be achieved through other means whether processing (or not processing) might cause you harm whether you would expect us to process your data, and whether you would, in the round, consider it reasonable to do so. For example, we may process your data on this basis for the purposes of:​ record-keeping for the proper and necessary administration of our business responding to unsolicited communication from you to which we believe you would expect a response protecting and asserting the legal rights of any party insuring against or obtaining professional advice that is required to manage business risk protecting your interests where we believe we have a duty to do so. 4. Information we process because we have a legal obligation We are subject to the law like everyone else. Sometimes, we must process your information in order to comply with a statutory obligation. For example, we may be required to give information to legal authorities if they so request or if they have the proper authorisation such as a search warrant or court order. This may include your personal information. Specific uses of information you provide to us: 5. Information provided on the understanding that it will be shared with a third party. We do not allow posting on our website. 6. Complaints regarding content on our website If you complain about any of the content on our website, we shall investigate your complaint. If we feel it is justified or if we believe the law requires us to do so, we shall remove the content while we investigate. ​ Free speech is a fundamental right, so we have to make a judgment as to whose right will be obstructed: yours, or that of the person who posted the content that offends you. If we think your complaint is vexatious or without any basis, we shall not correspond with you about it. 7. Information relating to your method of payment Our website does not take payments. 8. Information about your direct debit We do not keep any details of direct debits. 9. Job application and employment If you send us information in connection with a job application, we may keep it for up to three years in case we decide to contact you at a later date. If we employ you, we collect information about you and your work from time to time throughout the period of your employment. This information will be used only for purposes directly relevant to your employment. After your employment has ended, we will keep your file for six years before destroying or deleting it. 10. Sending a message to us When you contact us, whether by telephone, through our website or by e-mail, we collect the data you have given to us in order to reply with the information you need. We may record your request and our reply in order to increase the efficiency of our business. ​ 11. Complaining When we receive a complaint, we record all the information you have given to us. We use that information to resolve your complaint. If your complaint reasonably requires us to contact some other person, we may decide to give to that other person some of the information contained in your complaint. We do this as infrequently as possible, but it is a matter for our sole discretion as to whether we do give information, and if we do, what that information is. We may also compile statistics showing information obtained from this source to assess the level of service we provide, but not in a way that could identify you or any other person. ​ 12. Affiliate and business partner information ​ We have no affiliations or partners on our website. ​ Use of information we collect through automated systems when you visit our website 13. Cookies ​ Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer's hard drive by your web browser when you visit any website. They allow information gathered on one web page to be stored until it is needed for use on another, allowing a website to provide you with a personalised experience and the website owner with statistics about how you use the website so that it can be improved. ​ Some cookies may last for a defined period of time, such as one day or until you close your browser. Others last indefinitely. ​ Your web browser should allow you to delete any you choose. It also should allow you to prevent or limit their use. ​ Our website uses cookies. They are placed by software that operates on our servers, and by software operated by third parties whose services we use. ​ We use cookies in the following ways: to track how you use our website to record whether you have seen specific messages we display on our website to keep you signed in our site to record your answers to surveys and questionnaires on our site while you complete them to record the conversation thread during a live chat with our support team 14. Personal identifiers from your browsing activity ​ Requests by your web browser to our servers for web pages and other content on our website are recorded. ​ We record information such as your geographical location, your Internet service provider and your IP address. We also record information about the software you are using to browse our website, such as the type of computer or device and the screen resolution. We use this information in aggregate to assess the popularity of the webpages on our website and how we perform in providing content to you. If combined with other information we know about you from previous visits, the data possibly could be used to identify you personally, even if you are not signed in to our website. 15. Our use of re-marketing ​ Our website does not use re-marketing. ​ Disclosure and sharing of your information 16. Information we obtain from third parties ​ Although we do not disclose your personal information to any third party (except as set out in this notice), we sometimes receive data that is indirectly made up from your personal information from third parties whose services we use. No such information is personally identifiable to you. 17. Third party advertising on our website ​ Third parties are not allowed to advertise on our website. 18. Credit reference ​ We do not use credit reference agencies. ​ 19. Data may be processed outside the European Union ​ Our websites are hosted in United States of America. We may also use outsourced services in countries outside the European Union from time to time in other aspects of our business. Accordingly data obtained within the UK or any other country could be processed outside the European Union. ​ We use the following safeguards with respect to data transferred outside the European Union: Access to your own information: 20. Access to your personal information ​ At any time you may review or update personally identifiable information that we hold about you. To obtain a copy of any information that is not provided on our website you may send us a request via the contact page on our website. After receiving the request, we will tell you when we expect to provide you with the information, and whether we require any fee for providing it to you. ​ 21. Removal of your information ​ If you wish us to remove personally via the contact page on our website. This may limit the service we can provide to you. 22. Verification of your information ​ When we receive any request to access, edit or delete personal identifiable information we shall first take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting you access or otherwise taking any action. This is important to safeguard your information. Other matters: ​ 23. Use of site by children ​ We do not sell products or provide services for purchase by children, nor do we market to children. If you are under 18, you may use our website only with consent from a parent or guardian. 24. Encryption of data sent between us ​ We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates to verify our identity to your browser and to encrypt any data you give us. ​ Whenever information is transferred between us, you can check that it is done so using SSL by looking for a closed padlock symbol or other trust mark in your browser’s URL bar or toolbar. 25.How you can complain ​ If you are not happy with our privacy policy or if have any complaint then you should tell us via the contact page on our website. If a dispute is not settled then we hope you will agree to attempt to resolve it by engaging in good faith with us in a process of mediation or arbitration. If you are in any way dissatisfied about how we process your personal information, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office. https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ ​ 26.Retention period for personal data ​ Except as otherwise mentioned in this privacy notice, we keep your personal information only for as long as required by us to provide you with the services you have requested, to comply with other law, including for the period demanded by our tax authorities and to support a claim or defence in court. ​ 27.Compliance with the law ​ Our privacy policy has been compiled so as to comply with the law of every country or legal jurisdiction in which we aim to do business. If you think it fails to satisfy the law of your jurisdiction, we should like to hear from you. ​ However, ultimately it is your choice as to whether you wish to use our website. 28.Review of this privacy policy ​ We may update this privacy notice from time to time as necessary. The terms that apply to you are those posted here on our website on the day you use our website. We advise you to print a copy for your records.