Who we are > Linda Blum
Linda Blum, Director
BA, Dip Teaching, Dip Educ (Guid), MNZATD
“It’s fantastic to be part of a process that gives people the ability and tools to achieve their dreams”.
Linda has over 20 years of experience in designing and delivering training and development initiatives, and running a business. She set up her own training and development consultancy in 1985 and later joined forces with colleagues to form Achieve Group.
Her particular passion is developing and delivering integrated long-term programmes which fast-track the development of individuals and teams. She has consulted in more than 60 organisations in the private and public sectors, including a range of social, justice and health sector agencies, the newspaper and dairy industries and local government.
Recent assignments have included re-designing and delivering a multi-year leadership development programme and a career development programme for a large government department, developing a coaching training programme for technical coaches, and writing a leadership competency development resource book. She has also designed and delivered a suite of training programmes for case managers in a large social services organisation.
Linda has taken an active interest in the development of training and development professionals throughout her career, including a number of years as President of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Association for Training and Development. Before setting up her own business, Linda was a secondary school teacher, manager, vocational guidance counsellor and the national trainer for the Vocational Guidance Service.
In her spare time, before she had children, Linda travelled through many of the world’s countries the “hard way”, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, trekking through Nepal and travelling the way the locals do in South America. Since her children arrived, her interests have moved somewhat closer to home and include enjoying time with her husband and boys, playing and watching lots of tennis, and giving career advice to anyone who needs it.