Liam Whitfield

Background

About Liam Whitfield

I am a registered Organisational/Industrial Psychologist (/IOP), currently working at ABSA. I am very interested in the sub-fields of culture, leadership development, organisational design and structure and strategy. Who am I? I am a South African, that is passionate about this country and believes in the strength of diversity. I went to a school which I believe is a microcosm of South African society. It was a melting pot of race, culture and religion that provided me with an appreciation of the people of South Africa. This understanding was furthered after school, where I attended Stellenbosch University and stayed in an Afrikaans residence. Once again, I was exposed to cultures and languages unlike my own. I see and value the uniqueness in South Africa and its people, and even though I believe there is much work to be done, I am excited by the role IOPs can play in unlocking this potential. How do I work? I work with a Growth mindset. I consider one of my biggest strengths to be my ability to learn. I’m an optimistic person and this translates into how I approach tasks. I enjoy challenging assignments as it gives me the opportunity to grow. What are my goals and Career Aspirations? My short and medium-term goal is to learn as much as possible about human behaviour and business strategy. I believe focusing on these areas will allow me to gain competence as an IOP and successfully apply psychological principles to improve the lives of employees in organisations. My general career goal is to lead. I enjoy leadership roles and believe that I can take an employee-centred approach to leadership. Finally, my long-term career goal is to be in a strategic role. I enjoy strategy, change management and the process of long-term decision-making.