Hersham, England, United Kingdom
I used to be a CEO. Now I’m a leadership coach to CEOs and senior leaders as well as being a Chair / NED As a coach, I help clients become more effective and impactful in their roles, derive greater enjoyment from their jobs and live a richer life with reduced stress. Having been on the journey to senior leadership myself, I have a strong affinity with the challenges, fears and thrills of leadership and a passion for the personal growth that comes with the job. I also sit on boards as an experienced Chairman/NED with a passion for operations, brands, people and culture. I like to be actively engaged in the business beyond board meetings so that I can provide more insightful advice and support and am also an established ESG chair. My executive and non-executive experience encompasses start-ups, growth phase, large scale and multiple geographies teamed with a variety of stakeholder environments, from multi-national Corporate, to Private Equity and Founder-controlled businesses. A particular career highlight was building an amazing brand, organisation and culture at KFC France and Western Europe. We were young and fearless but pursued a common purpose, overcoming challenges and learning loads along the way. These days my greatest pleasure comes from helping other leaders fulfil their own potential (and learning from them in the process). Loyalty and friendships matter to me. I have made many lifelong friends in my career and still hang out with the same bunch I met in my first week at university in Bath in 1986. I speak fluent French (although some would say I have the accent of a Parisian taxi-driver) and cherish the time I spent there professionally and as a family man. French wine is the best - and I have a nice collection of around 500 bottles from my time there. I love French cuisine but it can be a bit fussy. The best food in Europe is to be found in Spain. Problem is that French wine does not go so well with Spanish food. Happy to debate this point with you, so please get in touch.
As a coach, I help clients become more effective and impactful in their roles, derive greater enjoyment from their jobs and live a richer life with reduced stress. Having been on the journey to senior leadership myself, I have a strong affinity with the challenges, fears and thrills of leadership and a passion for the personal growth that comes with the job. Developing leaders became a passion for me during my executive career and I now support and develop CEOs and senior leaders in various industries in a professional capacity today. My coaching approach is unashamedly grounded in my own practical experience of leadership, and a point of view on what makes effective leaders. I am avid student of the workings of the human mind in professional settings. Leadership is emotional labour and a healthy “inner game” is essential for consistent performance and enjoyment. Aside from conventional coaching techniques I have a particular interest, and extensive training in cognitive behavioural therapy; performance under pressure in sports; positive psychology; mindfulness and working with energy and the outdoors. In parallel to my coaching practice I am an active and engaged board member. keeps the coaching work “real” and relevant both for me and my clients, offering a perspective from “the other side of the boardroom table”. The need for coaching usually comes about from the need to address a specific situation (e.g. new role, significant promotion / increase in responsibilities; preparation for new responsibilities; derail risk). We may therefore typically explore the following areas: - What makes effective leadership - Setting up for success in role: skills; strategy; team; structure; processes - Management of emotions which may be causing unhelpful behaviours or missed opportunities - Personal brand and purpose - Surviving ... managing organisational politics and stakeholders I am also a coaching supervisor to individual coaches and organisations.
Hollywood Bowl Group plc is a leading international leisure operator of ten-pin bowling and mini-golf centres, bringing families and friends together for affordable fun and safe, healthy competition. Chair of Corporate Responsibility (ESG) Committee Member of Audit, Remuneration and Nomination committees
I am an experienced and engaged Chair/NED with a passion for operations, brands, people and culture. My executive and non-executive experience encompasses start-ups, growth phase, large scale and multiple geographies teamed with a variety of stakeholder environments, from multi-national Corporate, to Private Equity and Founder-controlled businesses. I like to be actively engaged in the business beyond board meetings so that I can provide more insightful advice, challenge and support to executives whilst also demonstrating the role of the board to the wider organisation. I have an extensive track record in growing and turning around multi-site consumer facing businesses in the UK and internationally as an executive principally with Yum Brands as MD/CEO France/Europe for KFC. As a non-executive I tend to support multi-site consumer facing businesses in any phase of development. I’ve seen and done a lot over the last 30 years but would best summarise my areas of passion and expertise as: • Developing senior leaders • Franchising and other ownership models • Developing high performing operating systems • Roll out and internationalisation • Brand strategy and innovation • Organisation design to support the above Recent NED experience: Hollywood Bowl Group Plc (NED, Current): With 64 centres, this is the largest ten pin bowling and family entertainment company in the UK. Thunderbird Fried Chicken: (Chair and NED, Current): Bringing chicken joy to Londoners since 2017. Simply put, the best tasting fried chicken and sauces as illustrated by numerous accolades and awards. Buffalo Grill (Chair, to 2019) Led the process of post-acquisition transition of the largest casual American-themed dining chain in France énergie Fitness (NED, to 2020): Franchised ”small box" full-service gym with a strong sense of community amongst its members and a people-first approach.
be Retail Social wants to rehumanize the evolution of Retail, by helping retailers grow their businesses by providing a customer-first approach that delivers more customer engagement and more spend, more often, and to make clothes shopping a more human, enjoyable and inclusive experience for the benefit of all.
All Together is a pro bono advisory service for CEOs and business owners. We offer up to five hours with a leading CEO who understands the challenges and opportunities of running a business. The client sets the goals, and we support you in delivering them