I've always been attracted to business, I worked my vacations and started work as soon as I left school, choosing not to go to university.

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My first experience of leadership was when I was made a manager at 19 and then shouted at for completely failing to deliver on anything. I literally did not know what I was doing when it came to having people report to me and my boss had a command-and-control style which I could not emulate. I got better!

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Moving into corporate finance and stockbroking later exposed me to different styles of leadership, most of it weak, ego led and ineffectual. I was coming home drunk, depressed or in tears or an unattractive combination of all three and I literally did not know what to do. I thought stockbroking would be my dream job offering money, prestige and safety – and none of those things were true. Knowing what I know now I can see the damage done when leaders don't spend any time reflecting and learning - this forms much of the foundation for why I do what I do – I don’t want any member of staff to feel the way I did.

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I hired a coach to get me out (quite hard to leave the money!). I will never forget the experience of being fundamentally listened to, without agenda and being taken seriously. My subsequent coach training has been intensive and rigorous; this early blueprint is a powerful inspiration in so much of my work (thank you Rachel Pryor)

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I’ve experience over 28 years of designing and delivery government projects to culture transformations in how people meet in global business and working with 100’s of incredible leaders 1:1. I was one of the first coaches in the UK and one of only 10 Master Certified Coaches in Europe. I have chaired the national ICF conference, written columns for Coaching At Work, been a thought provoker in the industry of coaching and am committed to leadership being a genuine force for good.