Colin Edwards
ABOUT
Background
Who I Am
I help people, teams and organisations think differently, build stronger cultures and make better decisions before small problems become big ones.
Throughout my career I’ve worked across commercial leadership, construction, business development, workforce capability and lived experience. While the industries have changed, the common thread has remained the same: helping people build confidence, recognise potential and see opportunities they may not have seen before.
My approach is practical, people-focused and built around asking better questions rather than simply giving more answers. (Some of the most rewarding moments for me are when someone stops and says, “I’ve never thought about it like that before.”)
I believe lasting change comes when people have the confidence to discover the answers for themselves.
What I’m Passionate About
(I’m passionate about helping people discover what they’re truly capable of.)
I’m passionate about helping people discover what they’re truly capable of, creating those moments where they think, “I’ve never thought about it like that before.”
(Throughout my career, I’ve particularly enjoyed working with people and teams who may be underperforming or doubting themselves, helping them recognise strengths and potential they may have overlooked.)
I’ve worked alongside individuals, teams, and organisations to build confidence, strengthen culture, and improve performance, and I’m especially dedicated to supporting those who may be underperforming or doubting themselves, helping them recognise the strengths they may have overlooked.
I’m curious about what makes people tick, why some people thrive while others struggle, and what can change when we look at a problem from a different perspective.
Above all, I believe in continuing to learn, staying curious and bringing different perspectives together to create better, more meaningful conversations.
My Philosophy
I don’t believe people always need more information, sometimes they need better questions.
Whether I’m working with leaders, frontline teams, businesses or community organisations, my goal is to help people pause, reflect and see what they may have been missing.
That thinking eventually led to Lighthouse Consultancy Group.
A lighthouse doesn’t steer the ship or drag it into harbour. It provides enough light for people to see what’s around them and make their own decisions about where they go next.
See more clearly. Ask better questions. Act earlier.
Discover Lighthouse Consultancy Group
What I’m Proudest Of
If I’m honest, the achievement I’m proudest of isn’t a professional one.
As a sole parent, supporting my daughter through university and watching her progress into the professional stage of veterinary science has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life.
It has reinforced something I’ve believed throughout my career: success isn’t just about personal achievement. There is enormous satisfaction in helping someone else recognise their potential and backing them to achieve it.
- Professional Highlights & Interests:
Project Lead and Co-Author – New Zealand’s first gambling-harm peer-support framework, developed through Changing Minds.
Lived Experience – Developing and delivering training that brings lived experience into conversations about, organisational awareness, staff awareness and culture.
Speaker & Contributor – Plenary speaker, trade show presentations, business sector contributions and published articles
Lived Experience Leadership – Co-Chair of an independent lived-experience collective, and facilitator of the Community of Practice through Changing Minds.
Commercial Leadership – Helped establish the quickest new office to reach profitability in the 112-year history of a merchant banking organisation, alongside extensive experience in sales, credit management, business development and developing underperforming team turnaround.
Sport & Personal Challenge – Former First Grade rugby player for Worcester and representative rugby player; qualified for the Race Across America after completing 640km in 27 hours; single-figure handicap golfer and pro-am participant; Marathon runner.)
- Qualifications:
University of Worcester – Business Studies / Sports Psychology
Workshop Completion – Gambling Assessment, Treatment, and Beyond
Operationalizing Safer Gambling: Culture, Accountability & Real-World Action
Cultural Capability Training (New Zealand) (Māori, Pacific, Asian cultural knowledge)
Attendance at National Association for Gambling Studies conference 2024 and 2025 (Awarded as scholarship by the Association)
Attendance at the NZ International Gambling Conference 2024 and 2026
Leader of the Lived Experience Community of Practice for Gambling Harm – facilitated by the National Association of Gambling Studies
Provided expert input into the Victorian Gambling Harm Lived Experience project (July 2026)
- Affiliations:
Gambling Harm Training Lead – Changing Minds
Member – National Association for Gambling Studies
Leader of the Lived Experience Community of Practice for Gambling Harm – facilitated by the National Association for Gambling Studies
Provided expert input into the Victorian Gambling Harm Lived Experience project
A Few Highlights Along the Way
My career has taken me through very different worlds, from banking, finance and business to leadership, lived experience and prevention. Here are a few things I’m particularly proud of.
Business & Commercial Leadership
More than 30 years working across banking and finance, credit management, sales, construction and business development. One particular highlight was helping establish the quickest new office to reach profitability in the 112-year history of a merchant banking organisation.
Developing People & Teams
Some of my most rewarding work has involved underperforming people and teams. I’ve always enjoyed looking beyond the numbers, building confidence and helping people recognise strengths and potential that may have been overlooked.
Lived Experience & Prevention
My own lived experience of gambling harm eventually led to an unexpected new chapter in my career. Through Changing Minds, I became Project Lead and am now a Co-Author of New Zealand’s first gambling-harm peer-support framework. I have also developed and delivered lived-experience training and continue to explore how lived experience can contribute further upstream through prevention and awareness.
Top 3 Personal Achievements:
Speaking & Writing
Invited plenary speaker at the National Association for Gambling Studies Conference in 2024, alongside other conference presentations, workshops, facilitation and published articles across business, lived experience, people, performance and prevention.
Sport & Personal Challenge
Former representative rugby player, single-figure handicap golfer and pro-am participant, Marathon runner, completed 640km on a bike in 27 hours as part of qualifying for the Race Across America.
Family
The one that matters most. As a sole parent, supporting my daughter through university and watching her progress into the professional stage of veterinary science remains the achievement I’m proudest of.