NEWS & events

Ireen Lock, Head of Shared Services Contact Centre, Ministry of Justice

"Throughout a particular challenging period (Sept 2013 - May 2014), Steve from DNA Definitive provided invaluable coaching support to all staff, ranging from Tier 1 call center operators to senior managers/ leaders, and from an individual to department level. I have absolutely no reservation in recommending DNA Definitive and Steve for coaching, mentoring and facilitating workshops."

Mick Rogers, Operations Director, Airbus UK

"From DNA, Paul's depth understanding of traditional management practices is more than matched by his desire to do something about them and create a more human centred and effective approach to running our businesses. Paul brings expertise in the application of Complexity sciences to understanding how our organisations (don't) work, and the often surprisingly simple solutions to our everyday problems that plague organisational life. I have engaged Paul to work with me on several occasions either consulting on specific issues or to give talks to members of the management population on a Complex Adaptive Systems outlook on life in organisations. He has never failed to deliver real world solutions that actually work and I look forward to working with him again."

Deborah Perkin, Senior Producer, BBC

"I made an hour long BBC documentary following Paul Thomas, from DNA, as he worked within the Environmental Services Department of Blaenau Gwent Council. This gave me a unique insight into his working methods and the results achieved. He led an impressive project over four months creating a framework in which front-line staff took on management responsibilities, with great success. It was extremely labour-intensive and Paul never failed to put in the gruelling hours required. The results were outstanding - increased efficiency, savings, streamlined management, and a genuinely more empowered workforce. Impressive stuff."

Gemma Collins, Producer, BBC

"Paul's ideas on management are inspirational and thought-provoking. They may appear radical and revolutionary but they're not, simply because they are actually so intuitive and common-sensical. Paul is also quite possibly the most engaging speaker I've heard in a long time. Any manager - or leader - who wants to get the most out of their organisation really should consider talking to Paul."

Baroness Tessa Jowell, Minister for the London 2012 Olympics, HMG

"From DNA Definitive, Andy has extraordinary motivational gifts and insight into the minds of people in competitive situations or under stress where successful performance is essential. He knows how to develop confidence in high performers and others and to help them retain the knowledge he imparts. He is one of the most gifted people in his profession of anyone I have met."

Patrick Davies DRPM, Office for Wales Performance

"We were very impressed with Andy's talk during the morning session, which contained exactly the right mix of humour and factual information and proved the most entertaining and interesting of all the presentations."

Andrea Hope, Travel Counsellor

"Paul's core values to running a successful business are simple, original, and make perfect sense. If corporations and businesses adopted the values he suggests, we would have a very happy, confident, productive and successful workforce. He is such an engaging speaker and I would highly recommend getting him in to inspire any business, whether it be a small concern or large corporation. He rocks!"

Paul Matthews, CEO, Monmouthsire County Council

"In this extraordinary man I sensed a kindred spirit - a vocationally driven public servant clear on purpose and fixed by cause. I was transfixed; his insight echoes around the walls of my organisation. This Steve Eaton is one exceptional individual. He is authentic, he cares, he is worth your time. You would be mad not to listen to him and learn with him."

Gareth Jones, Regional Branch Manager, ReThink Recruitment

"The ReThink Group invited Andy McCann to speak to our sales team in July. The day was both inspirational and thought provoking with all attendees feeling extremely positive about challenging themselves to improve performance.The results following were dramatic with two records sales months following Andy's visit. I would happily recommend Andy's work to any individual, team or business that was passionate about winning and finding the extra edge."

Paul James,, CAP Business Clubs

"It's great to invite speakers for an inspirational talk when running business clubs, but we feel Paul's talk was one of those rare gems where a light bulb switches on in your head. His passion and belief is second to none and it's so refreshing to hear common sense prevailing. Paul's ability to say out loud what most of us have been thinking for years makes him easy to relate to. I would highly recommend Dr Paul Thomas to any forward thinking business who would like to step into a brighter future."

