I am lucky to have had such a broad career in business leadership (more detail below) and to have learnt so much through practical experience, albeit often too late! I have experience of, not just expertise in*:
- Leading startup, small, and scaled up OPERATIONAL BUSINESSES
- Leading a LISTED company, a FAMILY business, a corporate subsidiary and as an OWNER MANAGER
- Setting up and chairing companies and trusts, especially EMPLOYEE OWNED commercial businesses
- Leading leadership peer groups for over 300 operational business leaders (also known as peer networks / peer mentoring groups / MASTERMIND groups or ACTION LEARNING sets)
* There are many that claim expertise in scaling businesses. Many do have the same expertise. Many more don’t – check them out! They know the theory but they’ve never been there and suffered the pain and pleasure of being the person with whom the buck stops to ensure the suppliers deliver, staff are paid, customers are satisfied and bank and investors are happy (ish).
I help clients succeed through MD2MD and also as a speaker, a stage interviewer and through customised client specific services as a coach, mentor, board or senior management meeting facilitator, consultant, director, trustee or chair.
All of my work is underpinned by two key commitments:
- Guarantee of satisfaction. If a client is not happy that a meeting delivered value and lets me know within a week, the fee will be credited or a replacement session offered.
- Reassurance in a crisis. I always endeavour to provide retained clients with the additional support of ‘being there when needed’. If a client is facing a difficult situation, I will endeavour to be available to support. Obviously I may not always be available immediately but I will always do what I can to respond quickly to an urgent request. And the clock doesn’t start running immediately either – there is no additional fee for the occasional brief (5-10 mins) call or message.
Or if you prefer, here is a brief summary of the four-part saga
After Uni I alternated between large and small businesses, including my own. Working in consultancy, project management and IT, I worked with a wide variety of functions and industries. I gained breadth. I learnt to be both streetwise and strategic. To drive immediate revenues and cash to survive and also to focus on long term strategic success.
Mid career I was CEO/MD of three medium sized businesses with up to £50M revenues, £10M profit and 450 staff. I led a corporate subsidiary, an AIM listed business and a family business. In all cases my focus was to address growth challenges. I managed mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and turnarounds. I ensured we got everything right for 500 customers every single day! I learnt to inspire 500 bright people to drive in the same direction for the same goals.
In 2004 I stopped rushing around for others and started rushing around for myself building MD2MD.
I’m now semi-retired! Or at least trying to be! I should know better by now but I represent in person the saying that if you want a job done, ask someone busy. At times I remind myself of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Except I’m rarely actually late. I’m one of those people that is often annoyingly early because I don’t like letting others down.
“I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!”