I’ve worn many uniforms in my life, some literal, others defined by responsibility.
I began my adult life as a commissioned officer in the British Army, trained at Sandhurst, and deployed to Afghanistan. It was there I learned what leadership truly demands - clarity of thought, steadiness under pressure, and the ability to hold the line when others are looking to you for answers. Those lessons have never left me.
When I left the military, I stepped into the world of business. First Aldi, then Sainsbury’s, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon. Over time, I rose through the ranks, led national teams, and entered the C-suite. I held roles as Chief Operating Officer and later as CEO. Along the way, I made difficult decisions, led major transformations, and understood what it means to be accountable for the livelihoods of thousands.
But it was only later, after stepping away from day-to-day operations, that I began to ask better questions. Not about shareholder returns, but about meaning. About purpose. About what it really takes to help good leaders become great ones - without burning out along the way.
That brought me to coaching and strategic advisory. Not the surface-level, performance-metric kind. But the kind of work that asks more from both sides; work that’s rooted in trust, challenge, and the courage to look beyond titles and metrics.
I now work under the banner of Clear Cut Leadership - my commitment to helping senior leaders find clarity and conviction in the moments that matter most. My work is tailored, discreet, and unafraid to go deep. I don’t take on many clients, but those I do work with tend to be navigating complexity: new ventures, organisational restructuring, or personal reinvention.
Although I’m based on the Isle of Man, my work is global. I coach and advise founders, C-suite executives, and non-executive boards across sectors. I’m here to support those who carry the weight of decision-making, and to help them do it with greater focus, energy, and integrity.
That’s how I got to here.
And if you’re now asking yourself where you go from here - perhaps it’s time we had a conversation.
→ Schedule a call with me to explore this further.
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