The opportunity to coach and mentor full-time arose in October 2021. This enabled me to focus fully on supporting and guiding leaders through skills acquired and refined during the previous fifteen years of my career.

I had worked with colleagues and my employer’s clients and suppliers around the globe, running operations, leading projects, developing products and solutions, and growing the business.

Those skills include active listening, careful questioning, perspective-taking, empathy, strategic thinking, planning, negotiation, and relationship development. Leveraging these now, I help business leaders to change and grow both personally and professionally.

I graduated in February 2023 with an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. With this I felt I had the starting credentials needed to launch my business, though I remain committed to adding further credentials through continuing professional development.

Since launching the business early in 2023, I have worked with clients at every level in small, medium, and large businesses, and in a wide range of sectors. The skills involved to successfully coach are not limited by direct sector or function experience, enabling me to work in new sectors, such as healthcare and hospitality, as well as others familiar to me.

My entire career extends further, over forty years, during which time I have travelled extensively, led international programmes, and guided businesses to improve customer engagement.

Customer Experience Management

I worked in Customer Experience Management outsourcing for over twenty-five years until 2021. This is a demanding and varied environment where Monday might be spent with a global consumer electronics company working to improve processes, Tuesday helping a leading fashion brand manage customer service social media. Wednesday is a disruptive fintech looking to create differentiating customer experiences and Thursday helps a global banking giant to comply with complex regulations. Then, on Friday, I might facilitate a forum discussion including these, as they pursue solutions to business challenges.

I was tasked with defining, developing, and executing products and solutions that improve the customer experience and customer service operations performance. These helped our Sales, Account Management and Operations teams satisfy client needs, while maintaining and elevating our trusted advisor status.

Logistics

In the earlier part of my career, I led teams moving goods internationally. Through this, I created global distribution frameworks, tackled complex reverse logistics projects, and set up new fulfilment centres in several countries.

And I reduced distribution costs and transit times dramatically, helping clients to get their products to customers effectively and quickly.

Cultures, Challenges, and Solutions

Over the last thirty-five years, my roles took me to many countries and several continents. I worked in very varied cultures that necessitated an adaptable and agile approach to people, local customs, established practices, and professional aspirations. I’ve worked with global corporations in North America, Europe, and China, as well as start-ups and small companies in Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, and the UK.

My career progressed through operations development, product marketing, corporate strategy, and enterprise marketing. Each have their own key metrics but all contributed to the success of the business.

Today

Being naturally curious, as I am, helps and I ask a lot of questions. I also listen, carefully and thoroughly, and I love helping others grow.

Clients invest with me to address challenges that constrain them, and to achieve clarity in pursuit of their BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Their investment is repaid many times over through my commitment to thoroughness and accountability that drives them towards their best outcome. There are no half measures.

Each coaching and mentoring assignment is customised, unlocking personal, professional, and business potential. Clients achieve high-quality outcomes. Relationships and team performances improve. Goals are clearer. Work is fun, engaging and rewarding.

By cutting through the busyness, noise, and pollution, clients soar to clear blue skies above. Then they begin to enjoy doing what really matters.

As a coach, I am privileged to join in as clients do this.