About us
Our story & people
Our story
Every Magneto trainer has decades of real-world experience as a copywriter, journalist or both.
We’ve written speeches, ads for TV, radio and print, direct-marketing campaigns, white papers, tenders and, well, pretty much anything you can pay someone to write.
We distilled all this experience into our tasty, secret sauce, The Magneto Method: a set of principles and techniques for applying copywriting psychology at work. Whether you’re speaking or writing, the Magneto Method can dramatically improve your results.
We’re proud to have trained over 16,000 enterprise employees in the Magneto Method since 2005.
That’s 16,000+ people writing more clearly, concisely and persuasively.
And getting more done. (Research shows communication skills boost productivity.)
Most of our clients are large enterprises in diverse industries.
You have software to improve my writing? Yes!
As we grew, we needed a way to help people when we weren’t there. So in late 2014, we launched Credosity. Think of it as your 24/7 writing coach – there to give you fast, secure and free feedback on your business writing. It’s a real-time editor useful in its own right. But it’s also brilliant for keeping our learning alive and measuring behavioural change.
Why the name ‘Magneto’?
It has nothing to do with Marvel’s levitating super villain. But everything to do with flying.
The father of one of our founders, Paul, was a pilot. In some aircraft engines, a magneto is a crucial component that reliably generates a high-voltage current.
That’s our goal for you: To generate a high-energy spark in your mind, helping you see the world differently and rise above the rest with excellent communication skills.
So that’s our story. Want to make us part of yours?
Our vision
Our mission
Our Team
Paul Jones
Co-founder | Trainer | Speaker
For 18 years, Paul’s principles and frameworks have helped blue-chip CXO teams through to graduates change how they write, think and lead at work. He’s a highly engaging keynote speaker (see his speaker page) and corporate communications expert who’s passionate about the intersection of psychology, behavioural change and communication. A copywriter by trade, Paul co-founded Magneto Communications (www.magneto.net.au) in 2005 with Petrina. Magneto has grown to be a leading enterprise offering for communication skills in Australia. Paul inhales books at every chance, loves fitness hacks and is a closet Rocky Horror fan.
Jon Maxim
Communications Evangelist | Trainer
Jon is an award-winning copywriter and highly experienced facilitator. For 30 years, he’s helped thousands of clients in the UK and Asia Pacific—from huge global corporates to tiny boutique brands—develop compelling messages. As well as running workshops with Magneto, Jon runs advanced copywriting and marketing courses for the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA), New Zealand Marketing Association, Australia Post, and more. His teaching style is fun, yet informative. Engaging, yet practical. A walking Wikipedia of comms knowledge, Jon is a master at sharing insider tricks to getting your message heard.
Petrina Buckley
Co-Founder, Managing Director
Petrina has over 20 years experience in business development, project management, product development and marketing in creative and commercial industries. Her expertise is in helping subject-matter experts transform their thinking into rich learning opportunities – the type that add deep value in an organisation. Petrina co-founded Magneto Communications in 2005 with Paul (above). In 2014 she led the development of Credosity, driven by a deep belief in just-in-time learning. Fave things? Ocean swims, exquisite stationery, quirky comedy and dark, dark chocolate.
Heather Woods
Training Events & Experience
Heather’s a digital connoisseur with over a decade in digital-media publishing, client service and business development for yahoo!, Ingram and Epson. She keeps things humming for us and our clients. If there’s a simpler, better way to do something, she’ll find it. (We call her ‘Heath-aaah’.) Client success is her mission; she won’t rest until everyone is beaming. She’s mum to two small tornadoes (lucky she’s uber-organised), is a copywriter who contributes to several blogs, and lives blissfully in NZ. Obsessions: lux travelling, lush food and live music (rock ‘n’ roll, baby!).
Nick Hodge
Technical Lead - Credosity
Nick’s a rare koala: A software industry professional (20 years) with practical sales-management experience. He’s a recognised and respected member of the developer community in Australia. Nick’s depth and breadth of skill across both technical and business means he understands how to blend systems architecture with an exceptional user experience. He loves to build, and it shows. He previously held the coveted title of Professional Geek at Microsoft. Also: Adobe Systems, Apple.
Virginia Edwards
Marketing, Design & Comms
Virginia (‘VV’) is a consummate all-rounder across marketing, technical, design and client delight. She has a broad background in publishing, education and product development. A self-confessed tech geek, she’s famous in these parts for brilliant design thinking. And a mum to three cool munchkins! Her talent? Making the extraordinary happen online and in real life for the Magneto crowd. Thanks to a shared passion for quality, learning, humour and good, strong coffee, we’re having a grand time helping you #writeyourfuture
Our big WHY: Raising the global literacy rate
When you engage us, you become part of our ongoing work to advance global literacy, starting in our own backyard with the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF).
Only 1 in 5 Australian children in remote Indigenous communities can read at the national standard. Being able to read and write is a basic human right. It solves many of our greatest social challenges.
You book training: we sponsor a mentor
For every enterprise team that completes our training, we sponsor one Indigenous high-school student to mentor a group of young children. It helps little ones fall in love with the magic of words and reading. And imagine what it does to boost the teenage mentors’ self-esteem and sense of purpose!
You can see the progress we’re making with our ALNF ‘Wall of Hands’ here.
