Facilitators & Trainers
The YES Quest has a growing group of committed and experienced facilitators
Marcus Mackay is a co-founder of the YES Quest, the programme director and a lead facilitator. He has worked on every YES Quest from 2001 to 2010. Marcus works as an executive coach, management change and development consultant and psychotherapist and has had his own practice for nearly 30 years. He has lots of experience designing personal development programmes for both indoor and adventure settings. He has also started and run a number of enterprises in the fields of arts marketing, environmental engineering and management consulting.
Lilliana Gibbs’ first Quest was in the Sierra Nevada mountains, California, in 2006. She brings a diversity of experience to the YES Quest team. As is a qualified counsellor and business coach, she is passionate about helping people uncover and utilise more of their innate talents in their work and life. She works one to one with clients and also facilitates workshops to encourage creativity, emotional intelligence and intuitive leadership. With a background in film production and business management, Lilliana has produced television programmes on child development and on communication skills, and uses this experience as part of her coaching and training toolkit.
Jane Brendgen will be a YES Quest facilitator in 2010. As a coach, trainer and facilitator she has been involved with organisational and personal development for 10 years. Jane has devised and delivered coaching programmes and workshops for organisations, primarily for media companies in the UK, including the Discovery Channel, Walt Disney, Channel 4 and News International. With a background in counselling and psychotherapy, Jane holds an Advanced Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Approaches to Psychotherapy & Counselling, that provides a solid foundation for her coaching practice. She practices mindfulness and is currently studying towards an MA in Mindfulness-based approaches at the University of Wales.
Marlena Basser has been on the YES Quest team since 2004 as a director and lead facilitator. She has 20 years experience of working with young people, designing and delivering creative and empowering self discovery programmes, and providing one to one personal and professional coaching. Marlena has worked for a range of state and national organisations in Australia, with a focus on supporting young people to realise their greatness. She currently coordinates a relationship education and life skills programme in high schools and works as an organisational development consultant and a retreat facilitator. She is also a fluent in Spanish.
Sofiah Mackay‘s involvement with the YES Quest started in 2001 as coordinator for the first Quest in Indonesia. She has experience working for World Challenge Expeditions, the UK’s largest provider of personal development travel for young people, including planning and organising school group expeditions to Brazil and Northern Peru. Sofiah has worked for the International Youth Parliament, and for the Australian Government in capacity building for international development projects. Trained in basic first aid, far-from-help medical certification, and mountain leadership skills, Sofiah also speaks several languages, including French and Spanish.
Peter Jenkins is a founding director of the YES Quest and was a facilitator with the first Quest, which took place in Kalimantan, Indonesia in 2001. Peter has many years of experience as a trainer-facilitator, mostly working with young people. He is a qualified therapeutic counsellor and also has wide training in drama techniques including improvisational theatre, Theatre Sports and Playback Theatre. Peter’s past experience includes work in advertising, newspapers, radio and television. He has also performed a number of roles in the not-for-profit sector. Peter is based in northern New South Wales, Australia.
