Qualified executive coach developing leaders in the creative industries and beyond

I am an executive coach with a background in the creative industries and higher education. 

 

While many of my clients come from the creative industries organisations such as United Talent Agency and Arts Council England, I have also worked in sectors from healthcare to education to real estate. 

​

I have also delivered training around the world from Accra to Amman, for instance supporting cultural leaders from Mexico, music industry managers from the Gulf and creative hub leaders from West Africa. 

​

I started my career as a member of Passenger (ie: music) and then as one half of Grasscut (Ninja Tune, Lo Recordings). I also managed Grasscut, organising European tours, including shows at the Pompidou Centre and Royal Albert Hall, and negotiating sync deals (Google, Mazda, K-mart, HSBC, Nespresso, Boots). 

 

As an arts critic, meanwhile, I wrote for the Guardian, the Independent, the Times and the Financial Times and appeared on the BBC and CNN. 

 

I then moved into higher education: I am currently Professor of Innovation and Creativity at Kingston University, where I am Director of the Design, Arts and Creative Practice Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute. 

 

I also work as an independent consultant. 

​

​

Books 

Distributed Creativity (Palgrave 2019), which I wrote as researcher in residence at Digital Catapult, examined the impact of blockchains on the creative economy. 

​

Different Every Time (Serpent’s Tail 2014), my biography of the musician Robert Wyatt, was a BBC Radio 4 book of the week and a book of the year in several national newspapers. 

 

​​​I am currently writing a book on creative leadership for Cambridge University Press.

 

​

Support 

My work has been supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Research England, Office for Students, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Greater London Authority, British Council, Linux Foundation, Institute of Coding, Publicis Media and Blockchain Research Institute.

 

​

Speaking 

As well as giving keynotes at academic conferences, I have spoken to industry audiences from KPMG in London to Thomson Reuters in New York.

 

​

NED roles

​​ I am a non-executive director of the Featured Artists Coalition trade body, alongside members of Blur, Radiohead and Pink Floyd, and Knowledge Exchange UK. ​​I was preciously a non-executive director of Enterprise Educators UK. ​

 

​​​​

Qualifications

​I hold an MBA, a PhD in collaborative creativity, and LEGO Serious Play, Scrum and PRINCE2 certifications.

​

​

Contact 

Want to chat? Drop me an email.