Supporting leaders

We help senior leaders to explore challenges and brand ideas that create commercial impact.

CEOs and Chairs transcend organisational siloes. But the nature of this oversight – and pressure on time – means they’re often unable to dive deep and strategically unite them. With our expert brand and strategic guidance, we help rally leadership and their teams around transformative opportunities and strategies.

"I have no doubt in saying you offer world-class brand strategy counsel."

Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts Former CEO and Chair of Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide

Leadership advisory sessions

Successful senior leaders are world-class in one discipline. Then they inspire their teams to be their best, ensure people play in position and execute with excellence. To help maintain the big-picture view, we give senior leaders trusted counsel to safely explore ideas and strategies, uncover opportunities to elevate the commercial impact of their brands, and how to successfully guide and energise their teams.

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Executive Coaching

Coaching is powerful tool for senior leaders and their teams. We create reflective coaching spaces for leaders to explore their challenges, goals, realities, opportunties and ways forward. Our expertise in brand leadership, strategy and creative entrepreneurship ensures we ask the right questions to help stimulate fresh ways of thinking.

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Advisory board membership

We can bring fresh perspectives, honest critique and unbiased ongoing support to help make sure your brand is delivering the commercial impact you need. We bring consumer, strategic and creative thinking to your business, leadership and customer base. In particular, we have deep sector experience with world-class brands in food & drink, retail, consumer goods, luxury, technology and sport.

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Booths The Strategy Shop

Founded in 1847, Booths is an iconic food and drink specialist. Their stores are clustered in the North-West of England, a region renowned for its beauty, culture and exceptional food and drink suppliers.

Booths is famous for its ‘warm northern welcome’ and its expansive, delightful, range of goods. It’s one of the most loved retail experiences in the UK. Broadcaster Kirsty Allsop recently stated that “Clearly all shops need to study Booths”.

We were tasked with identifying how to elevate the brands impact on the business. We supported the CEO develop the new growth strategy to maximise its existing assets, by expanding distribution of Booths branded products beyond its own store estate. We supported the Chief Brand Officer to reposition the brand to enable this new growth strategy.

"I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend James to any leader facing challenge and delivering change. His calm approach, incisive questioning and insightful observation creates open, honest and ultimately impactful dialogue. Always willing to openly explore ideas and concepts, not just in principle but also how to practically make them happen, delivering meaningful impact."
Nigel Murray, CEO Booths

Boots Opticians, part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, is one of the leading opticians in the UK with over 650 locations and sales of £383m.

James’s former consultancy Reluctantly Brave was hired by the CEO because the company was experiencing high employee churn, which was impacting operations, morale and revenue generation. This was incurring costs running into the millions. We were tasked with getting to the bottom of this long-term issue.

James was responsible for leading the strategic approach, including research, business analysis and development of creative solutions. This involved multiple interviews and discussion groups, followed by workshops to engage and align the organisation to recommendations and action plans.

Within 12 months of the project completing, success metrics were dramatic, including a 50% reduction in employees leaving and a multi-million pound recruitment saving.

DLA Piper is the largest law firm in the world, operating in over 40 countries and the largest in the US by headcount.

James’s former consultancy Reluctantly Brave was hired by the Global Co-CEO to explore how to strengthen the US firm’s culture and performance. This was an essential project to help the firm continue to exceed client expectations and nurture the next generation of leadership.

James was responsible for leading the research, interviewing senior DLA Piper leaders and C-Suite members around the US, and for creating and shaping the opportunities with the CMO, COO and Global Co-CEO.

The work made a significant impact to client growth, talent development and ongoing internal communications. In 2024, DLA Piper posted its 8th consecutive year of revenue growth.

BP is one of the largest companies in the world with operations in over 80 countries and 18,700 service stations worldwide.

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon accident caused the largest oil spill in history. This was a disaster for communities, the environment and the company, with many commentators questioning if BP would survive.

The board commissioned an urgent review of the brand and recommendations on how to move forward. James led the strategic response to this brief: how the board should reposition the brand and the steps it should take to authentically communicate this essential change. This was an essential input into their crisis management and strategy for the future.

Today, BP remains a top 10 global energy company.

Testimonials

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend James to any leader facing challenge and delivering change.  His calm approach, incisive questioning and insightful observation creates open, honest and ultimately impactful dialogue.  Always willing to openly explore ideas and concepts, not just in principle but also how to practically make them happen, delivering meaningful impact.

Nigel Murray

CEO Booths

“James thinks deeply and creatively about an organisation. He gets to the heart of what it is all about. And he expresses it to the world in new and compelling ways. I know of no-one better.”

Lord Chris Smith

Chancellor, Cambridge University

"James has been a valuable sounding board for me during our 1:1 sessions. He creates the space to step back, think things through and look at challenges from a different perspective. I’ve particularly valued his ability to ask the right questions and help me find clarity in my own thinking."

Emma Booth

Chief Brand Officer, Booths

“James is a trusted advisor. He's more than a good listener, offering guidance and advice to navigate challenging times, drawing on his own experiences in the corporate world to do so. He gives a different perspective, gently guiding and allowing consideration of a new way of thinking. During challenging times he can help you to see the positive, and point out learning opportunities from adversity. I've found his kind, approachable and non-judgmental manner very comforting, despite at times being pushed out of my comfort zone by him.”

Claire Stuart

Director of Brand, Emperor

“James is an exceptional Strategy Director. He is rigorous, methodical, and instils confidence in clients with the recommendations he makes. James naturally builds relationships with senior decision-makers, who quickly come to rely on him for advice and guidance. He is thoughtful towards his colleagues and is always eager to help others develop and grow their skills. This has a positive impact on every team he is part of. James is not only extremely competent and reliable but also a great character to have around!”

Matt Boffey

Chief Strategy Officer, Design Bridge & Partners

"I trust you to ask questions I wouldn't see coming. And I value you for that."

Dr. Emma Cowley-White

Former Dean of the Faculty, Royal College of Podiatrists

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend James to any leader facing challenge and delivering change.  His calm approach, incisive questioning and insightful observation creates open, honest and ultimately impactful dialogue.  Always willing to openly explore ideas and concepts, not just in principle but also how to practically make them happen, delivering meaningful impact.

CEO Booths

“James thinks deeply and creatively about an organisation. He gets to the heart of what it is all about. And he expresses it to the world in new and compelling ways. I know of no-one better.”

Chancellor, Cambridge University

"James has been a valuable sounding board for me during our 1:1 sessions. He creates the space to step back, think things through and look at challenges from a different perspective. I’ve particularly valued his ability to ask the right questions and help me find clarity in my own thinking."

Chief Brand Officer, Booths

“James is a trusted advisor. He's more than a good listener, offering guidance and advice to navigate challenging times, drawing on his own experiences in the corporate world to do so. He gives a different perspective, gently guiding and allowing consideration of a new way of thinking. During challenging times he can help you to see the positive, and point out learning opportunities from adversity. I've found his kind, approachable and non-judgmental manner very comforting, despite at times being pushed out of my comfort zone by him.”

Director of Brand, Emperor

“James is an exceptional Strategy Director. He is rigorous, methodical, and instils confidence in clients with the recommendations he makes. James naturally builds relationships with senior decision-makers, who quickly come to rely on him for advice and guidance. He is thoughtful towards his colleagues and is always eager to help others develop and grow their skills. This has a positive impact on every team he is part of. James is not only extremely competent and reliable but also a great character to have around!”

Chief Strategy Officer, Design Bridge & Partners

"I trust you to ask questions I wouldn't see coming. And I value you for that."

Former Dean of the Faculty, Royal College of Podiatrists

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