Our Story
Why Passe-Partout?
Think of us as your personal valet to success.
It all began on 2nd October 1872 at 28 minutes past eight, a wager to circumnavigate the world in 80 days.
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is more than a book, it embodies our philosophy to help you navigate challenges and achieve goals beyond your wildest dreams.
Jean Passepartout, the personal valet to Phileas Fogg enabled him to reach new heights and celebrate success along the way.
This is what we do and the identity we embrace.
Founders
Passe-Partout was born out of a realisation that there was a need for an organisational development service which did things differently – more flexible, informal and personal than the “corporate male” approach which is seen so often in the industry, thus Passe-Partout was created!
Alex explains how Passe-Partout was born in her own words
Ethos
At Passe-Partout we believe that everyone can grow and succeed if they have a good understanding of their own potential and motivation. Our focus is to work with individuals on mindset and create the right learning conditions for them to thrive in the long term, by:
- Enabling transformation - we help change lives
- Unlocking intuitiveness - we trust your instincts
- Elevating possibility - we love seeing you succeed
We help leaders of all levels make the world, and their work environments, a better place.
Timeline
Alex Taskin launched Passe-Partout from her kitchen table in Cuxton, Kent
Business is brisk, so Alex brings in Sam Oliver and Darren O’Conor to add event management and learning design to the Passe-Partout mix
A big year as Anne Bristow joins the business, P&O Ferries becomes our first leadership development client, and we move into Admirals Office in Chatham Historic Dockyard. Our first network of associates is also established, to the strains of the theme from the Magnificent Seven
The launch of our ground-breaking Internal Review programme, enabling businesses to train up internal teams for Investors in People assessments. Early clients include BUPA and Fujitsu
Passe-Partout tops the national league table for Investors in People assessments, with over 500 small businesses supported by our indefatigable team
Annette Stephens comes aboard – the fifth of our core team who have all been with us for more than 15 years
Among new clients this year is HM Prison Service – the start of a five year contract that will see over 2000 prison officers trained in management and decision-making skills. Passe-Partout becomes an approved centre with the Chartered Management Institute
We are appointed the nationally approved centre for Investors in People Practitioner development, as new Standard is rolled out. And in an odd twist we are also asked to support the New Zealand government’s drive to attract UK workers. Among the top three most sought-after groups is HGV and LGV drivers – sounds familiar…
Working with West Kent Housing, Passe-Partout establishes the Kent Community Mentoring Programme – still the only local cross-sector mentoring scheme on offer
The launch of Personal Best – our innovative neuroscience-based development programme for staff. Ever since, Passe-Partout team members in oxytocin t-shirts have been a feature at HR and Learning Expos up and down the land
Passe-Partout is selected to provide line management development for NHS England, training some 2,500 managers over the next two years
The start of our partnership with The Wellbeing Collective
March 25th, Alex and Darren draw up contingency plans for pandemic survival. April 3rd we are asked by the National Wellbeing Taskforce to lead the support programme for NHS leaders and managers. November 28th, the Compassionate Leadership through Crisis programme wins Personnel Today’s Learning and Development Award
The launch of our Promote interactive learning platform and our best commercial year ever (and it’s still October)