Our facilitators
Our company boasts a diverse team of skilled facilitators, each bringing expertise in areas such as leadership development, team dynamics, and strategic planning. Their engaging styles and tailored approaches ensure impactful learning experiences for every one of our members.
David Bottomley
David is an ICF PCC-certified coach with more than two decades of executive experience in IT, digital and technology leadership, as well as business change and organisational development. He has coached and mentored more than 100 senior leaders and provided strategic guidance as a practicing fractional CIO. He also coaches teams and is a charity trustee.
Kate Davis
With more than 25 years' experience in managing and leading teams, Kate has coached senior executives for six years. As the founder of Meraki People, an ICF-accredited coach, GiANT-certified consultant and recipient of the National Coach of the Year award in 2023, Kate specialises in organisational health for high-growth companies with £5m to £70m turnover.
Her expertise in team dynamics and stakeholder communication helps businesses navigate investment preparation, post-merger integration and scale-to-exit strategies, providing targeted CEO coaching, leadership assessment and succession planning for founders defining their next chapter.
Chris Dunn
Chris is a seasoned business developer with a proven track record in building multi-million-pound ventures in the UK and internationally.
An ILM 7-qualified executive coach and an EMCC senior practitioner, Chris has more than 20 years' experience mentoring and coaching individuals and teams in business environments, including supporting Cambridge University's Judge Business School and the UK government's Help to Grow programme.
Specialising in business transformation and growth, Chris helps CEOs and their teams lead with impact and perform to their full potential without succumbing to overwork and overwhelm.
Emma Ellse
Emma has more than years' experience working with SMEs and business leaders as a mentor, consultant, trainer and facilitator. She is currently delivering the Help to Grow programme and facilitating peer mentoring groups for the Association of Business Mentors and MyPD.
Brenda Etchells
Brenda is a business mentor and coach with 35 years' experience both in the corporate world and in running her own consultancy business.
She specialises in strategic planning and leadership development, helping entrepreneurs and CEOs overcome challenges and achieve growth with a tailored, mindset-focused approach.
Les Gill
Les is a seasoned businessman with leadership experience across multiple sectors. He is currently MD of a tech consultancy, chief operating officer and chair of a battery component company and co-founder of an IP valuation consultancy.
He has mentored businesses ranging from £250,000 to £15m in turnover and supported more than 50 SMEs through initiatives with the UK government’s Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.
Darren Goode
Darren is a global chief marketing and brand officer with a track record scaling startups to £100m+ and driving multi-billion-dollar growth for Fortune 100 brands. With deep experience across the US, Europe and Asia, he blends bold marketing strategies with performance-driven execution to transform brands, accelerate revenue and unlock market leadership.
As both an operator and advisor, Darren has helped venture-backed startups, PE portfolio companies and global enterprises build category-defining brands, optimise go-to-market strategies and maximise customer lifetime value. He partners with CEOs and executive teams to navigate high-growth scaling, brand repositioning and digital transformation, delivering measurable impact at every stage of growth.
Steve Hobbs
Steve sold his family business in the mid-1990s. Since then, he has worked as a facilitator and business troubleshooter.
He specialises in strategy, innovation, leadership behaviours and peer networking for a diverse range of clients from large corporations and government agencies to emerging start-ups.
Karl Howe
Karl is an experienced coach and mentor, helping businesses that turn over more than £3m achieve strategic goals and drive team development, with a proven track record guiding companies to fourfold growth.
Warren Jonas
Warren is a leadership coach and business mentor with more than 20 years' experience in corporate leadership and M&A. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at Rackspace, Google and Microsoft
He has supported more than 50 leaders across various industries, guiding CEOs, founders and executives in building high-performing teams, navigating strategic shifts and accelerating growth. He combines practical experience in business success with executive coaching and mentorship.
Gary King
Gary is a highly experienced business mentor with 14 years' experience. He has facilitated more than 150 peer group sessions and supported businesses ranging from £1m to £8m in turnover, with a focus on driving sustainable growth and helping leaders navigate strategic challenges.
Liz King
Liz is an experienced facilitator, former HR director and ex-CEO with expertise in senior leadership, team dynamics and business growth. Holding an ILM Level 7 qualification, she has coached C-suite executives and mentored CEOs through the Help to Grow programme.