Joanne Howard, Admin Officer (Accounts) , Monmouthshire County Council

"Steve Eaton is a quiet, thought provoking speaker who managed to hit the heart of what true leadership means through an honest account of the feelings within himself and his team whilst fighting for our country. No bravado, just total honesty which hit home in so many ways."

Carolyn Davies, Business Development Manager, Fraud Investigation Service, Wales

"Andy was an inspirational Key Note Speaker at our National Conference, who was able to draw from personal experience to illustrate the true meaning of motivation."

Sandy Green, Director of HR Department, Herefordshire

"I wanted to drop a quick e-mail to say how much I enjoyed the talk from Dr Paul at the CAP business club this week. It must have been good as I have not stopped talking about it to everyone I meet, be that clients or colleagues - most impressive 20 minutes I have sat through for a very, very long time."

John McConnachie, Innovation Team, Monmouthshire County Council

"Steve Eaton's talk about teamwork and leadership to around 60 colleagues this week has continued to resonate with us all ever since. Steve's approach is unique and humbling,as he quietly weaves important and powerful learning points into his real life stories based on real experience of leading large teams through life changing and challenging times. A brilliant speaker to recharge your organisations purpose."

Professor Brian Morgan, Director, Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre, Cardiff School of Management

"Andy was a recent contributor to our 20Twenty Leadership programme. His talk was inspirational and he used the Action Learning Groups very effectively to engage with participants and to ensure that everyone felt part of the event. Andy's talk was interspersed with useful images and interesting anecdotes. I can highly recommend him."

Louisa Dwyer, Kit & Caboodle Boutique

"I attended a talk given by Dr Paul Thomas. It was so refreshing to hear someone speaking with about business from a 'new' perspective and with a sense of humour. I resonated totally with Dr Paul's sentiments that structures get in the way of business progress. I felt reassured after leaving the talk, as I have personally struggled for so long with fitting into hierarchical organisations, where things have to be done in a certain way, as that is how they have always been done before. Where there is no recognition of the value that you bring to the company / organisation. I have been known to leave a job when I was forced to wear a uniform as this for me was just another indicator of depersonalisation not being valued for who I am. Listening to Dr Paul's lively talk reinforced that I have made the right decision to run my own business despite it being a financial struggle and taking over my entire life at the moment. It is me and my co workers who are the life force behind this venture."

Rob Davies, Monmnouthsire County Council

"Steve Eaton speaks to his audience about the importance of teamwork by using his experience of working in high-pressured, military operations and he is keen to stimulate thought and discussion about whether a team has one or more leaders. He does this in a calm, reflective manner and he has a clear sense of what every team needs to be effective, with honesty and mutual respect between team members being near the top of his list."

Stuart Barnes, Business Advocate Forest Means Business

"Andy was recommended to me to present at our 'grow business' meeting. He excelled our expectations. His pragmatic approach to comparing high performance sports and high performance leadership was cleverly constructed and professionally delivered judging the needs of the audience exactly. At the end of the meeting you could feel the 'motivate buzz' as people were leaving."

Jo Davies, Forest Traders

"After seeing Dr Paul Thomas briefly at a networking meeting previously, I was looking forward to meeting him at CAP Business Club. His approach to a more forward way of thinking within the workplace is something to aspire to and his talk kept everyone interested. I think we all left with a more positive outlook on our future paths."

Alison Preece, Project Development Officer, Equinex, University of Wales

"Andy, your presentation was great. It hit just the right note."

Mary Pope, Business Events Organiser, Economic Development Unit, Bridgend County Borough Council

"I found Andy's presentation engaging, thought provoking and very relevant. He demonstrated an excellent understanding of the subject matter and tailored his presentation to the target audience, who were engaged from the outset."

Anthony Griffin, Director, Griffin Mill Garages Ltd

"Andy's advice was practical and realistic as well as being inspirational."

Marge Wyton, Organiser, St Mellons Business Club, Cardiff County Council

"Andy is a knowledgeable and down to earth speaker who talks a great deal of common sense."

