About The AIPC

The Australian Institute of Professional Coaches (AIPC) is a highly reputable coach-training organisation offering a suite of coach education from Foundations courses and Professional Diplomas through to all of business solutions. Our Diplomas are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and with unrivaled content, we pride ourselves in producing excellent, qualified coaches.

Learn More

Our Organisation

Our Values are: Respect – Integrity – Insight – Courage – Honesty

Our Mission is to deliver high calibre coaching courses, programs and services , that are internationally recognised (approved by the International Coaching Federation), to enable personal and professional growth.

Our Vision is to enable individuals & teams to make a difference by empowering others to realise their full potential through coaching.

Our Philosophy is to ask powerful questions to enable people to see a better future for themselves and engage with them to discover their own truth and solutions.

Our Chair and Founder

Dr. Susanne Knowles founded the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches in 2012. Her motivation was to bring the powerful benefits of coaching to all individuals seeking to resolve their problems and achieve their goals but who have been frustrated because of the ordinary hassles of daily life.

In addition, she wanted to legitimise coaching as an alternate form of personal and professional development separate from mentoring, training, supervision, counselling and therapy.

She established the AIPC to teach individuals how to coach professionally, legally and ethically, giving the client undivided attention and unconditional positive regard to achieve a successful outcome owned and committed to by the client.

The role of the coach is to bring out the very best in people, to help them reach their full potential – We create excellent qualified coaches and help them make a real difference!

Susanne completed her PhD at the University of Queensland investigating how organisations develop a coaching culture. Her previous experience was as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Training and Industrial Relations oversighting TAFE Queensland. Susanne’s first book Positive Psychology Coaching has received excellent reviews.

The Education Team

Rachel Hudson

Director of Education for AIPC; ICF PCC Credentialed Coach, Mentor Coach, Facilitator and PCC Marker, AIPC.

Rachel has a wide variety of experience in the education field, having worked as a teacher in the UK and abroad for 14 years, and running her own Language School business in the UK for 8 years. Rachel began her coaching journey over 20 years ago and has worked as a Professional Coach and run her own Coaching Business in the UK, Europe and Australia. Rachel’s areas of expertise are: Life, Professional, Health & Wellness, Small Business, Parent and Student coaching.

Glenda Waring

National Education Manager.

Glenda has an extensive social work background and over 25 years’ experience in tutoring and lecturing at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland. Her areas of expertise include management, leadership, and human resources, where her focus is on the skills of communication, conflict and negotiation. Glenda has held senior human resource positions in the public service and private consultancy for over two decades. She is passionate about helping every student succeed and is particularly talented in supporting individuals and teams from different cultural backgrounds as well as mature aged students.

Glenda Waring

Glenda is National Education Manager at the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches. She has an extensive Social Work background and vast experience in tutoring and lecturing at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology in Management, Communication, Conflict Resolution and Negotiation over the past 24 years. Glenda is passionate about helping students succeed.

Dr Sara Thorn

Education Manager and Head of Operations, AIPC.

Sara is a former medical doctor who coaches and instructs individuals in the healthcare sector. Her background is inclusive of 12 years as a doctor working for Queensland Health and 5 years as a Specialist in Medical Administration. She continues to support healthcare providers through instructing on the social and relational elements of organisational change, iterative improvement cycles and implementation. Sara thrives on one-onone interactions and supporting others to live their best lives. to reach their goals, make difficult choices, and navigate change.

Ben Ryan

Director at Wellbiz, Education Manager, AIPC.

Ben is a wellness Coach who runs his own business focussed on improving workplace and staff health, both mental and physical. His success in this space arises not only from his creative, problem solving and administrative strengths, but his connection with staff in workplaces. He has significant experience as a Football Coach with a demonstrated history of helping to build both teams & clubs through Coaching, Player Development, Man Management and Marketing Ideas. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) focused in Sports and Exercise from ACU.

Sarit Vandegraaff

Director at Sarit V Coaching, ICF PCC Credentialled Coach, Mentor Coach, Facilitator and PCC Marker, AIPC.

Sarit is a highly experienced Organisational Coach and Facilitator who has worked locally as well as globally (New Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Oxford and London). For 10+ years Sarit has walked alongside leaders and their teams to create and lead transformational organisational change towards greater impact. Sarit is a registered ICF mentor and has been supporting coaches to attain their ICF credentials for the past 10 years. Sarit is passionate about coaching education and elevating the brand of coaching as a profession in Australia and globally

Dr Sara Thorn

Education Manager and Head of Operations, AIPC.

Sara thrives on one-on-one interactions and supporting others to live their best lives. to reach their goals, make difficult choices, and navigate change.

Damian K. ten Bohmer

Director at World Coach, ICF PCC Credentialed Coach, Mentor Coach and Facilitator, AIPC.

Damian is a professional leadership coach and globally experienced commercial leader. Currently working abroad with large organisations he is a facilitator and leadership development coach. He grows people and develops high-performance teams. He is a Credentialed PCC Coach with ICF. He has over 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles across multiple industries, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels, Lanson Place and Sheraton.

Rita Holland

Director at Capstan Partners, ICF PCC Credentialled Coach, Mentor Coach, Facilitator and PCC Marker, AIPC.

Rita is an experienced coach and business owner, with over 2,500 coaching hours, she founded her own coaching business in 2019, Capstan Partners, a bespoke professional coaching business that brings together a panel of professional coaches to coach and teach coaching skills in the healthcare sector. Capstan Partners proudly collaborates with AIPC to provide coaching education.

Rita is a passionate advocate for evidence-based coaching, Rita is proud to be the Program Lead for a program called Coaching for COVID-19, the first Australian research study known to evaluate the efficacy of a professional coaching program for senior doctors during the pandemic.

Success Stories

Our graduates come from all walks of life and they all have one thing in common – the desire to share their knowledge and skills to help others achieve their goals, live a happier life, and make the world a better place.

They come from the heart and want to help others nurture and support that spirit which often lies dormant inside, waiting for the right person to come along and coach them so that they can find their true self.

They have much to offer, and experience joy from the simple knowledge that they have helped others succeed.

They want to live a more enriching life, giving back to the community which has helped and supported them to become the person whom they are today.

If you are considering becoming a coach, reach out to one of our graduates and experience what it is like to be coached and have your world take on

Now is the right time for you to start writing the next chapter of your success journey. Click on the button below to take the first step.

Start Your Own Journey Today

Read Success Stories Ebook