About PB Performance and Development

PB Performance and Development was established by Jo Saies in 2009 as an Adelaide-based consultancy serving South Australia and beyond.

The PB story

I established PB Performance and Development on a simple but deeply held belief: that everyone has the potential to grow, and that when people thrive, organisations and communities do too.

This belief was shaped by a life lived at the edge of what’s possible. Growing up with a severe vision impairment in a world that often underestimates what people with disability can achieve, I learned early that potential is rarely the limiting factor, expectation is. That understanding deepened when I found myself representing Australia as a downhill ski racer, navigating courses at speed with limited vision, discovering that I was capable of far more than I, or anyone else, had imagined.

Elite sport, organisational performance and being your personal best

Elite sport taught me a lot about high performance. And it also taught me that chasing performance at the expense of health and wellbeing is ultimately unsustainable. In sport, the cost of that imbalance has ended careers. In organisations, it erodes the people and cultures that everything else depends on.

The name itself is borrowed from sport. A PB is a Personal Best. In ski racing a PB was about finding ways to improve, even by milliseconds. That philosophy continues to guide my work today, helping individuals, teams and organisations build on their strengths, and find ways to achieve meaningful, sustainable growth even in challenging circumstances.

About Jo Saies

Jo brings over 30 years’ experience as a leader, coach and HR Consultant facilitating the learning, growth and development of people at work. Prior to establishing PB Performance and Development Jo worked in a range of Management, HR, OD and L&D roles across state and commonwealth public sector agencies. She has also held senior roles in Not-for-profit and Disability Services, Philanthropy and Elite Sport. Jo is a Non-Executive Director for Guide Dogs SA/NT and the Optometry Board of Australia.

Jo describes herself as a Change Warrior – her super-power is helping people navigate change – initiate, embrace, manage, lead and thrive through change.

Credentials

First Class Honours degree in Psychology
Post-graduate qualifications in Human Resource Management
Fellow Certified Practitioner Human Resources (FCPHR) with the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI)
Professional Credentialed Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Expertise

Jo’s work is informed by her academic qualifications, broad work experience and ongoing commitment to her own professional development. Her work is grounded in

The science of human behaviour and human performance
what motivates us, what drives our performance, and what are the conditions that enable individuals and organisations to thrive.

Strategic human Resource Management
the science of organisational psychology and human behaviour in the workplace, and the conditions that drive employee performance and well-being, and shape healthy cultures.

Lived experience
Jo says her vision impairment and a spirit of curiosity and adventure have shaped her life and her work. She understands resilience, is intensely focused on strengths and solutions, and has a fierce drive to leave the world a better place.

Why PB Performance and Development?

Our programs are developed for you and with you.

Every engagement is co-designed in partnership with the client organisation to ensure relevance, credibility, value and meaningful impact.

As a boutique provider, clients value our unique combination of:

Services grounded in contemporary evidence and extensive practical experience
Strong industry credibility within the coaching and HR community
Specialist positive psychology expertise underpinning all our services
Flexible and personalised service delivery – we’re easy to work with –
Professionalism, warmth and authenticity
Extensive leadership and organisational experience
Strong ethical foundations and genuine partnership approach.

Trusted across sectors

We typically partner with organisations across: Government, Community Services, Aged Care, Disability, Health, Education, Legal, and Professional Services.