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Faculty Spotlight: Maureen Breeze

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Center for Professional Development

Feature  •

Maureen Breeze, founder and principal of Cultivage, has over 25 years of experience working in senior level management, creative industries, and talent development. She is a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation and is licensed to train teams using the ISEI's Social and Emotional Intelligence Profile and Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment.

Tell us about your professional background.

I've been fortunate to have a varied career in both business and the creative industries. For the past fifteen years, I've been a professional development trainer, a certified coach and an organizational development consultant. I enjoy working at the crossroads of professional and personal development, assisting both individuals and organizations to cultivate talent and create opportunities. The coaching framework is a powerful tool for driving peak performance in the work place, and I'm passionate about sharing these strategies with leaders and managers across industries. Prior to coaching and training, I was a professional dancer and choreographer, and was the founder/director of JUMPSTART Productions.

Why is professional development important to you?

Recent advancements in neuroscience and behavior science make this an exciting time for learning and growing, regardless of one's industry or role in an organization. Professional development allows us the opportunity to learn about new research and apply relevant findings to our daily work. It's also an opportunity to learn from others. There's so much to gain from hearing how other professionals solve problems, manage obstacles and work to build successful teams. Learning in real-time, face-to-face with other professionals is a great way to do this.

Give us an overview of your Coaching Skills certificate program with CPD.

The program is designed to build both foundational and advanced coaching techniques that drive growth and peak performance. Through four interactive sessions, I guide participants in gaining practical skills to facilitate challenging conversations, increase engagement, and encourage meaningful behavior change.

In Sessions 1 and 2, we focus on coaching fundamentals like building accountability and rapport. Session 3 delves into emotional and social agility, where we explore conflict management and resilience. In our final session, I provide hands-on practice through role-playing and group activities, helping participants apply their skills in real-world scenarios. This program is perfect for those wanting to make a real impact as effective, inspiring coaches. 

What's the best piece of professional advice you've received? 

The best professional advice I've received is to learn how to ask great questions. To be skilled at asking questions requires a curious mindset, which promotes problem-solving and creativity. It's an asset that serves you both professional and personally.