Maybe the most important thing to know about me is the story behind the name Incidental Character. My sister Caro died of bowel cancer in 2022, at the age of just 40. She was my closest friend, and the most important person in my life. I spent her last year caring for her as her health deteriorated. When people ask me who I am, or what I consider my greatest achievement, that's what comes to my mind: I'm not my job title or my CV, I'm the person who made someone's end of life just a little bit more bearable.
When we travelled together, we would talk every evening about the best incidental character we'd met that day. It could be anyone - especially anyone who'd inadvertantly made us laugh - or anything: once it was a sassy corgi. The only rule was that it couldn't be a main protagonist, just someone who had done something memorable.
I think about my sister every single day. She was the first to support me, and the first to call me out on my nonsense. In many ways, I call upon her presence in both strands of my career. So what could be more fitting than to name my business in her honour? Oh and she also loved flamingos. And that explains my logo.
ABOUT ME
If I were considering hiring someone, I'd want to know what they'd actually done. After all, business theory is one thing, it's something else entirely to do it for real.
I started my career as a management trainee in Unilever's UK ice cream business, and since then have worked on consumer brands like Dove, Axe and Sharpie, and Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles loyalty program. I said “yes” to dozens of opportunities, from Finance to Marketing Communications via Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy. They took me from the UK to the US and back again, with stops in Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai. As a result, I have a pretty unique skillset, and a truly global perspective on business and culture.
I have worked alongside countless executive teams and C-suite titles. These experiences have taught me what it takes to thrive as a business leader – not to mention how daunting it is to reach the top of the ladder you’ve striven so long to climb, and the person who's supposed to have all the answer is... you.
I have designed my own organisation for an $11bn business, built a team that grew from 1 person to over 100, and instilled a culture that delivered world-class engagement scores. Taking the step from managing to leading was the greatest challenge, and the greatest privilege, of my career.
I have developed more strategies than I can remember, for businesses from $0 to $60bn in revenue. I'm a natural problem solver, and thrive on helping a leadership team see past every tiny detail, to identify the few things that really matter and will make the biggest difference.
My approach to strategy - and come to think of it, also to coaching - is anchored on the belief that nothing is really as complicated as it seems. Just start from what you’re trying to achieve, and work back to the best way to get there.
I’m also a crisis counsellor, and a certified meditation teacher. I’ve been told that working with me is like therapy - I’m pretty sure that's meant to be a compliment?