Administration, Top 10 Pharma Company

"I think it was about 10 seconds into his presentation that I knew we had made the right decision to invite Andy McCann from DNA Definitive along to our annual global meeting to talk about “Walking the Tightrope – Working in High Performing Environments”. Andy immediately engaged the audience and helped us take a step away from our everyday working life by using relatable examples of high pressure environments in business, medicine, education, sport and politics mixed it up with psychology, neurology and physiology and a fair amount of good humour.Andy read the audience and adapted his presentation according to the feedback he was getting and the questions he received. He proved a very popular speaker and one we would like to invite back. I find myself referring back to Andy’s presentation on a regular basis and often use his examples help my team work through challenging situations."

Alastair Campbell, Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair

"Andy has been a big part of the success of the teams he works with. But I know from my own experience that he is also terrific working with individuals dealing with high pressure situations. His skills and experience have proven to be transferable across many sectors."

Paul Matthews, CEO, Monmouthshire County Council

"DNA Definitive have made significant changes to all the services they have touched, including key leadership staff. The balance of work and influence far outweighs the financial expenditure. The DNA team are NOT consultants, they have a value, passion and commitment that make them some of the most valued assets in our organisation."

Louisa Dwyer, Kit & Caboodle Boutique

"I attended a business talk given by Dr Paul Thomas from DNA Definitive. It was so refreshing to hear someone speaking with about business from a ‘new’ perspective and with a sense of humour. I resonated totally with Dr Paul’s sentiments that structures get in the way of business progress. I felt reassured after leaving the talk, as I have personally struggled for so long with fitting into hierarchical organisations, where things have to be done in a certain way, as that is how they have always been done before."

Paul Goddard, Founder, Bath Scrum User Group

"Andy has a wealth of experiences from such varied fields, this made for a fascinating session at our monthly user group. He has a warm, approachable style that kept the audience captivated for the full duration of his talk. We hope that Andy may come back and tell us more in the recent months!"

Ian Whitburn, Getters Consultancy

"Dr Paul Thomas takes a refreshing and innovative approach to management and structure within business and having heard many people talking on the same subject his is the first genuinely different approach. Everything he said made total sense and his talk managed to be fun, interesting, inspiring and informative, in fact I didn't look at my watch once. I thoroughly recommend you listen to and take his advice when looking at staffing and structure within your business."

Gareth Rees, 14-19 School Effectiveness Officer, Rhondda Cynon Taf Education & Childrens' Services

"Andy's continued contribution in supporting the self esteem and employability of students in partnership with RCT is of significant value in terms of our strategic goals. He has any skills and qualities to support the development of young people."

Kay Tyler, Head of Sixth Form, Tonyrefail Comprehensive

"Many thanks for the workshop you provided on Friday. Some of the students came back into the sixth form area on Friday and it was lovely to listen to their positive comments and learn how much they had gained from and enjoyed the experience."

Ian Ritchie, President, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

"I valued the contribution that Andy and Steve from DNA Definitive made to our Regional Surgical Advisers' meeting in November 2015. It was timely because the pressures bearing down on the NHS across the UK are increasing. Therefore, all surgeons must consider how they will prepare themselves for a busy job and for the external pressures that are inevitably going to increase."

Professor Lalit Kalra, Kings College London

"If there is one thing that I will remember about the rather busy conference it is Andy's talk."

Anna Barrett, Dental Nurse Training Officer, University Dental Hospital Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust

"I thoroughly enjoyed the session Andy delivered; it was very interesting and light hearted. He engaged with the group well and adapted his material to meet the needs of the group as a whole. I would recommend Andy's sessions to any group who are looking for an alternative twist than the usual seminars used at team meetings."

Ross Gregory MCIPR MSc BSc (Hons ), Head of External Relations, Royal Pharmaceutical Society

"Andy McCann from DNA Definitive, delivered a truly inspirational and thought provoking presentation at our 6th Welsh Medicines Safety Conference. Presenting at the closing stages of the conference, Andy raised the energy in the room considerably and totally captivated our audience of health professionals. His unique insight into emotional resilience among high performing individuals together with his interactive style of delivery made for a highly enjoyable and informative session."

