Once upon a time the Laughing Willow….

What is the laughing willow? It is a willow that draws its energy from the water's edge. Its roots are deeply implanted. Its trunk is strong and straight. Its branches and leaves let in light and air. It stands out with its imposing canopy while inviting us to come and recharge our batteries. It radiates energy and optimism. It inspires joy and serenity.
I like to use the metaphor of the willow to discover one's own strength and self-alignment.
I invite you to imagine that the roots are the stories that have shaped your life. The trunk of the willow tree illustrates your own centering and alignment. The branches and leaves are your radiance.

I am the laughing willow who will accompany you throughout your transformational journey.

The Laughing Willow has strong foundations and connectionI have created alliances with professionals with diverse experiences and rich learning backgrounds. Together, we are equipped and curious to support clients in all sectors.
I serve leaders at all levels of the organisation to develop their emotional and collective intelligence. Through my coaching, I also want you to become your own laughing willow!

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Anita Cassagne - founder of the le saule rieur agency

The experience I have acquired throughout my personal and professional career is multi-faceted. Immersed in both French and Australian cultures, this richness has shaped my way of understanding and working in diverse environments. After my studies in Australia and a career start in the advertising industry, I decided to travel to Europe and reconnect with my roots in France. Being bilingual in English and French opened the doors to international career opportunities.

The first 15 years of my professional life in France was spent in the pharmaceutical industry. Firstly, as Area Coordinator at Servier International, a French laboratory, then Office Manager at Orion Pharma, a Finnish laboratory, and ISOGroup, a Canadian strategy and organization consulting firm.

In 2002, I seized the opportunity of integrating the Human Resources Department at Nestlé Waters Group. I realized then my passion for people development! Over the next twenty years, I continued to develop my competencies, going from coordinating HR projects to heading Leadership and Inclusion for the Nestlé Group in France. I conceived the strategy and implemented programs for leadership development, talent management, team management and performance, inclusion and equity. I found a great deal of satisfaction in developing my own teams to a level of autonomy which enabled us to develop and implement programmes such as coaching, sponsoring, mentoring, co-development, emotional intelligence, feedback and change management enriching employee training plans. My diverse responsibilities during my time at Nestlé lead me to work on global projects and travel to the many subsidiaries of the group. I worked with and coached management committees on revealing their personal leadership style for the benefit of their teams and organisation.

In order to better support leaders in their journey I was certified as a professional coach in 2020 and in 2022, I decided to create my agency to focus on what motivates me the most and makes me happy. To accompany people in their desire to develop, to surpass themselves, to (re)discover their innate talent, to spread their wings and dare to become an authentic and inclusive leader. A leader who puts her/his knowledge, skills and passion to serve their team and their organisation. The name of my agency, The Laughing Willow, is a metaphor exemplifying my energy, benevolence, creativity, playfulness, pragmatism and strategic thinking. I continue to learn and develop and find inspiration in exploring different approaches and techniques such as narrative coaching practices, non-violent communication, Gestalt, NLP and Transactional Analysis.

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