Who We Are
Surface Deep is led by Claudie Plen-McCormack, who combines a passion for building more connected organisations, cultures and communities with many years of global experience in leadership, strategy and people development.
Our talented team are specialists in leadership, performance, psychology, neuroscience, embodied practices, neurodiversity, burnout and wellbeing. We create tailored solutions for our clients, sometimes using cutting-edge AI learning technology, at other times, just our grounded presence and knowledge. This means we can adapt to the specific needs and challenges of the people we work with creativity and skill.
At Surface Deep, no two projects look the same, as no client is the same. The common thread is our shared approach: human-first, strategically grounded, deeply respectful of the systems we’re working in, and the people within them.
About Claudie
Claudie Plen-McCormack is a business psychologist, coach, strategist, and culture builder.
Her background is in senior leadership, leading teams in creative and management consultancy environments, and many years spent creating inspirational client experiences which address complex challenges for some of the world's biggest brands, from Dell Technologies and Google, to HSBC, Axa, Lush and Rolls Royce.
She believes passionately in the power of purpose and meaningful work and brings this commitment to all of her clients, from micro businesses to global corporations.
After years working at the intersection of people, performance, and purpose, Claudie created Surface Deep to help leaders build the conditions for real change, connection and growth. She doesn’t do fluff, she creates powerful transformation from the board to the frontlines for all her clients.
Claudie is driven by the fierce belief that leadership should always lift people up, not wear them down.
Claudie’s lesser-known talents include dancing, painting and her very dark sense of humour.
Meet the Team
Whatever the nuances of your challenge, within our core team we have the depth, range, and lived experience to meet you where you are, and help you move forward
Senior Strategist, Coach
Louisa Harris
Louisa brings 15 years experience of strategy design and implementation, non-financial reporting, ESG assurance, and culture change. She engages boards, leadership teams and entrepreneurs to deliver impact and has worked extensively in the B2B sector with complex global organisations. An experienced coach, moderator, programme designer and facilitator, Louisa is particularly interested in co-creating immersive and experiential events that connect, inspire and call to action.
She is a Trustee of Hawkwood: Center for Future Thinking, Senior Fellow of Kite Insights and an academic tutor for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership.
In her spare time, Louisa is a mermaid, working on coral restoration projects.
Senior Strategist, Coach
Mishkah Teladia
Mishkah is a senior strategist and coach with a global consulting background. An economist by trade and a visionary, systems thinker at heart, her work includes financial innovation to support more gender-inclusive venture capital markets, and helping governments craft inclusive economic strategies, driving measurable, equitable change.
Mishkah is fascinated by the interdependence between workplace systems and our inner condition and sense of self.
A writer, mother, and a Muslim woman, she lives in Johannesburg and can often be found happily wandering amongst the purple jacaranda carpets that appear each spring.
Psychologist, Facilitator, Coach
Jack Lowe
Jack facilitates positive change and collaboration for leaders, teams and organisations. He brings a powerful combination of senior leadership experience alongside his training as an organisational and counselling psychologist, and understands at a deep level that surface behaviour in corporate environments can point to trauma below the surface.
His coaching is trauma-informed and person-centred which enables him to deliver purpose driven business outcomes, prioritising wellbeing, psychological safety and growth.
Forever buying books, Jack can always be found near your local bookstore, or attempting to learn yet another language!
Coach, Facilitator
Sula Bruce
Sula is an experienced coach and facilitator with a senior leadership background in the humanitarian and sustainability sectors and equal rights. She has held director positions with UN Women NC UK and the Aid and International Development Forum.
She guides, cares, and holds space with skill, experience, trust and integrity, bringing incredible clarity, courage, and care to every conversation. Her approach is thoughtful, direct and deeply informed by real-world complexity.
Outside of work, Sula loves mountains, skiing down, climbing up or just taking in the view.
Psychotherapeutic Coach
David Chalmers
David is a psychotherapist, coach and mentor who supports leaders and organisations through the deeper work of change and making meaning.
A former Tech CMO, he had a long career in the corporate world, from global organisations to small start-ups.
As a mentor he brings nuance, safety, and serious depth — helping executive and senior leaders move with awareness, especially when things feel complex or vulnerable.
David’s personal passions include open water swimming, dancing, and saving the planet, and walking with his dog Star.
Coach, Facilitator
Dee Enright
Dee is a strategist and coach with a background in marketing leadership.
She brings particular depth in working with the public sector and charities with a focus on mental health engagement programmes and campaigns, including award-winning work in suicide prevention.
Known for her ability to balance clarity with care, Dee supports people to lead with impact and integrity in values-driven environments.
When she’s not working with people, Dee loves to hang out with animals, and is always happiest when there's a cat within stroking distance.
Coach, Facilitator
Assaad Chakrouna
Assaad has a rare talent for developing leaders and teams in fast changing, multicultural environments. Fluent in Arabic, French, Spanish and English, he has more than 15 years delivering corporate leadership development, coaching, and training globally.
With a background in Big Tech, Assaad loves mentoring teams in high-pressure industries. He has co-created regional and global leadership programs for organisations like Dell Technologies, helping leaders navigate the kind of complex challenges which demand emotional and cultural intelligence, to satisfy global client demands.
When he’s not working, you’ll probably find Assaad walking by the sea, lost in a good book, meditating or learning from the real experts — his kids!
Programme Coordinator
Judith Madembo
Judith is an operations and project management professional with more than a decade of experience supporting consulting and project-based environments across Africa. Her work spans project coordination, operational management, financial oversight, and stakeholder engagement, with experience supporting teams and complex portfolios in fast-moving, impact-focused organisations.
Practical and solutions-driven by nature, Judith enjoys creating structure, improving processes, and helping teams work more effectively together.
Outside of work, she is a proud mother of two daughters and enjoys cooking and all things related to interior design.
