I have a Webkey? Complete my HBDILeading a powerful, scientific approach to better thinking.
We're an Australian-owned and operated company – and part of the internationally acclaimed global thinking group, Herrmann International, the originators of Whole Brain Technology®.
Herrmann International Asia was formed in 1988 to give Australian – and more recently, Pacific region – organisations a powerful, scientifically researched approach to better thinking.
We show people how to use Whole Brain Technology® to leverage their thinking preferences to achieve outcomes they never thought possible – professionally and personally.
A History of Innovation
Ned Herrmann, founder of Herrmann International and the originator of Whole Brain Technology® first pioneered the study of the brain in the field of business while working as Manager of General Electric Corporation’s Management Education.
Herrmann's first and widely acclaimed book, The Creative Brain™, traces the scientific and historical roots of his innovative Whole Brain® Thinking methodology. His next ground-breaker, The Whole Brain Business Book™, set a new benchmark for mind research in applications to business – and is the basis for our workshops which address practical business topics.
Find out more about Whole Brain Technology® for Organisations, Consultants and Education.
Meet the Herrmann Team
Sydney Team
Michael Morgan, CEO
HBDI Profile: 3311
I can still remember the day I first met Ned. For me it was one of those real 'aha!' moments. He was the keynote speaker at a large conference, demonstrating the impact that our thinking preferences have on almost everything we do. The audience was spellbound. And so was I.
That was in 1979 in Pittsburgh.
I am still spellbound by the power of the HBDI and Whole Brain Thinking. Every day I see examples of people's thinking preferences. I see it in the way they communicate, make decisions and solve problems. I even see it in the way they dress. Since 1979, I have worked with many of Asia's leading organisations, helping them embed Whole Brain® Thinking as a way of doing business.
I remember Ned finishing his talk, all those years ago, with a warning. He said, "Be very careful. This stuff works!"
It does.
Chris Morgan, Operations Director
HBDI Profile: 1211
I have been so busy putting this site together I still haven't written my entry! I will be adding it before Christmas though.
Justin Crewe-Brown, Corporate Relationship Manager – NSW, ACT & Qld
HBDI Profile: 1211
I am the head of consulting, delivery and business growth for NSW, ACT, QLD and NT. With nearly 10 years of consulting experience cutting across business strategy & growth, people & leadership and learning & development consulting, I regularly draw upon my quadrants of highest preference including the blue quadrant (broad range of analytical, problem solving skills) and yellow quadrant (innovative and creative thinking skills).
A South African by birth, I immigrated to Australia 10 years ago after an early career in Advertising and the Dot.Com boom of the late nineties. Since entering the consulting industry, I have worked for consulting practises both large (IBM GBS, HCM) and small. I work with our Corporate clients to embed Whole Brain® Thinking into their organisations in order to effectively leverage their pool of thinking talent and to assist them in achieving their strategic objectives.
Bob Clarke, Master Trainer
HBDI Profile: 1212
It's around 25 years now since I had my first HBDI debrief done. An unusual experience in its own right, as it was conducted one-on-one by Ned Herrmann himself. I often reflect on how fortunate I was to have the great man himself explain my unusual 1212, diagonal double dominant, blue/red profile. It really was an epiphany for me. I suddenly understood so much about how my thinking had driven a wide range of choices and behaviours in my life.
Ned explained how, (because there was no hard-wired diagonal connectivity between the Limbic and Cerebral modes), my blue and red thinking would not easily integrate nor synthesise. Indeed they would remain opposites: facts versus feelings, numbers versus people, rationality versus emotion. He also made sure that I understood that whilst I had these two preferences available to me, I couldn’t access them both at once. I clearly remember him saying: “it will be like having two different people in your head, who can’t easily talk to each other”.
I could look back then and make more sense of my past. How I had specialised in Music and four languages in the later years at high school (quite Red), yet my undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Business with an accounting major (quite Blue). My first real job after leaving the Army after two years national service, was as a Financial Analyst, followed by a move to another organisation as a statistician (doing sales forecasting and trend analysis). All very blue. After ducking and weaving through jobs, I finally settled into teaching and then training (quite red). Both my post-graduate diploma and Masters Degree qualifications are in education (again, a good tinge of red).
I’ve now been involved with the HBDI and Whole Brain® Thinking for over 20 years. I reflect still on how running Herrmann Certification programs has maintained my interest for so long. I believe it's because it meets the needs of both of my dominant preferences in the A and C Quadrants. Yes, it's about helping people to understand themselves better, but also to understand and value difference in others. But, it's also a physiologically based technology, built around an understanding of Neuroscience and with strong validity. Both bases covered. Thanks Ned.
