CATALYST.
STRATEGIST.
COACH.
There’s a multitude of ways I can help you get to where you want to be.
The roles I play
Over the last 25 years, I’ve worked with organisations on strategy, innovation, culture from start-ups to blue chips, while building and leading successful businesses and client accounts within PwC. I’ve taken risks and overcome challenges in my professional and personal life — including the care of a disabled child — in pursuit of growth and opportunity. There’s not much I haven’t seen and I’ve learned to help my clients by being a catalyst, strategist and coach.
Catalyst
I’ll use stimuli to ignite your curiosity, tap into your energies and find flashes of inspiration. We’ll explore new avenues, understand the conditions required and challenge any of your limiting assumptions — all based on making a leap forward in your performance and positioning.
Strategist
Together we will frame your choices about where you should play, and how you should get there. We’ll talk about how you ensure coherence of intent with resources. And we will develop a plan, including experiments and initiatives, to test your choices and move closer to your ambition.
Coach
I’ll bring the best of my imagination, intellect and intuition to help you find the motivation, strength and confidence to turn your plan into action. We’ll discuss how to overcome inertia and sustain momentum.
Why should we work together?
My focus is on helping you achieve extraordinary outcomes. For your organisation this could be stronger financial performance, reputation and resilience. For you, this could be faster career progression, greater personal fulfilment, more money, better health and stronger relationships at work, and at home.
I’m a catalyst, strategist and coach. Stimuli, choices, motivation.
A CEO once said that I understand the soul of an organisation. I’m fascinated by what makes people tick. How they think, feel, behave — and how I can inspire extraordinary performance for themselves, the business they lead and the people that matter to them.
I bring the toolkits, and experiences, of a strategy consultant, transformational leader, executive coach and futurist. I also work with colleagues with complementary expertise when needed — in personal styling, communication, design, management consultancy, law and finance.
Expect imagination, intuition, intellect, commercial acumen, political savviness and positive energy. A can-do attitude.
As one mentor said to me, if you’re feeling comfortable throughout a journey, you’re not trying hard enough. So I will challenge you, calling out home truths and blind spots. I will switch gears and styles; directive and bold one moment, reflective and facilitative the next. I’m always attentive, listening carefully to what you’re saying (and not saying) and I’m thinking hard, often from different (and lateral) perspectives: macro to micro, external to internal, radical to incremental, strategic to tactical.
I’ve worked with 40 CEOs, hundreds of senior executives, entrepreneurs and professionals, leading more than 500 client engagements.
My track record
I strive to be extraordinary too.
I’ve worked with 40 CEOs, hundreds of senior executives, entrepreneurs and professionals, leading more than 500 client engagements. I was a senior partner in Strategy& at PwC before starting this portfolio — I made partner at the age of 32 after 10 years so I know what it takes to progress — grit, determination, humility. I obtained a first class degree in economics, a distinction both in my MSc and in the Meyler Campbell Mastered Executive Programme.
I have worked with some amazing organisations — the BBC, Royal Mail, Standard & Poors, Informa, Vodafone, NBC Universal, the National Health Service, Virgin Media, Technicolor, Sage and IHG. I’m particularly proud of:
- Developing and implementing innovative strategies for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Virgin Media that have been central to their success.
- Securing £1bn in state aid to support the restructuring of Royal Mail prior to privatisation.
- Securing lower bills for water customers at the end of an 18 month review, after reviewing £65bn worth of company investments.
- Designing 10 ground-breaking policies for governments and regulators that have had a positive impact on the lives of citizens and consumers.
- Leading businesses and client accounts in PwC, transforming their scale, profitability, distinctiveness and diversity.
I’m proud of the many talented women and men I’ve helped to become even more extraordinary in the context of:
- New leadership roles in the board, exco and/or partnership.
- Making critical career, and often life, decisions.
- Major organisational moments — the launch of a new venture, leading a high-profile programme, responding to a crisis.
You can read some of their testimonials.
I share my perspectives extensively — looking to influence others, debate and improve myself. I’m a contributor to Harvard Business Review and a contributing editor to Strategy+Business. My work has also been published by Forbes, Financial Times and The Guardian. I launched and led PwC’s work on foresight and megatrends, and was one of PwC’s top-rated speakers globally.
I’m a guest lecturer at the London Business School on strategy and leadership and a board advisor to LeaderEQ, an AI platform that matches executives with coaches.
Download my bio
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