Meet Ioan Rees.
Founder and CEO of Sycol
Dr. Ioan Rees is a chartered psychologist and the founder and CEO of Sycol, the pioneers of psychology-led consulting to transform organisational culture, leadership, and workplace wellbeing.
He brings a wealth of expertise to support organisations and leaders in the education and health sectors, as well as in tech companies both in the UK and US. Most recently, he took on the role of expert psychologist on S4C’s national television series FFIT Cymru, where he continues to mentor participants and advocate for personal and societal well-being. He has extensive experience in providing coaching and therapy to individuals and couples and created the SOAR Method, a programme designed to help overcome relationship challenges and achieve lasting success.
Ioan is committed to helping others achieve success. He believes that with the right mindset and dedicated effort, organisations and people have the power to take ownership of our behaviours and reap the rewards. It’s a choice, and he works to shift thinking and unlock the potential for success with every client he works with.
When you work with Dr Ioan and Sycol however, be prepared for a partnership rooted in accountability. He will practice radical commitment, extreme ownership, and perseverant action. He strongly believes in speaking the truth, doing the right thing, and standing-up against injustice. With his guidance, clients are equipped to do the work needed to accomplish the desired goals.
A great outcome for Dr Ioan is when clients achieve the success that they want, without allowing any obstacle to stand in their way. Helping organisations and people go around, over, under and through anything that prevents them achieving what they really want, or need is his mission.
Motivated by his own negative school experiences, Dr Ioan established Sycol to promote positive, societal change. As a psychologist, he felt a calling to spark cultural transformation in both academic and corporate institutions – envisioning work environments where people could thrive personally and professionally.
His life so far has been varied and challenging – a six-time Ironman finisher, published author, government improvement coach and TV expert psychologist.
If you’re interested in Sycol working with your organisation, Dr Ioan would be happy to chat – pick up the phone.
Let's get the conversation started.
Connect with Dr Ioan to discuss how his programs can benefit your organisation or personal growth.
Testimonials.
JELENA STOJANOVIĆ
Director of People
Ioan's mission was to help our leaders communicate more effectively and to improve our corporate culture into one of effective and innovative thinking. Ioan is an independent advisor who can provide frank and neutral advice that may be difficult to find inside your own workplace. Ioan helped us with our own development as a team and how we work and communicate together and he has helped me personally grow my leadership capability, credibility and results. Working with Ioan I learned how to gain informal authority and how to handle challenging situations. Working together, I recognize where I could improve myself. Thank you Ioan for this great experience!
E.M.H.
Journalist National Media
Without a word of hyperbole, my session was life-changing. I left with an elevated sense of confidence, self-worth and hope for the future, and I can’t wait to build on the things I’ve learned. Don’t let yourself feel completely hopeless before making that change.
MATTHEW SELEKMAN
MSW, LCSW
Ioan is a highly seasoned clinician, trainer, and thought leader in the fields of brief and systemic therapy.
LLEW DAVIES
Leader in Education
Inspirational, Outstanding, Essential...I can say with complete confidence that these sessions have changed my life. I didn't really expect such an impact and thought I was in a good place! By working 'holistically' I am much healthier and happier. I have a lot more energy and I can focus much more clearly on my professional leadership work instead of being humble about the influence I have on others I now see it as a call to help people be as effective as possible. I am shocked that this change happened so quickly to someone who was successful and happy before. I look back at myself a month ago with compassion. A fantastic experience and I very much hope to have an opportunity to receive more of this coaching in the very near future.