Rosemi Fitchett, Education Consultant
HBDI Profile: 2111
As I sit here deciding what to write about my journey at Herrmann, I can’t decide where to begin. Well, we’ll start where I always like to start, in the blue - what might you need to know: My name is Rosemi Fitchett (Bachelor Education/Bachelor Arts Hons. (Psyc), Associate MAPS). Hopefully that gives you an indication of what I’ve studied. Moving to the green, here are some additional details: I went to the University of Sydney and have worked at Herrmann since 2010. Previously I’ve worked as a School Counsellor, Drama Teacher and Wedding Singer – all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. So moving to the red, what do I like about working at HIA? I’ve always had a very strong set of values about education and learning and I believe that education in whatever form is the key to human transformation. I love working with people when they can experience that 'aha!' moment which can be so life transforming, and that is what my work is all about. Shifting to the yellow, it explains why I am here: At HIA I can live out my values at work, by running and designing programs that develop knowledge and insight, are empowering and distinctive, and most of all, assist individuals to learn how to achieve the human transformation I believe is important.
If you’re now wondering what all the colour references mean, you can find out by going to HBDI and Whole Brain Thinking and if you’re as excited as I am about education and want to learn more, head to our education programs.
Ken Butler, Bookkeeper
HBDI Profile: 1222
At school my favourite subjects were mathematics and economics and at the completion of high school I went on to study accounting. At the same time I also commenced work in the world of finance, working in the credit union industry. So it was no real surprise to me when I joined Herrmann and undertook my HBDI to see that I was so dominant in blue – the logical, mathematical and rational characteristics stood out.
After 13 years in credit unions I wanted a change and my yellow quadrant kicked in. I had an interest in small business so my wife and I set-up a childrens’ indoor playcentre, then a few years later we established a retail Christmas shop – so I am not adverse to taking risks.
In terms of communication my preferences are for brief, clear and concise information. So when someone is telling me something, giving me the full blown version, “... he said, she said..” I am thinking just give me the facts. I only wanted a Yes or No answer.
What was interesting about my HBDI was my Adjective Pairs and how much I shifted into the red quadrant under stress which probably explains why, if I ever contemplated a career change, psychology would be one of my strong preferences.
Ailsa Maybury, HBDI Processing Support/Customer Service
HBDI Profile: 2111
Originally I trained as an Infants Teacher and then later completed a BA in English Literature and Linguistics. My hobbies are reading, doing cryptic crosswords, exploring the dictionary, travel and most importantly, family activities. My profile is the most common for women, a 2111, with my strongest preferences being in the green and red quadrants. Not surprising is it!
At Herrmann I administer the HBDI processing which requires frequent contact with our clients and I believe my strong red quadrant helps me with client relationships. My green quadrant is really valuable for the administration tasks, so that I can produce workshop materials for our Practitioners in a timely, accurate way. When all the little difficulties of the process have been overcome and the box of goodies has gone out the door, this gives me a sense of closure and great job satisfaction.
I am also often called on to proof read manuals, white papers, new documents etc that are produced in-house and my attention to detail and facility with language stand me in good stead for this, so once again I have a strong green quadrant to thank. My skills in this area are appreciated by my Herrmann colleagues, which warms my sensitive red quadrant.
Every day, at work or elsewhere, the knowledge I have gained from the HBDI has given me valuable insights into people and events in the world around me.
Jackie Lindsay, HBDI Processing Support/Customer Service/Desktop Publishing
HBDI Profile: 3211
I am a single mum with 2 fantastic kids – Tegan and Kayl. I love my kids, playing hockey, hockey and more hockey, watching my kids play hockey, reading, swimming, fishing and travelling. I absolutely hate the cold and wish I could hibernate all winter – give me heat any day!
My highest thinking preference is Red – in fact I'm 132 in the red – the highest in our team. This can be a wonderful thing when working with clients but it can also get me into a lot of trouble – I’m just too emotional.
I really enjoy working with my colleagues as we complement each other so well – we are a great team and really enjoy the satisfaction we receive from assisting our clients and delivering great customer service.
Jenny Welsh, Desktop Publishing
HBDI Profile: 1221
When I was a teenager, my parents were always asking why I had to be a rebel, couldn’t I just follow the rules. I still believe that rules are there as guidelines and should always be bent or stretched as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. My preference in the Yellow D Quadrant certainly explains this attitude.
At school my favourite subject was home economics. I still enjoy cooking but not just your meat and 3 veg or something you throw together after work. I’d much prefer to spend a whole day preparing something different and special for family and friends. I also enjoy photography and painting—landscapes in particular. I find this a wonderful outlet for my creative side.
I never go shopping by lists or check the pantry first, unless I am preparing for a special event. Then I’ll engage my green quadrant and prepare a list and cross the items off as I put them into my shopping basket. I suppose the same thing flows over into my work life. Unless push comes to shove and there are really tight deadlines and/or a lot of different jobs, I don’t have a schedule, I just prioritise as I go and am very flexible in the work flow.