Professor Alison Bullock, Director, CUREMED

"Engaging, thought provoking, and knowledgeable. What really stands outs is Andy and DNA Definitive’s wealth of experience from diverse sectors and organisations."

Jason Gardener MBE, Olympic Champion

"It was great to engage Andy's professional services with the Red Bull High Fliers Day at the University of Bath's High Performance Centre. Andy demonstrated how he successfully works with elite sports people to unlock their true potential and be the best that they can be."

Sam Brearey, Gold Medalist and Word Sailing Champion

"I have worked with 3 different psychologists across my career to date, but Andy's understanding of sports performance, and the human mind is incredible. Having lost a world championship by 1 point a few weeks before meeting him in 2011, I wish I had spoken to Andy before the championships and so I immediately started working with him."

Scott Bugden, Welsh Cycling MTB Performance Coach

"I was lucky enough to spend a day listening to Andy speak as part of UK Sport's Coach Aspire programme. He was an engaging speaker, full of useful and interesting information based on his experience in education and coaching. I came away from the event with a raft of new ideas to use in my own coaching which covers performers from grass-roots to Elite."

James Massara, Player Performance Manager, London Broncos Rugby League

"I was very lucky to spend some time listening to Andy speak on 'mindset' as part of the London Talent Coaches program. I have been to a number of events similar to this but I have rarely come across such an engaging and relevant speaker. I left the session with a load of new ideas and the desire to use them in my coaching practice."

Sam Warburton OBE, Captain, Wales and British Lions Rugby

"I honestly believe it's no coincidence that my success has been under the guidance and help of Andy McCann from DNA Definitive."

Female (17),

"Being advised both how I should behave and what attitude will help me control my anxiety and increase my confidence was very helpful."

Female (16),

"It gave me a clearer idea of my goals and how my individual mind works. It was really useful and helped me to affirm what I want to achieve."

Male (16),

"I learned a lot today, I didn't know what I was capable of."

Female (16),

"Before, I was uncertain about my future job as an animator, but now I believe I can do it."

Charlotte Poole-Graham BA (Hons) DipPFS, Associate Partner, St. James's Place Wealth Management

"What a truly inspirational speaker. Dr Paul Thomas has a way of looking at things that challenges the norm in relation to the set up and running of large corporations. His observations on people, how they are motivated and how to get the best out of them are extremely accurate. If all corporations were to listen to Paul the world would be a more productive yet happier place."

Paul Fielding, Cambria Financial

"Andy McCann is one of that rare breed of people who have the vision and intellect to inspire virtually any audience. To see him operate is an uplifting, refreshing and pleasurable experience. I sat in on one of his seminars, for 300 people, dealing in the main with financial issues. Being in financial services for almost 25 years myself, I didn't know quite what to expect from someone who, whilst a great seminar speaker, doesn't work in my line of professional business. I watched him work the stage and the audience with total assuredness and mastery of the subject matter for that session. I have to admit to having learned a number of new things from watching Andy at work - none of us know it all - to the extent that I might have easily mistaken him for an experienced and seasoned financial services professional. First class, no other way to put it."

Karen Morgan, Utility Warehouse

"I was fascinated by Andy, not only by the content, but by the brilliance of his delivery."

Masterclass held in Bangor,

"What a treat! Thank you for such a brilliant day, learnt so much and it made me feel 'brave' enough to continue the way we do."

Masterclass held in Bangor,

"Excellent - well presented - great pace. Probably could have gone over 2 days! Lots of information given."

Masterclass held in Bangor,

"Very well put together. Interesting & stimulating day, thought provoking ideas encouraging free and different thinking."

Masterclass held in Bangor,

"Very enlightening with innovative ideas for seeking further creativity from our frontline staff. Review (?) democracy & policy focussing on efficiency, outcomes productivity."

Sarah, Carmathenshire People - First

"Dr Paul Thomas from DNA Definitive was exceptional and I could relate to Simplexity completely."