Claire Sampson
Claire is the brains trust of just add water and works directly with clients developing, designing and delivering leadership programmes, internal communications projects and brand awareness. With experience working in theatre, the public and private sector and prior to just add water as Director of Production at the Millennium Dome, she is regularly in demand for both her strategic approach and her production expertise.

Claire is committed to delivering impactful live experiences with a focus on making them engaging and relevant to clients.

Linkedin

Catherine (Cat) McKenzie
Cat is a people person and is passionate about connecting with clients from across the globe, supporting them with the best solutions for their teams and leaders. She relishes designing bespoke learning interventions that are as engaging and fun as they are thought provoking. Customer-focused, Cat’s mission is to ensure the organisations that we work with trust just add water to listen, understand, advise, and deliver the best possible outcomes for them. Cat is based in London, having begun her just add water journey in 2018 when she was living in Singapore and ran the Singapore office. In addition to supporting global clients, Cat oversees our offices in Singapore, China and Australia and our global network of associate facilitators and coaches.

Before joining just add water, Cat ran the Client Engagement team at the Human Capital Leadership Institute in Singapore, supporting multi-national organisations operating Asia to develop leadership and HR capability within their organisations. Prior to her time in Singapore, Cat worked in multiple International programme Sales & Acquisitions at Channel 4 Television, the BBC and BBC Worldwide.

Linkedin

Jeremy Sturt
Jeremy‘s career path might be unorthodox but it has left him well equipped to tackle complex business issues and to generate highly innovative, relevant and engaging solutions. His approach is creative, effective and entertaining, and his repeat multi-year relationships with a diverse range of global clients are testament to the strength of his work.

Since 1995 he has worked with corporate clients to design, develop and facilitate leadership development and employee engagement programmes, firstly with his creative consultancy Lively Arts, and since 2002 with just add water.

Linkedin

George Prior
George is a dynamic and entrepreneurial business development professional, dedicated to devising innovative strategies for driving business growth and engagement. Adopting a creative approach, George challenges conventional methods and embraces out-of-the-box thinking. George brings a sense of humour to the table, adding a refreshing touch to his professional demeanour. While occasionally landing him in amusing situations (there are plenty of stories), it serves as a valuable tool to underscore the importance of a lighter perspective in life. George brings his entrepreneurial mindset, sense of humour and creativity to all of his work at just add water.

Prior to joining just add water, George played a pivotal role in co-founding and launching start-ups in Europe. Collaborating with founders, he successfully secured multiple funding rounds. During this period, George won long-term commercial partnerships with major advertisers and rights holders in the sports and entertainment sector, introducing new ways to engage fans. A testament to George’s dedication to challenging the status quo, his professional journey showcases a blend of creativity, humour, and strategic business acumen.

Linkedin

Amelia Vegting
Amelia is passionate about understanding the intricate dynamics of human interaction within the workplace, helping organisations create the best environments for their people to thrive. Amelia is a collaborative worker, working excellently with clients and facilitators to create engaging, interactive and memorable experiences – whether through engagement or leadership events, team development workshops, or culture change programmes. Armed with recently completing an MSc in Organisational Psychology, Amelia possesses a keen understanding of the psychological theory and practices to help organisations succeed, utilising their people and culture to do so.

Amelia is a considerate and positive member of the team, and her commitment to the work she does extends beyond project delivery; it is rooted in a genuine desire to contribute to the success of the individuals and organisations we work with. Before joining just add water, Amelia studied psychology at The University of Liverpool and completed her MSc at City, University of London. 

Linkedin

Jeremy Francis
Jez is fascinated by people, what happens between them and why, and how they experience life. He knows from his own (mis)adventures over the years that he is at his best and most happy when he feels he belongs; when he knows and trusts the people around him, working hard and playing together towards the same ends, making mistakes, and learning as the next chapter unfolds. For clients, Jez designs and runs engaging experiences that focus on these same themes, whether he is working with individuals, leaders and their teams, or across the organisation.