Karin Batty, Office Manager
HBDI Profile: 2122
My working background has always been involved in various degrees of administration; be it as a PA to CEO’s in the corporate world, in tourism and travel, hospitality, or medical research. So I guess that explains my preference in the green! Before joining Herrmann I had never been subjected to Whole Brain Thinking preferences and now realise that it’s not easy being green in this predominantly yellow Herrmann world!
At Herrmann my role is to ensure the smooth running of the day-to-day life in the office plus production of all our printed material, assembly of our games, HBDI Profile Kits stock orders and management and despatch our many products. The Herrmann Certification workshops are also my responsibility, from registering participants, pre-work material, workshops manuals and reports, to supervising the catering and running of the workshops, to finally ensuring participants complete their assignment and become certified Herrmann Practitioners. I very much enjoy my work here as there is a great deal of satisfaction when all procedures are followed and there is a final successful outcome and closure.
It’s interesting working at Herrmann, I have learnt a lot and I find when meeting people for the first time I look for ‘clues’ to determine their preference thinking.
Shelly Harpur - Communications Manager
HBDI Profile: 3111
After joining Herrmann and completing my HBDI a lot of things about my work life and personal life suddenly made perfect sense. I could see how the subjects I liked at school and University (I have a BA in Communications and a Diploma in Counselling) the jobs I’ve had (PR Consultant, Project Manager, Case Manager), my hobbies and interests (reading, travelling, music, photography) and the relationships I have in my life, are all connected to my thinking preferences.
As Communications Manager for Herrmann International Asia I get to utilise my preferred thinking preferences every day. With my highest preference in the red quadrant, followed by the green and then the yellow quadrant, the things I enjoy most in my current role are communicating (Herrmann’s Headlines, client success stories, Herrmann news), getting things done (driving events and projects), coming up with new ideas and working alongside a fantastic team that is committed to our client’s success.
Melbourne Team
Irwin Tobias, General Manager Vic/SA/WA/Tas
HBDI Profile: 2111
Have you have ever been given a pair of socks with your name on it or do you know a child that feverishly collects the toy craze known as Beanie Kids? If the answer is yes then I am the person that you can blame as I had my own business in the Gift and Toy industry for many years. I believe that my 2111 profile played a big part in my becoming the owner of a small business and it has stood me in good stead in my role of General Manager for Vic/SA/WA/Tas at Herrmann.
I see myself foremost as passionate and interpersonal, so plenty of red which led to me making the big career transition to facilitating and training. I love the diversity my role gives me and find myself flying around all 4 quadrants on a daily basis. I can often be in my highest preference of yellow working with external and internal clients on how best to identify the opportunities that are available thanks to Whole Brain® Thinking. Then using my red to build the trust and the green to make sure it happens. The blue is my lowest preference but I am more than capable of making sure we are all focusing on our goals.
Andrew Stagg - Manager Learning & Development
HBDI Profile: 2211
I left school as early as I could because I didn’t think I was terribly …well…mmmm….bright. Not great with math’s, technology or geography and little or no options in the creative space. It’s peculiar that our western society places ‘smartness’ with numbers, logic and order. It wasn’t until I was exposed to Whole Brain® Thinking that I realised that equally important is intelligence around intuition and people, innovation and possibilities.
My profile indicates a double dominance. A 2211 preference code with my highest preference score of 138 in yellow quadrant D and a score of 90 in red quadrant C. My role within HIA is Manager, Learning and Development and as such it allows me to engage with likeminded people, facilitate in a variety of locations, explore learning possibilities with a wide range of industries and push the boundaries of conventional training.
I have hobbies that satisfy all my stronger preferences. My love of travel comes from my yellow preference. My family and social life and love of gardening comes from my red preference and interestingly, a very ‘green’ focus in terms of my fitness regime which is a very planned, organised and monitored training schedule.
My philosophy in dealing with customers….Build a long term relationship with our clients and provide services and products that will determine their success.
Gabby Hlawaty - HBDI Adminstration/Customer Support
HBDI Profile: 2212
My most preferred quadrant is the C quadrant and this is why I love my role at Herrmann. A large part of my role is the client contact which I absolutely love. And in my previous work roles, customer contact was always the aspect that I enjoyed the most.
The C quadrant also plays out in my personal life. For example I have joined a gym and I am sure I have joined more for the social aspect than the actual health benefits! And my love for all creatures great and small ends up with me often bringing stray dogs home, much to the disgust of my two pampered pooches.
My HBDI Profile also made a lot of sense to me in regards to the A quadrant as I have always struggled with anything involved with mathematics or finance. And in the D quadrant, where outside work nothing is planned and everything happens at the last minute.