Julia Langkraehr
Julia is a successful entrepreneur with 20 years of hands-on expertise in building, leading, scaling and selling multinational companies. As a highly skilled facilitator and coach, she specialises in leadership development and business strategy, helping leaders implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System to unlock their full potential and get what they want from their businesses. Her background goes beyond business theory to bring real-world insights and practical, results-driven guidance from someone who’s been in the trenches.
Siobhan Lavelle
Siobhan is an experienced leader in peer mentoring, guiding business leaders through structured interactions across initiatives such as the UK government’s Help to Grow programme and leadership efforts for national utilities.
Her client portfolio spans the engineering, recruitment, marketing technology and health sectors.
Kathie O'Donough
Kathie has mentored business owners with turnovers ranging from £1m to £10m on strategic growth and behaviour modification since 2010. She has also facilitated in-person peer groups since 2012, focusing on action learning and collaboration skills.
Mark O'Neil
Mark is a seasoned facilitator and business mentor with more than 30 years' experience advising mid-corporate businesses. A freeman of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs, he draws on a distinguished banking career and hands-on experience gained in establishing, acquiring and exiting businesses.
Specialising in strategic problem-solving, growth, funding and leadership, Mark helps businesses unlock growth and navigate complex challenges with confidence.
Ayo Olajiga
Ayo has more than 25 years' experience in business transformation, operations and finance, with a background as a former CEO, McKinsey management consultant and investment banker.
Currently an engagement director at Leveli Consulting, he has successfully guided peer groups of CEOs with turnovers of £3m+ through complex business challenges, including leadership labs at the Stanford Seed programme.
Stuart Ovington
With a background as a managing director, mentor and business strategist, Stuart has led business transformations, achieving double-digit revenue growth and EBITDA improvement. He successfully navigated private-to-PLC and private-to-PE transitions, driving strategic growth, operational efficiency and sustainability.
A fellow of the Association of Business Mentors, he holds an MBA, ILM level 7 in coaching and mentoring and is a BSI greenhouse gas practitioner, helping companies embed sustainable strategies for long-term resilience.
Steve Paul
Steve is a seasoned leadership coach, business mentor and strategist with extensive experience working with founders, leadership teams and peer groups across SMEs, creative agencies and production houses. He is also chair of the London and Southeast Region of the Association of Business Mentors.
Tanya Petherick
As an experienced CEO, Tanya draws on her experience of overseeing a team of more than 150. She combines the experience of starting, scaling and exiting business with the practical models learnt in her leadership MBA, all with a view to helping business leaders achieve their personal and professional ambitions. She will champion and challenge. She is infused with positivity.
Tanya is particularly suited to service organisations, people who feel a bit stuck and leaders who find their business is not moving at the same speed as their ambitions. She loves to talk about business, so if you need a sounding board, Tanya is happy to help.
Jonathan Ratcliff
Jonathan Ratcliff is a seasoned facilitator with expertise in strategic mentoring and consulting, specialising in sales. He supports business owners with turnovers of between £5m and £50m to get the best from their sales function.
He excels in fostering collaborative dialogue, helping leaders identify opportunities, navigate challenges and drive growth.
John Redfern
John has more than 29 years' experience in financial services, including roles in accounting, consulting and corporate banking. He has recently transitioned from heading NatWest’s corporate banking for London and the South East to become a facilitator for Business Leader.
James Talbot
James Talbot has more than 10,000 hours of coaching experience with CEOs and senior leadership teams across organisations ranging from £1m to £70m in revenue.
He has supported strategic, operational and crisis management needs, including founding and scaling multiple businesses.
Piers Thurston
Piers has 25 years of working with clients and businesses worldwide. Originally rooted in positive psychology, neuro-linguistic processing and psychological strategies, Piers now focuses on a transformative approach that explores consciousness and the nature of human potential.
Through the approaches of "Before Psychology" and "Quality of Mind," he enables individuals and organisations to unlock deeper, more consistent levels of performance, clarity and wellbeing, facilitating profound shifts that enhance success and ease in both professional and personal life.
Jarmila Yu
Jarmila has worked directly at the board level as a chief marketing officer with CEOs and founders of businesses generating over £3m in turnover. She brings proven expertise in guiding strategic discussions, leadership decisions, coaching and facilitating business peer groups.