About us
Where expertise and experience meets community and fun
At WCO, we believe that everyone is a coach. From an early age, our thoughts, speech, and actions shape our interactions with the world, often unconsciously. It is essential to cultivate skills that foster high-quality thinking and interactions – skills that should be a fundamental part of our education as human beings. We envision a world where access to coaching skills is a basic right, empowering individuals to become better thinkers, collaborators, and contributors to society.
While we know this vision may seem utopian, it's a dream worth pursuing. With more well-trained coaches in the world, we can inspire personal growth and enhance our collective ability to engage meaningfully with others. Together, we can create a future where coaching is accessible to all.
Our manifesto
Our roots
Our journey in coaching training began over a decade ago, rooted in Portugal within a creative events company called WeCreate. Specializing in innovative training on leadership and personal development, WeCreate laid the foundation for what would become our signature coaching program.
Around 2010, WeCreate launched the International Coaching Certification course, bringing a fresh and practical approach to coaching. In 2014, our current team – then WCO Team Finland (later Growthroom Cooperative) – helped expand the course even further, bringing it to new audiences and industries. Since then, our trainings have reached over 10 countries, including Finland, Hungary, Iran, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Brazil. Along the way, we’ve also contributed to conferences and large-scale events, helping to spread coaching skills to even wider audiences.
With more than 3000 participants trained, we have helped both private individuals and leaders, professionals, and key influencers – such as agile coaches, UX designers, recruiters, and IT professionals – integrate coaching into their work and life. Our mission has always been to make high-quality coaching accessible, impactful, and relevant in diverse personal and professional settings.
In November 2023, we entered an exciting new chapter. With a change in ownership, the World Coaching Organization moved its base to Helsinki, embracing a fresh vision for the future. Now, as we continue to evolve, our goal remains the same: to bring this transformative coaching experience to as many places – and people – worldwide as possible.
What we stand for
Everyone is a Coach
(How we see the world)
We believe coaching is a fundamental human skill—something we all do, often without realizing it. High-quality interaction should be a basic right, embedded in our education, empowering people to think, collaborate, and grow.
Structured Creativity
(How we craft learning)
Our courses are thoughtfully crafted to create memorable learning experiences. We’ve reimagined coaching training by blending structure with creativity, using theory, stories, metaphors, and interactive exercises. Music, energy shifts, and practical tools make learning stick in a way that feels effortless and fun.
Informal Formality
(How we go about knowledge)
We take expertise seriously – we’ve learned from the best, follow a strong ethical code, and continuously expand our knowledge. But learning shouldn’t feel distant or rigid. We believe in making high-quality coaching skills accessible, engaging, and adaptable to everyday life. Whether personal or professional, coaching should be something you can naturally integrate, not just something you "study".
Global Community
(How we support and grow)
We offer you theory and practice that will help you better understand yourself and others. You will learn how to build trust and positive influence with your clients and the people around you in a matter of minutes rather than days.
Hello, we’re Team WCO! While you’ll meet a few of us here, we’re backed by a whole community of dedicated and talented people – working both behind the scenes and on the frontlines to cultivate a world of everyday coaches.
Our team
Pauliina Hallama
I’m Pauliina Hallama, a social psychologist, a nearly lifelong professional trainer, and a certified Life Coach, Systemic Business Coach® and Systemic Team Coach®. I’m proud and honored to be the Chief Coaching Officer and Master Coach Trainer at World Coaching Organization. I’m a passionate trainer with over 20 years of experience in delivering engaging learning experiences to thousands of learners from around the world, stemming from the open public to industrial companies to small startups.
I am in my element when I get to awaken insights through offering new perspectives and when I have the chance to encourage people to throw themselves into new and eye-opening experiences. Delivering coaching trainings is my all-time favorite, because learning coaching not only helped me in developing as a trainer and consultant, but because it became a part of my professional and personal DNA. And I could not be more excited to share these same, potentially life-changing lessons and methods with anyone who is open to learn. When I’m not working, you can find me enjoying long walks in nature, running on trails, freediving, or adventuring together with my husband.
Saila Kokkonen
Hi! My name is Saila Kokkonen. I work as Community Enabler at World Coaching Organization, supporting the organization and growth of the team and network mostly behind the scenes. I have a Master’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration, with my work experience focusing on international business, social entrepreneurship and adult education. My main passion is how we humans live and grow; socially, emotionally and spiritually; individually and collectively. I took the International Coaching Certification course in 2016, unaware of what was to come but walking away from that weekend with something new awakened in me. That set me off on a path of ever-deepening discovery into what makes us humans tick, what enables us to create abundant, joyous, aligned lives and what hinders us in the process.
