I love helping businesses identify what their issues really are and then helping them develop strategies and action plans that get them working better and achieving their ambitions. I excel at tackling thorny problems and difficult tasks, making things happen and achieving business goals. I have an ability to break through the clutter, identify the nub of the problem and get the business moving forward. I’ve spent 25 years developing and delivering effective Business Growth and Marketing projects. The first chapter of my career was spent in Marketing Services where I worked with a broad range of clients from blue-chip multi-nationals and Government bodies to regional SMEs and startups where I rose to become Managing Director of The Bridge, one of Scotland’s ‘Premier League’ advertising agencies. After successful treatment for an aggressive head and neck cancer in 2009 I decided to seek a new challenge which came in the form of co-founding a digital media business that would become the global home of the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal community. Raising £13.2m and winning Insiders ‘Deal of the Year’ Award, we successfully established a global business based in Scotland that serves over 5 million customers in more than 70 countries. However, what I have always enjoyed most is helping create and grow businesses, so I now work independently to fill gaps in the skill set and management team of forward-looking companies.I have long-term contracts to deliver support for a number of organisations including Scottish Enterprise, Business Gateway and a range of Local Authority Economic Development Departments as well as a number of direct engagements with private businesses. I've worked with more than 250 businesses over the last eight years and they consistently tell me they like my honest, direct approach and my focus on securing meaningful results. They also tell me they like my direct-to-the-point approach - I don't waste time skirting around the difficult conversations or indulging in airy fairy theoretical thinking. Those working with me feel energised and empowered to make things better.