Carol Townson

CELTA, HND BS, PGC Secretarial Studies
Senior Management Associate, Spearhead Training, Qatar

Carol is a U.K. national who studied Business Studies and Languages at Northumbria University in England, before completing a Post-Graduate Certificate in Bilingual Secretarial Duties. She first arrived in the Gulf in 1983, accompanying her husband, who works in the oil and gas sector. Having lived and worked in the region for nearly 25 years, Carol has an extensive knowledge of the area, and first-hand experience of dealing with the diverse cultures that make up the Middle East.

Carol’s career started in the U.K. where she worked in an administrative capacity in government departments within both the National Health Service, and The Institute of Geological Sciences.

In 1983 Carol moved to Kuwait. Her first post in that country was setting up and managing the administration department of a busy U.K.-based engineering consultancy. She then went on to run the administration department for a U.K.-based engineering inspection company, where she liaised with the Ministry sector in Kuwait and implemented a new, company-specific, computerised data storage system.

Carol returned to the U.K. in 1988 where she studied to train in Adult Education and was offered the position of managing an employment training scheme for the long-term unemployed. Her duties involved training adult learners in basic computing, secretarial, business writing, and assertiveness skills, so they were armed with the necessary skills and qualifications to re-enter the workforce. After returning from a short spell in Malaysia, Carol worked in Customer Services in the banking sector, which involved front-line selling of financial services.

In 1993 Carol returned to Kuwait to work in the private education sector, training students in basic business, secretarial and writing skills. After moving to Qatar in 1998, she took up a post in the private education sector, working her way up to a Senior Trainer / Manager position. She has written and delivered numerous training courses for clients such as the Qatar Ministry of Education, the National Heritage Council, and members of the oil and gas industry, and was also responsible for performance management and professional development programmes within her own organization.

Carol is a qualified Teacher Trainer on the University of Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and CELTYL (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners) programmes, and takes great pride in the quality of her training and the very high standards she expects from her delegates.

In 2007, Carol joined Spearhead Training, Qatar, as a Senior Management Associate. She is committed to providing top quality training that fully matches her clients’ needs, and is a conscientious and enthusiastic facilitator, with excellent communication skills. Her previous education and work background significantly contribute to the high quality of her training. She is dedicated to providing a memorable learning experience for all her delegates.

Carol’s key areas of expertise include:

Management & Leadership
>Coaching For Optimum Performance
>Counselling Skills
>Creative Problem Solving & Decision Making
>How To Conduct Effective Meetings
>Supervisory Management Skills – For 1st / 2nd Level Supervisors

HR Management & Training
>Train The Trainer – Group Training Techniques

Customer Service
>Etiquette For Excellent Customer Service
>Improve Your Telephone Skills – ‘How To Win & Keep Customers’
>Telephone Skills & Customer Care

Administrative Skills
>Office Management
>Professional Secretarial & Administration Skills
>The Perfect PA – For PAs & Executive Secretaries

Sales & Marketing
>Presentation Skills – Making A Powerful Impact On Any Audience

Personal Development
>Brilliant Body Language!
>Be A Better Listener – Active Listening Skills
>Assertiveness Skills (& Dealing With Difficult Situations)
>Developing Effective Interpersonal & Communication Skills
>Stress Management
>Self & Time Management

Business Writing Courses
>Business English Foundation Course
>Writing For Business (Level 1)
>Advanced Writing For Business (Level 2)
>Report Writing – How To Structure A Report For Maximum Effect
>Writing Minutes Of Meetings