According to McKinsey & Company, only 1 in 5 companies believe they have a high-quality strategy. More strikingly, the performance gap between those with and without one has more than doubled over the past 20 years. If you're among the 80% who feel your strategy could be stronger, you're not alone, but you're also leaving serious money on the table. There's a steep curve between the [...]

Weighing the Pros and Cons for Strategic Business Expansion When it comes to scaling a business, one of the most pivotal decisions leaders face is whether to acquire another business or to continue growing organically. It’s a classic conundrum: both routes have their distinct advantages and challenges. Many businesses will be considering their preferred direction right now - given this quarter being traditionally busy for M&A. [...]

Funding for Entrepreneurs As my children are now at the latter stages of their education, and both are focussed on business, it interests me to compare their outlook with my own at a similar age. And they're poles apart! One of the most striking contrasts is the much greater emphasis on entrepreneurship. Perhaps born out of societal changes, a more connected world and certainly born out [...]

AI is increasingly forming part of our daily lives. What was once a buzz word – especially used in pitches to potential investors or forming vague suggestions in the boardroom – is now more than an abstract concept – for want of a better word it truly is “a thing”. It is estimated that over 40% of businesses worldwide are actively using AI in their operations, [...]

Leadership changes at Amazon, Citi, and countless other businesses are reshaping entire organisations. But why do some transitions re-energise companies whilst others create chaos? Having guided leadership transitions in my career, I've witnessed what separates the successful newcomers from those who stumble. It's rarely about their strategy. It's about forming relationships of trust and intelligently navigating those critical early months. The Make or Break First 100 [...]

Are You Making Financial Decisions in the Dark? If your business is growing steadily with healthy cash flow but you're still feeling uncertain about your strategic financial direction, you're not alone. Many businesses with competent accounting teams and positive growth metrics are missing opportunities - such as improving their supplier cost base, optimising their capital structure or allocating their financial resources to the most important growth [...]

As September arrives and many businesses across the UK begin their 2026 planning cycles, I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a client last year. Their finance director had just presented what appeared to be a comprehensive budget—detailed spreadsheets, monthly forecasts, departmental breakdowns. Yet the CEO looked across the boardroom table and asked, "But what does this actually tell us about where we're heading?" That [...]

This month I thought I would provide some thoughts on pricing – an area which often gets overlooked and yet presents an opportunity to create value in every business. The price is right – or is it? Getting your price right is critical to your success. On the optimistic side it means profits to reinvest in the future of your business, like marketing campaigns to win [...]

It’s as much about the journey as the destination Here we are - August holiday season. A time to refresh, spend quality time with loved ones and take a few well-earned resting moments. And reflect. For my part, I was reflecting recently on my own career journey - while doing an airport run to London Stansted. This was a full circle moment for me - it’s [...]

When Football Meets Business Strategy: A Personal Reflection As I sit here drinking my coffee, contemplating Tranmere Rovers' current position in League 2, a story of transformation and strategic revival comes to mind. It's a tale that perfectly illustrates how organisations can navigate challenging times through strategic planning with a sharp focus on the milestones along the way. In 1983, Tranmere Rovers faced similar challenges to [...]