Besides being a coach, I also explore inner patterning and programming at its roots, cyclical time and archetypes through my work as an astrologer, the combination really allowing me to support the unearthing and flourishing of human potential. I love being able to combine feminine insight and symbolic wisdom with masculine processes, structures and systems. I joined the WCO team in 2024 and am thrilled to be working with such a diverse network of people all united by their interest in inner and outer growth – and of course enjoying the process! The main building blocks of my self-care consist of meditation, movement and spending time in nature, easing into and learning about her rhythms. I’m also most likely always studying something – one of my favorite scenes is a Sunday afternoon with a good cup of coffee and unhurried hours diving into a topic of interest.
John Swallow
Hi, I’m John Swallow, the Chief Growth Officer at the World Coaching Organization. I joined the company because I have a passion for coaching!
My interest in WCO sparked after attending my first coaching course – an incredible learning experience with like-minded individuals – not to mention the fun! I earned my certification and also participated in the master coaching event.
Throughout my career, I have always enjoyed helping others reach their full potential and become the best version of themselves. This philosophy has shaped my work and encouraged others to believe in me, opening doors to live and work in many countries and leading diverse teams to achieve their goals.
Over the past ten years, I have specialised in training, facilitating, and coaching. I embraced the online format long before it became a global necessity, qualifying as an on-line facilitator, and allowing me to work with people worldwide. Of course, I always enjoy meeting in person, too. Based in Finland, I’m also exploring my creative side—writing books, producing plays, and experimenting with different art forms. In addition to this, I spend time in nature to enjoy the many benefits it provides.
Maja Skalar
With a public policy and human rights background, I bring over 16 years of experience in higher education program management, soft-skills training and career and leadership coaching. I have always been passionate about learning, collaboration, and empowering individuals and teams. My journey has taken me across Slovenia, Hungary, Denmark, Ghana, and Austria, shaping my identity as a global citizen that seeks to understand and hold space for diverse perspectives and individual/team growth.
I believe coaching is a powerful, universal tool for transformation. It found me at a pivotal moment—when I was expecting my son. What I planned to be my last professional development endeavor before a period of full-time motherhood, became a lifelong passion. My baby became my first "coaching assistant," napping in a wrap while I guided clients. A couple of years later, this path led me to complete a PCC-level, year-long, in-depth coaching training, earning my Erickson Solution-Focused Coach Certification.
I love using insightful, powerful and sometimes challenging questions to spark self-reflection, build awareness, brainstorm possibilities, and, most importantly, take action—because true change happens through doing. Specializing in leadership, career and team coaching, I love to integrate nature into my practice, guiding clients through walk-and-talk sessions that draw on movement, metaphors, and the clarity nature provides. This dynamic approach fosters deeper insights and meaningful progress.
Irmina Mikkelsen
I discovered coaching while working as Regional Development Manager for Specsavers... and was sceptical. I was worried that coaching, as opposed to telling people what to do, would be time-consuming and awkward. It turned out to be the best time investment one can ever do. The employees loved it - they had never been more creative, or more motivated. The results were speaking for themselves - people would reach their goals much faster, and would enjoy the process better.
According to research by Stellan Ohlsson, people only accept advice 8% of the time. Getting advice triggers our limbic system as it threatens our primary needs of autonomy and status. Instead, coaching allows people to arrive at their own solutions, and helping them navigate the process is extremely rewarding.
I have a Bachelor's degree in teaching and am currently taking a Master's in organisational leadership. I have certifications in Life Coaching by the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology (2024) and Nonviolent Communication Foundations (2021), have done 200h Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training (2020), an have also been certified by the Management Academy by the Institute of Leadership and Management (2017). I have 15 years work experience in international organisations (British Council, Specsavers, Tesla), 12 of which in Learning and Development and Talent Development.
Maarja-Liisa Kärp
I'm Maarja-Liisa, Estonia's WCO local organizer and coaching enthusiast. My passion lies in innovation, development, and exploring the beauty of human potential. With a background in innovation management, I'm constantly discovering new self-development methods and ways to facilitate growth, for example how to bring embodied awareness in coaching using body-based psychotherapy techniques.
I joined the WCO community in 2016, drawn by the novelty of coaching in Estonia and WCO's unique approach and beautiful mission to make coaching skills universally accessible. The ICC course was incredibly transformative and inspiring for me, revealing new perspectives and amazing me with the potential that the art of asking questions and kindness can have.
Remembering my experience with the ICC course, I didn’t hesitate to become Estonia's local organizer in 2024. During our first Tallinn course with Pauliina, I felt the participants were touched and inspired by the same magic I experienced in 2016.
My favourite moments in coaching are when people gain clarity, feel the joy of new perspectives, recognize their potential, and experience the ease of having a clear action plan to achieve their goals. I'm grateful to work alongside the beautiful and inspiring souls at WCO, and I look forward to meeting each one of you at our upcoming workshops, courses, and in our newly born community.
Join the movement
Coaching isn’t just something you learn – it’s something you live. Whether you want to grow, lead, or inspire others, you belong here.
