It all began with wanting
to make a project
experience better.
It ended with better teamwork, profitability, CX, morale, innovation, risk management and opportunities.
More About Gemma O’Halloran
My story is about constant learning through trial and error. Role by role, project by project, I realised operations, leadership, culture, stakeholder experience and outcomes were heavily intertwined. Over time I used this to create a distinctive perspective and experience design approach to help businesses and business owners to thrive, equally.
My background spans science, events, 10+ years of self-employment, SMEs, international sponsorship activations, family businesses, retail, corporate and agency environments. In those 20+ years I’ve seen businesses from every angle and developed expertise and ability across all aspects of a business, specialising in operations.
Again and again I saw how well-structured operating environments, with clear communication and effective leadership outperform those without. Now I help others to achieve this, offering everything from strategy to insights generation and delivery.
Values at the Core of Catalyst & Co
Individuality
Every business, person, team, situation or decision is different. This is honoured by looking at each on its own terms, with an open mind, without assumptions. To show respect for individual choice and developing individuality in all its forms.
Curiosity
Being curious means listening properly, asking good questions, seeking different perspectives, and thinking creatively. It means being interested, sitting with discomfort and exploring new options. Curiosity is central to real change, innovation and lasting results.
Respect
The hallmarks of true respect in action are dignity, fairness, courtesy, space to grow and learn, and to be ourselves. It is about how we communicate, behave, make decisions, and the quality of our interactions with others, every day.
Agency
We have a right to choice. To have options, to make informed choices and actively influence what happens next in our own lives. It is found in accepting that things can change, that growth is possible and that we do not have to accept the status quo as fixed.
Meaning
Numbers, performance and KPIs matter. But businesses are also about people, health, livelihoods and communities. Meaning is about remembering the human factor in what we do; the good and the bad, the dreams, the impact, the influence and the opportunities. To remember the human stories and motivations behind any business when we act.
It all starts with a conversation
When I encounter a client, I listen first and foremost. As we talk, patterns start to emerge, connections become clearer and the gap between where things are and where they want to be becomes easier to see. My role is to make sense of that with them and helps turn it into a practical way forward.
#FindThePattern #BeCurious
Where did the name Catalyst & Co come from?
Catalyst is a nod to my scientific past and to the role I play for each client. I am an external partner brought in to accelerate change and make things happen, but it’s not about me. It’s about a business, a business owner and all those involved with it and its future.
The “& Co” stands for collaboration, communication, coordination, co-design, cohesion, convergence and more. Anything beginning with ‘co’ that helps a business work well and operate sustainably. It also reflects the collective of specialists I can bring into a project, when appropriate.