Adelle Wapnick

It’s only through personal experience that Adelle Wapnick, founder and managing director of creative agency Cross Colours, came to understand the power of executive coaching, and the true meaning of personal development. Her journey led her to discover her purpose as a leader, but more importantly to the recognition of the importance of ensuring that those working with her, be given the same opportunity, and the space within which to fully realise their own potential. As a result of this consciousness, Adelle embarked upon a journey of greater investigation, learning, growth and development. With an undergraduate BA degree in English and Industrial Psychology, she went on to complete the Coaching to Excellence programme at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town and became an accredited Time to Think facilitator. She began utilising these skills within her own business and, where relevant, continues to coach some of her employees. For the rest she outsourced the coaching to other professionals to ensure that those individuals were given the appropriate support. She has watched as people within her own organisation have flourished and came to understand the magical alignment between personal development and organisational effectiveness.

As the leader of Cross Colours, Adelle has worked with many renowned local and international brands from MasterCard and Jack Daniel’s, to Sasol and Nando’s. For these companies, she has played the role of strategist, facilitator, trusted advisor, mentor, partner and, with her humour, sometimes entertainer too. Her work with her clients has grown in the discipline of Internal Branding as the power of the people-behind-the-brand has become of greater personal interest.

Her agency has offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London and so, while her business acumen is evident, Adelle’s biggest talent lies in the rare combination of creativity and strategy. This skill has enabled her to appreciate the same contradictions that lie within an individual operating in a corporate environment, and the importance of understanding that complexity. As a result, she felt comfortable joining a group of like-minded individuals in a business like Paths of Excellence, as it fit so perfectly with her desire to assist people in their quest for meaning and fulfillment in their working lives.