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 draw attention to 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?

THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW

I AM A PROUD INTROVERT

I find a human being fascinating, enthralling and a joy. But PEOPLE - they are absolutely exhausting. "Proud" because I am living proof that you don't have to be loud, outgoing or sociable to be a people leader, you learn to do it in your own way. You may be wondering - how did I cope with living in the United States for 13 years? My answer is: yes.

I am also an Enneagram 4, which means that I am an individualist who values authenticity, am spookily in tune with other people's feelings, and oddly capable of dealing with uncomfortable emotion. Starts to make sense now doesn't it?

THE BEST METAPHOR I HAVE FOUND TO EXPLAIN ME IN THE BANH MI SANDWICH

I am fundamentally European, with a nod to Asian flavour, and I'm pretty popular in the US. Being a global citizen is a cliche, but I've been lucky enough to experience living in a number of countries so really try to think that way: for a start, I have a Chinese name and enjoy American-style biscuits.

I AM NOT AT ALL COMPETITIVE

Team sports especially are not for me. I don't see the appeal of someone being "the best" if it means that someone else has to feel bad about themselves. This may be why it disappoints me so much when the only team and leadership metaphors that people can come up with are sporting ones. Also, I refuse to learn what a quarterback is.

LEARNING TO APPLY THE MAGIC THAT HAPPENS AS A COACH WHEN YOU LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO RESPOND, HAS MADE ME A BETTER EXECUTIVE (AND ALSO HUMAN)

I was trained from the start of my career to zero in problems and solve them. My default when listening as a boss was to identify the issue and seize on it, because I thought my job was to always know the answer. Coaching has taught me that if you listen to learn, and dive under the surface, you actually get to a better result. Because nobody has all the answers.

I AM FROM GENERATIONS OF FORMIDABLE WOMEN AND MY DAD IS A FEMINIST

I was raised to believe that gender is irrelevant, every opportunity is for everyone who wants it. I believed this for a very long time, until I began to see how corporate America actually works. My upbringing has also made me fearless when it comes to criticism and intimidation. There is nothing that a CEO can say that is anywhere close as fierce or withering as either of my grandmothers could come up with.