Business coaching and sport up for discussion at Leeds Met

Pat Duffy - Professor of Sports Coaching - will speak at the free event, entitled 'Coaching for performance - using sport and business coaching best practice', from 5.30pm-7pm on Tuesday 26 March in the Great Hall of the James Graham building at Headingley Campus.

Professor Duffy, who has also been involved in the development of coaching systems at UK, European and global levels, commented: "It was fantastic to work at the forefront of such an innovative programme on behalf of Morrisons PLC. I worked closely with key Morrisons personnel in developing a coaching system for the business which is the largest coaching led change management intervention for a UK supermarket.

"My lecture at Leeds Met will explore the key sports coaching theories that translate into best business practice to drive up organisational performance."

Supported by Yorkshire Bank, the lecture is the third of the free public sessions in Leeds Met's 'Carnegie Conversations' guest lecture series, organised by the University's Carnegie Faculty.

Future lectures to be held in the series include a session on Tuesday 7 May which will feature a Q&A where former British Lions player John Bentley will interview England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster; Gareth Davies, Dean of Leeds Metropolitan's Carnegie Faculty and former Wales rugby captain and British Lions player and former British Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan. On Monday 3 June, Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain captain Kevin Sinfield will present while on Monday 1 July international cricketers Alec Stewart and Jason Gillespie will be interviewed by South African cricketer Dave Callaghan about the impending Ashes series.

Professor Duffy is also the Vice President for Europe for the International Council for Coach Education (ICCE) and Chair of the European Coaching Council. He has been charged with a leadership role in the development and implementation of the Sport Coaching Strategy for Leeds Metropolitan. This strategy promotes the creation of an excellent environment for the study, research and practice of coaching with a focus on high quality professional preparation experiences for students and practitioners.

As a former Chief Executive of Sports Coach UK he led the development of the country's Coaching Framework which received the widespread support of governing bodies; funding partners; higher education and the sport coaching industry. He also served an 11-year-term as the Director of Irish National Coaching and Training Centre, where he led the establishment of the National Coaching Development Programme. He is currently the Chief Technical Advisor to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee on the development of the South African Coaching Framework.