TREFOR JONES
Leader in Education
This was a transformational, emotional, reality-check. The honesty of the sessions was special, especially as I looked what I needed to change. Ioan's sessions have been incredibly beneficial - straight, positive and sincere. The model is relatively simple, but the effectiveness was obvious. I have been personally challenged in a way I have never been before and that was necessary for me to be able to develop as a whole person with self-worth which my family can be proud. "
UROS MIJATOVIC
Vice President, Messaging Solutions
Ioan is an incredibly calm, pleasant, great listener and in one word a very 'natural' coach with an obvious gift for this profession. After the first session of working together, his guidance challenged me to think beyond emotions and focus more on finding a pragmatic and tactical way to address some of the challenges at work by capitalizing upon my knowledge and strengths and flanking existing conflict. He helped me see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ by breaking down the steps I needed to take into bite-sized actions. Ioan played a big role at a very critical moment in my career, which I am forever grateful.
ANDY KENT
Tech CEO
Ioan provided our company a framework and set of tools to engage all our staff in building and innovating systems and processes that will allow us to continue growing while ensuring a high-performance culture. I would wholeheartedly recommend Ioan to anyone who is serious about company culture, productivity and performance.
NEBOJSA RISTIC
Principal Knowledge Engineering
It's great to work with someone like Ioan. His dedication inspired us and positively impacted on our culture and wider company.
OLJA VUKOVIC
Senior Customer Success Manager
Ioan's knowledge, guidelines and experience taught me a lot about the mindset and the attitude I should have in every situation, how to deal with difficult people and mostly how to stay positive and above all negativity. I am thankful for having the opportunity to meet him, to work with him, get coaching from him. His calmness, energy and positiveness taught me a lot, both personally and in career. Tnx Ioan!
TAMARA DJORDJEVIC
Lead Software Designer
In just three months and limited time I learned a lot from Ioan. I learned how to do proper research, about the problem and how to develop a solution, and I learned how to create project documentation. I will use that knowledge for the rest of my life. I also learned how to properly present a project or idea. I really hope that he will come back to work with us and that I will get the opportunity to learn even more.
MARIJA PAVOLOVIC
Solutions Architect Associate
Ioan encouraged me to think that every individual can have a positive influence on the whole company's culture, to take action, and to firstly start with ourselves and our team.
MARIN BRMALJ
Technical Account Engineer
Ioan has taught me/us that everything is possible.
MILOŠ BORENOVIĆ
Chief Operating Officer
I wish we could have more coaching time with Ioan.
DR. JOHN BRADLEY
Consultant Psychologist
Ioan is an outstanding psychologist and coach. He worked with a sophisticated and demanding group of professionals who unanimously gave him the highest feedback. As a coach and trainer he was skilled, sensitive and confident. I have recommended him to colleagues without hesitation.
DEAN MARSH
Director
I consulted Ioan for coaching to inform a difficult business decision. within a short timeframe. Ioan understood the key issues and was able to offer balanced advice and guidance, whilst working with me to assess potential risks and pitfalls. Having followed Ioan's guidance I have made a significant change and have been able to utilise his ideas in embedding these changes. I highly recommend Ioan and would certainly consult with him again in the future.
DRAGAN RADENKOV
Director of Technology Operations
Ioan shaped with us a clearly defined mission, vision and core values framework for the Executive Team. Together, with Ioan, he also helped us align and propagate clear values within the department.
NADA KRKOBABIC
IT Administrator & Team Lead
Ioan helped me change my view of how things can be done in the company. I would emphasize two things here: Ioan's neutral status and his expertise. As a "neutral" coach from Sycol, I think Ioan brought fresh air and made me think outside boundaries that I have established about how things are done in the company. He encouraged broader thinking, and creating new solutions that make the company a better place to work at, starting from scratch if needed, and looking at current obstacles from different points of view. Second important thing is in his expertise in this field. His knowledge and focus solely on this work made everything more efficient. His experience could help in predicting mistakes that we can fall into and how to avoid them, his persistence helped establish the best practices and stick to them. He was very professional, patient, open for feedback and encouraging. It would be great to have him back.
ANDREAS LÜDEKE
Senior Director of Engineering and Production, EMEA
Ioan's coaching is insightful, knowledgeable and unsugared - it has made a huge impact on us.