An organisation’s success depends on good leaders, but good leaders aren’t born. They’re made. In 20+ years as a people centric business leader, I’ve found the key to thriving lies in collaboration and learning.
As a Vistage Chair I’m compelled to ‘pay forward’ the benefits I experienced as a Vistage CEO Advisory Board member, accessing impartial and diverse perspectives, world class insight, accountability and support. Leadership can be lonely, but as 45,000 members in 36 countries will tell you, you get far more from work and life with a Vistage peer group by your side.
As a Board Advisor I also support SME business leaders in the areas of strategy planning and execution; value creation; leadership team composition and capability; succession planning; and talent attraction, recruitment and retention.
On a personal note, I have three grown up sons and recently welcomed my first grandchild into the family – another boy! I love the outdoors, particularly getting outside for a run, cycle, or swim, sometimes combining all three with the occasional triathlon. I’m an advocate for the value of looking after both body and mind in achieving overall wellness and happiness.
My achievements include:
- 20+ years board, MD / CEO experience in privately owned and FTSE listed organisations.
- Delivering ownership succession of private company to Employee Ownership – embedding purpose and values with employee owners and establishing new governance model.
- Shaping and executing company strategy, creating strong and vibrant cultures and teams.
- Business model transformation, doubling revenue to c.£5m and increasing EBITDA to 20%.
- Growing a specialist technology and digital practice to circa £1m revenue in three years.
- Championing diversity, equality and inclusion. Gaining Department of Business, Innovation and Skills recognition for UK board diversity impact.
- Hosting speaker events and roundtables on subjects such as ‘Women in the Chair’ and ‘Board Composition and Diversity’.
- Board accountability for FTSE 100 telecoms customer division (800+ colleagues and c.£250m revenue).
- Led high-growth SME telco to £53m exit, managed integration and supported £90m group exit within 2 years.
- Charity fundraising – completing two marathons (London and Venice); overseas long-distance cycle challenges in Cuba, China, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Vietnam and Cambodia; and the Anglesey Sandman triathlon a number of times.