Humour is a hallmark of Jez’s approach to life and work; he believes both can be seriously funny. Music matters to him; the people who listen to him sing and play guitar have told him it should matter more! A lapsed economist, Jez started work in the energy industry in commercial and functional roles, before discovering his calling in people and the work he does for just add water today.

Linkedin

Karen Smits
Dedicated to crafting transformative learning experiences, Karen brings enthusiasm, zest, and creativity to just add water. As a reliable team member, she contributes with a rich background in designing and facilitating learning programmes globally, immersing herself in understanding how people experience the intricacies of their everyday work life. Karen’s pro-active and energetic personality align seamlessly with her role at just add water, allowing her to thrive working with people to enhance their world of work. Genuinely curious about how individuals give meaning to their work, Karen’s assertiveness enables her to challenge people to think differently about their work.

Before diving into the vibrant world of Just Add Water, Karen supported executives, teams, and organisations in developing cross-cultural collaboration, organisational change, and growth initiatives. Following her Ph.D. in Social Sciences, she also designed and delivered academic subjects at universities and business schools around the world. Karen’s journey took her from the Netherlands to Panama, Brazil, and Australia before landing on the sunny shores of Singapore.

Proficient in Dutch, English, Spanish, and with an understanding of Portuguese, Karen weaves linguistic magic to make herself understood wherever she goes. Outside of work, you’ll find Karen running after her two children or training for her next half marathon, showcasing her commitment to both personal and professional pursuits.

Linkedin

Andrew Au
Andrew believes that the future belongs to the innovators, the team builders and the idea creators. He doesn’t measure his career success solely by wins and losses. Whatever challenges Andrew has faced over the years, he has overcome with a perpetual sense of optimism and commitment to see failure as an opportunity to explore and create something exciting and new. Andrew is a hands-on problem solver who believes that people are at their best when they are learning and that continuous learning is the key to success. His ability to see problems both at a macro and micro level allows him the ability to think long term yet act short term.

Andrew is currently based in Beijing, having previously lived in Singapore and before that Hong Kong.

Andrew was chief strategy officer for brand experience agency Uniplan. Before that he was the regional managing director for experience design firm Eight Inc. and before that he was the managing director Southeast Asia for Imagination. Before his agency roles he held regional marketing roles with The Economist Group and Fortune Magazine.

Linkedin

Sheela Ramelee
Sheela is a passionate and dedicated programme manager with over 15 years experience in multi-national organisations in both operational and project-based roles. She has years of experience supporting global consulting and leadership development businesses to start up and grow their footprint in Asia. Sheela drives innovation and delivers superior service and value for clients. She is spurred to motivate and develop people and grow together. Her passion centres around human development in the areas of resilience, empathy, well-being, diversity and inclusion, focusing on compassionate leadership.

After completing her Applied Learning and Performance in 2022, she spearheaded facilitation efforts in Jakarta, overseeing a participant count exceeding 400 employing a skilful blend of sound effects and props, Sheela ensures constant engagement and captivation among participants. Her unique fusion of selfless compassion and well-earned pragmatism sets her apart. Sheela’s commitment and efforts are aimed at creating a lasting and unforgettable impact on participants and clients.

Linkedin

Terry Samsaras
Terry is passionate about creativity and innovation and the way they can transform not only the future of an organisation but also the lives of its employees and serve as evidence of the greater creative potential within us all. He believes that humane leadership is the most effective way to achieve high levels of sustainable commercial performance. He enjoys being involved in projects that align vision, leadership, culture, strategy and performance.

Clients have commented that having Terry on their projects is like having an old loyal friend that is prepared to tell the truth in the gentlest way to move a business beyond its plateau. His excitement for seeing clients achieve the apparently impossible is infectious, and he enjoys the insightful and unique way that he and his colleagues address each client’s challenges.

With almost 30 years of global experience, Terry has advised entrepreneurs, philanthropists, Grammy and Oscar Winning artists, as well as over 350 senior executives responsible for national, continental and global operations in some of the world’s leading brands. He has served as the Head of Leadership and Business Development for three consultancies in the UK, European and US Markets.

Linkedin