Repair is done by people, in the room.
Every WayFinders engagement is delivered by two practitioners working together, drawn from a panel of ten, all accredited mediators, from law, HR, organisational design, systems transformation, psychology, journalism, communications, and board governance.
The mix is deliberate because the damage an event leaves behind is rarely one discipline’s problem to solve.
Practitioner Panel
Dr Katriona Lewis
Kat works with people in conflict to find what lies beneath the presenting dispute — the unspoken need, the unnamed grief, the thing that hasn’t been said but is driving everything. Her approach is gentle, rigorous and attuned to what people cannot yet articulate. She mediates across co-parenting, community and commercial contexts.
Ruth Overton
Leah Brown
Lyda Modiano
With over 30 years of corporate communication experience across complex organisations, she mediates high-stakes disputes for boards and executive teams throughout the UK and the EU. IMI and CMC-accredited, Lyda brings a structured, solution-focused approach — building rapport quickly to turn difficult conversations into clear, workable outcomes for senior leaders navigating conflict.
Shelley Ruck
Kiran Thadhani
Jess Goldsmith
Coming soon.
Sarah Boulton
Coming soon.
Laura Purdey
Coming soon.
Directors
Leah Brown
Founder and chief executive
Leah Brown FRSA is a practising corporate lawyer, accredited mediator, and trauma-informed restorative practitioner. She founded The WayFinders Group in 2022 to solve the problems that stop repair from being a reality.
She was called to the Bar and spent her career inside some of the most pressured environments in the country: a commercial food group, a hotel chain, magic circle and leading US law firms, a sovereign wealth fund, and a boutique hedge fund, with years of board work as a general counsel and company secretary in regulated businesses. She managed investigations, tribunals, and reviews, and watched the same failure repeat across institution after institution. Not in the report, but in what happened, or failed to happen, once it was filed.
The WayFinders Group is her answer to it.
Shelley Ruck
Founder and chief executive
Shelley has over 15 years experience working in the charity sector in numerous and varied roles. She has spent all her career working globally and cross-culturally from Asia to Africa to Europe and Latin America. Her passion for justice and fairness drives all her work and decision-making, yet at the heart of all organisational success lies people. From her experience, she passionately believes that an organisation is only as good as its people and success depends on good relationships.
Shelley brings a wealth of experience in change management, having successfully delivered a number of global digital system transformation projects, as well as having spent time coaching individuals and advising on organisational change and restructuring. She is often found advising and consulting on strategy, governance and compliance, including safeguarding. She spent part of her early career supporting banking and legal sectors in compliance.
Shelley is determined, proactive, pragmatic and wants to see people and organisations thrive. She brings a unique perspective that combines strategy, operations but remains deeply people-focused. Her varied career and diverse background has taught her to listen carefully to both what is said and unsaid, making her a keen observer and problem solver.
Outside of work Shelley can be found running, cooking for friends, enjoying good red wine and serving at church.
Advisory Board
Stephen Ruttle KC
Coming soon.
Ray Mia
Coming soon.
Client Testimonials
“We were advised on an organisational skills audit across our small charity. Each team member found the process thought provoking and strengthening, making us more aware of who we were, where our strengths and weaknesses lie and it has empowered us to find the skill set to fill the gaps. We are stronger and more confident as a team having been through the self assessment process and being able to refer to the very well presented and thorough document to find a game plan for the way ahead. Highly recommend engaging with this organisation.” — Governance client (2024)
“As Co-Chair, I was astounded by BroadStairs’ ability to draw out the essence of what we are trying to achieve as an organisation and to use all of that information to determine the most appropriate structure for us. It was invaluable to us and set us on a path to ensuring that from the beginning we have excellent governance and will avoid the pitfalls that can so often creep up on you when you don’t have good operational structure in place. We would recommend The WayFinders’ Group to any organisation, whatever size, whatever industry, whether at the start of their journey, or wanting to improve on what is already in place. They will inevitably up your game in ways you didn’t even imagine.” — Governance client (2024)
“Leah was very professional and transparent with her capabilities, giving clear and constructive advice as a consultant with a strategic eye for finding solutions to a complex organisationally threatening situation. We would highly recommend Leah and BroadStairs if you need advice or support in assessing and creating realistic workable plans and implementing change in complex situations.” — Trustees, London-based sports club (2023)
