My background  

I began my career in accountancy, but curiosity about what makes a successful business took over. I qualified as a Chartered Secretary (now the Governance Institute) having completed an HND in business studies and over the course of 11 years at the National and Provincial Building Society progressed from the audit department to a director role. Along the way I learnt the most important lesson of my life: that unless every person in a business is engaged and understands what the business wants to achieve, it won’t happen.

I worked across change programmes as a consultant for various significant organisations and then held HR Director and Change Leadership roles in large corporates before becoming CEO of the Cheshire Building Society (CBS). At CBS we were able to develop a style and approach to financial services fully in line with our mutual status.

Alongside my executive career in international and UK roles across several different businesses, I have also held Chairman and NED roles both inside the financial sector and in other businesses of various sizes. I now focus on providing consultancy services and fulfilling NED positions in Board Member roles.

My lifelong learning can be simply summarised as follows; for a business to be successful, which in my terms means to optimise its performance, it is firstly important that the commercial purpose and the strategy are clear and relevant. To enable the full potential to be achieved and performance realised – leadership, teamwork with support and alignment of all people is the key!

What I enjoy most about my work 

I love the intellectual challenge of understanding a business, what it’s trying to achieve, its opportunities and challenges. You have to understand this before change can happen.

Working alongside others, making plans to get the right outcomes and deliver them through people is enormously fulfilling. It's hard to beat being part of a great team and achieving things together.   

Some of the companies I have worked with  

Travel Counsellors, Cheshire Building Society, Care UK, Kelloggs, Sainsburys

My hope for the future 

My hope is that businesses will recognise that what they do impacts the world we all live in, either for better or worse. I want to see positive responsibility become mainstream.

Disturbances like climate change, wars and unpredictable leadership are causing people across the world to value stability and resources more than ever. I hope this mindset causes the majority to join up the dots, realise action is needed and encourage the long-term changes necessary to deliver that future.

What I love about AG Comms 

My first meeting with CEO Lynne was many years ago but I left inspired and motivated by her pioneering vision. Over a decade later we’re coming together in the next exciting chapter of AG Comms.

All the original goals have been realised and that’s proof that doing “good” business leads to positive outcomes in every way.

To be given the opportunity to help support the next phase of the business as Chair of the new board is such a privilege.

How does working for AG Comms support you? 

At this stage in my career, being part of a high-quality consultancy that operates with such integrity is highly motivating to me. Working together with Executives and NEDs as we create the new board is a great opportunity.

I hope to bring insight and understanding as we work together to guide the business through its next, even stronger stage of evolution. I’m so proud to be part of everything AG Comms represents.