Credentials

Who I work with

Since starting my business, I’ve helped thousands of ambitious people accelerate their leadership and achieve their potential. If you’d like me to do the same for you, click here to find out how I can help you.

Professional profile

For over 30 years, I’ve helped ambitious people improve their careers, personal lives and workplaces with outstanding results. I combine my corporate background, successfully running departments and leading teams, to my work today as an executive coach, and senior, PhD level, organisational and counselling psychologist.

I learned early on about what good leadership looks like.  My dad was in the rag trade and I’d work in his factory in the summer holidays. At 14, I was promoted to sewing seams. Turns out it was too soon. I found the work tedious and offended my co-workers by asking them how they could stand such a boring job! Word travelled fast. My dad had to fire me after only half a day. Not the easiest thing for a dad to do.

From this valuable life lesson, I learned that good leaders step up and do the right thing, even when it’s hard. And about the importance of dignity and respect in the workplace. This inspired me to work with people to make sure that their work lives are rewarding on every level. Ultimately, I help ensure careers and corporations work seamlessly.

I’ve worked with people from amazing organisations such as Google, Goldman Sachs, KPMG and the ABC. I’m a published author, have presented at local and international conferences and won several awards for my work. I’ve been featured in various media; including Channel 9, Business Insider, the Sydney Morning Herald, Radio National, The Age, and Executive Style.

Speaking

Keynotes

• Liquid Learning: 3rd Women in Manufacturing Leadership Summit, Melbourne (2020) – Navigating Change and Uncertainty.
• The Communications Council’s AdSchool Course: Account Management for Tomorrow, Perth (2018) – How to Keep Yourself at the Edge.
• Mercy College, New York (2018) – Dignity at Work.
• Swinburne University of Technology, International Business Program (2016, 2015) – Location Independent International Business.
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victoria (2014: April and October) – Prevention of Workplace Bullying Seminar: Providing Insight into Bullying Behaviour.
• University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association (2001): Women in Non-traditional Areas Seminar – Working as a Woman in Business.

Workshops

• Building Your Dream Team Masterclass (Private Client) (2018)
• Leading with Confidence (Private Client – 5 Australian capital cities) (2014)

Conference Presentations
I have presented my academic work at many local and international conferences including:

• American Academy of Management Annual Conference;
• Australian Industrial & Organisational Psychology Conference;
• Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference;
• British Academy of Management Annual Conference;
• European Conference on Positive Psychology;
• Gallup Leadership Institute Summit;
• International Conference on Emotions and Worklife.

Publications ⎢ Awards

Publications

Pizer, M. K. & Härtel, C. E. J. (2006).  The positive impact of high quality leader-member exchange on career-related hope. In A. Delle Fave (Ed.), Dimensions of Well-being: Research and intervention, pp. 208-225. Milano, Italy: FrancoAngeli.

Pizer, M. K. & Härtel, C. E. J. (2005). For better or for worse: Organisational culture and emotions. In C. E. J. Härtel & N. M. Ashkanasy & W. J. Zerbe (Eds.), Emotions in Organisational Behavior, pp. 335-354. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.




Härtel, C. E. J., Kibby, L. & Pizer, M. K. (2004). Intelligent emotions management. In D. Tourish & O. Hargie (Eds.), Key Issues in Organisational Communication, pp. 130-143. New York: Routledge.

Awards

• Australian Postgraduate Award;
• Helen M Schutt Award, Monash University;
• Jean Gilmore Award, Australian Federation of University Women;
• Monash University Departmental Scholarship.

Best Papers

• International Conference on Emotions and Worklife (Best Paper);
• Brisbane Symposium on Emotions and Work Life (Travel Scholarship);
• University of Queensland Industrial/Organisational Psychology Symposium (Best Interstate Student Award).

Professional Membership as a Psychologist

I am an endorsed organisational psychologist and a counselling psychologist, as well as an approved supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA).

I am also a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society (APS); and a member of the APS College of Counselling Psychologists; and of the College of Organisational Psychologists.

PBA endorsement and APS college membership are only for psychologists with the additional, specialised training and field experience necessary to meet their exacting standards.

I am also a member of the APS Coaching and Psychology Interest Group.

Other professional memberships:

• Certified Executive Coach, Center for Executive Coaching;
• Member, The Boss Whispering® Institute.

Academic qualifications

• PhD The realities of working life: maintaining dignity and hope in the face of compromise for a job and a career;
• Master of Business Career success in a professional services firm;
• Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology;
• Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Business (Marketing).