Executive Coaching
Most of the people I work with are not failing. They are succeeding — at considerable personal cost, and with a growing awareness that the version of themselves doing the succeeding is not entirely the person they set out to become.
They are senior. They are capable. They are, by most external measures, exactly where they wanted to be. And somewhere in the gap between the role and the person holding it, something has gone quiet.
This is not a crisis. It is a pattern. And it is almost universal at the level these people operate.
My work begins there — not with performance optimisation, but with the harder question underneath it. Who are you when the role is removed? What are you actually building, and for whom? And is the way you are currently operating sustainable for the life you want to be living in ten years?
The answer to that last question, for most of my clients when we first meet, is no. Not because they lack capability or commitment — but because the foundation has been neglected in favour of the structure built on top of it.
We spend the first phase of our work — typically six to eight months — on that foundation. Resetting boundaries.
Reconnecting with what actually matters. Rebuilding the home base so that it becomes an asset rather than a source of cognitive load and quiet guilt. In my own experience, and in that of every client I have worked with seriously, a stable foundation does not compromise professional ambition. It enables it. When the home is solid, you can go all in on everything else without the cost that undermines it.
Only once that work is done do we turn to the blade.
The Process
We begin where most coaching doesn't — not with your goals, but with your foundations.
The gap between where capable people are and where they want to be is rarely a skills problem. It is almost always an identity problem. A misalignment between who they are and how they are operating. Between what they value and what they are actually spending themselves on.
The first phase of our work addresses that misalignment directly. We examine what is driving your decisions, what is costing you more than it should, and what you have been avoiding because the truth of it is uncomfortable.
Only once that foundation is solid do we turn to performance. To the marginal gains, the leadership edge, the decision-making under pressure. That work is considerably more effective — and considerably more durable — when it is built on something real.
Sessions are ninety minutes. No templates. No fixed programme. No homework designed to fill the gap between sessions with the appearance of progress.
The truth of your situation is the only currency that matters.
Skill Acquisition
Most development programmes treat capability as a destination. It isn't. It's a cycle — and where you are in it determines everything about how coaching can help. I use the Dreyfus model not as a framework to explain to clients, but as a diagnostic tool to ensure I am applying the right kind of challenge and support at the right moment. The model is simple in outline: people move from not knowing what they don't know, through increasing awareness of their gaps, towards reliable and eventually instinctive competence. What it doesn't say — but what fifteen years of operational and coaching experience confirms — is that this cycle repeats. Every significant change in role, context, pressure or ambition moves people back through it. The leader who was fluent in one environment starts again as a novice in the next. Effective coaching recognises where someone actually is in that cycle, not where they think they are or where they'd like to be. At the early stage, the work is discovery — surfacing assumptions and patterns that are currently invisible but influential. As awareness grows, it shifts to clarification: making sense of feedback, separating signal from noise. When capability is present but unreliable, the work becomes unlocking — removing the constraints that prevent knowledge from becoming action under pressure. At higher levels of fluency, coaching doesn't stop. It focuses on sustaining performance, preventing decay, and deliberately introducing disruption to ensure growth continues. The value is not in accelerating people through a model. It is in meeting them where they are — and applying precisely the right pressure at precisely the right moment.
Who This Is For
The coach-client relationship is deeply personal. I am selective about who I work with — not because of title or sector, but because of disposition.
Ambition | Bravery | Curiosity |Determination
If you are looking for reassurance, I am not the right coach. If you are looking for someone to validate decisions you have already made, I am not the right coach.
If you are looking for someone who will tell you the truth about what they see, hold you to account for what you commit to, and stand with you through the work — then we should talk.
We may laugh. We may struggle. We may sit in silence. There will be no false flattery and no empty praise. I speak plainly and expect the same in return.
I will stand with you. And I will hold you to account.
Capacity is limited. I work with a small number of clients at any one time.
Clients don't just perform better. They understand themselves more honestly — which means the decisions they make, the boundaries they draw, and the lives they build outside of work begin to reflect who they actually are, rather than who the role requires them to be.
Sam Mudie,
CEO & Founder, SAVEA
"Before becoming an entrepreneur in 2022, I was in an international corporate with clear hierarchy, structure and defined roles. Then, as the Founder of a FinTech company that's R&D and regulation heavy, I found I was CEO, Head of Product, Sales, HR, Accounting, Marketing and office cleaner. It's incredibly tough. From a commercial perspective, I expected it to be. What I didn't anticipate was the mental toll it takes on you. It's a really lonely experience, when you can't talk about it with your spouse, family or friends. It's not just the workload or the responsibility, it's the constant mental whiplash between confidence and crippling doubt, between 'we're onto something huge' and 'why did I ever think this was a good idea?' in the space of a single investor call. From our first session, Matthew cut through the noise and simplified my own processes. He quickly showed me how to prioritise tasks in a way I hadn't done before, and sometimes simply how to prioritise myself so that I can continue to operate at the level I need to."
Christopher Lambe,
General Manager, Eastern Pacific Shipping
"I engaged Matt whilst in the process of assuming a new role, removed from that which I had been working in for the past few years. Previously in a technical role with little time spent on managing and leading, I worked with Matt to refresh my knowledge of the subjects and to help me plan my first few months in the new role. Initially planned for a few sessions before I assumed my new position, I found the sessions so productive and helpful that Matt and I continue our engagement as I navigate a new path. The sessions have proved invaluable in support of my professional development and will continue to do so."
Tristan Chiappini,
Fintech Leader, PPRO
"Working with Matt has been a real game changer and I can testify to real noticeable changes in my behaviours and mindset within four months. At the beginning I asked to be challenged, for difficult questions and to make me uncomfortable, and that is what I got. Why? Because Matt and I have a shared belief that it is only with trust, radical candour and hard truths that you can actually make real progress. This will be an ongoing process to commit to the framework that we created together but thanks to the trust we built through the sessions and his personal style of coaching, both personal and professional, I understand what is necessary to ensure I always keep my three priorities front and centre."
Robin Vos,
Vice President, TrackUnit
"Matt's guidance and mentorship have been nothing short of transformative. His ability to combine leadership insights with psychological principles has provided me with a deeper understanding of my inner motivations and aspirations. Through our sessions, Matt has not only helped me uncover hidden strengths but has also empowered me to leverage my intrinsic motivations to achieve my goals. His empathetic approach and keen listening skills have allowed me to explore my thoughts, fears, and challenges without reservation. His insightful feedback, thought-provoking questions, and strategic guidance have not only enhanced my decision-making capabilities but have also empowered me to navigate complex situations with confidence and clarity."