OUR PEOPLE

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."
Helen Keller

OUr vision and mission

Our vision is a world where everyone, regardless of context, contributes their full potential, inspired by purpose, for the benefit of all.

Our mission is to change the way that individuals make career choices, by enabling them to create purpose-driven careers that help solve the world's greatest challenges as a result of using the research-proven INSPiRED career and life model and toolkit.

Meet the Founders

Carolyn Parry - Founder Director and Lead Coach

A languages graduate (London University) Carolyn has a passion for helping people identify and work towards achieving their potential. Her own very painful career crisis, following a successful business career working in property, software and publishing led to her identifying her true North and retraining to become a Careers Adviser and now a Career Coach. She spent fourteen years at Aberystwyth University, where she became Deputy Director with responsibility for the university’s employer liaison strategy, and latterly Institute Director of Student Development and Employability.

She took Voluntary Severance in 2015 to set up Career Alchemy, a multi-award winning career coaching and training company supporting students via universities, recent graduates and professionals seeking to change their career, In 2017 Career Alchemy added Careers Advice for Parents to enable it to provide support for parents/carers and their teenagers as well.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, of the Higher Education Academy, and the International Enterprise Educators’ Programme, she is a Trustee on the board of the Ceredigion Citizens Advice Bureau, a national trainer of career coaching for AGCAS, was awarded the UK Careers Adviser/Career Coach of the Year 2017, and represents her professional association, the Career Development Institute, in Wales. For more, please see Carolyn's profile on www.linkedIn.com

Rhys Parry - Founder Director

An electronic engineer by training, Rhys has more than 30 years' software development and project management experience in the software industry for companies such as Helwett Packard and Easams. In this context he recruited and managed teams in excess of 100 people.

A change of career led him to spending over a decade as a teaching fellow in a UK top 15 computer science department in a British University.

He now divides his time between the IT, Finance and QA elements of Career Alchemy, supporting Welsh rugby and writing non-fiction books. For more please see Rhys's profile on www.linkedin.com

Consultants and Associates

Gary Argent – Early Careers Employability Specialist

Gary has worked in the early talent industry since May 2000. After eight years delivering graduate recruitment and development programmes at a large international IT company he spent three years at the Institute of Student Employers (formerly the Association of Graduate Recruiters) where he facilitated collaboration between employers, universities and suppliers.

Gary went on to run the careers service at City, University of London for four years, focusing on Widening Participation, early engagement with students, curriculum-led careers guidance and developing employer partnerships. More recently he spent six months supporting the Careers and Enterprise Company’s Passport for Life project.

This experience has given Gary an unusual opportunity to view the industry from different standpoints as he has worked as a recruiter, for the industry’s professional body, and for a university. For more details please see his LinkedIn profile.

Olymbia Petrou - Diversity and HR Specialist

With a background in business, diversity and HR, Olymbia has worked for public sector organisations, SMEs, charities, as well as owned and run her own businesses.

A fully-qualified business and executive coach, Olymbia particularly enjoys working with diverse groups on the unique challenges they face. Her humanistic coaching approach can help with any challenges or self-limiting beliefs that may be getting in the way, and by eliciting and nurturing individual skills and strengths, can help unlock and focus individuals on achieving their full potential and goals which make sense for them.

Olymbia also delivers diversity, business and HR consultancy to support organisations, individuals and businesses with practical and supportive solutions through her company Electra Business Services Ltd.

Interested in working with us as an associate?

If you are passionate about career coaching and are looking for a new freelance opportunity as a Career Alchemist helping people to create solid gold working lives, then why not contact us today to find out more.

Interested in working with us as a client?