A design leader with a practical, people-centred approach
I’ve spent much of my working life around design, teams, and organisations trying to make sense of complex problems. Design has been a constant thread, not as a fixed process, but as a way of listening carefully, asking better questions, and making considered decisions.
This page is here to give a bit of context to the work elsewhere on the site. It’s about the experiences and interests that shape how I think, how I lead, and how I work with others.
Design leader with 20 years in the industry
Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across private and public sector organisations, supporting teams through change, growth, and uncertainty. My focus has consistently been on helping design mature.
Experience has taught me that effective design leadership is rooted in judgement, trust, and context. I care deeply about creating environments where people can do meaningful work, challenge assumptions, and make decisions that balance user needs, organisational goals, and long-term responsibility.
Director and founder of Create Consulting Limited
As founder and director of Create Consulting Limited, I work with organisations that need thoughtful design leadership without defaulting to scale or permanence. The consultancy allows me to support teams at critical moments. That may be shaping direction, strengthening practice, or navigating complexity.
The work is intentionally focused and collaborative. I value clarity, proportion, and outcomes over theatre, and I’m most effective when helping organisations make confident decisions rather than adding noise
Design Council Expert
I’m part of the Design Council Expert network, a group of design practitioners who work with the Design Council to advocate for the value of design, share knowledge about best practice, and support the delivery of advice and programmes.
The cohort is selected by Design Council colleagues alongside an external steering committee, and represents a broad range of design disciplines, regional and demographic perspectives, and skills that contribute to advancing the Design for Planet mission. I’ve also been one of the early contributors to the Skills for Planet blueprint, helping shape thinking around the capabilities needed to support that ambition.
Certified Herrmann® practitioner
As a certified Herrmann® practitioner, I use thinking preferences as a practical lens for improving collaboration, leadership, and decision-making. I’m particularly interested in how diverse thinking styles influence team dynamics, risk appetite, and problem framing.
This perspective often informs how I facilitate conversations, design workshops, and support leadership teams, helping people understand not just what decisions are being made, but how and why.
Vienna City Marathon ambassador
I’m one of the Vienna City Marathon Ambassadors, representing Great Britain. The ambassador programme supports the marathon’s international community, with runners from around 125 countries taking part each year. Ambassadors act as a point of connection, offering practical advice, sharing experience of the Vienna City Marathon gained over time, and helping participants navigate the event in their own language.
I’ve completed nine Vienna City Marathons over nineteen years, and twenty-two marathons in total across different countries. They’ve often been tough, but I’ve loved the experiences and plan to keep running for as many years as my body will allow!
Award winning photography
Photography has been part of my working life in different forms, from portraiture to events and weddings. Over time, my focus has shifted away from commercial work and towards nature and wildlife, which is where I now choose to spend my time with a camera.
Nature is a long-standing passion, and wildlife photography allows me to combine that interest with observation and study of wildlife in their natural environments. I was fortunate to have work from my collection ‘A Window to a World of Forests‘ recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society, receiving a Bronze RHS Medal in 2022 and exhibiting at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
Earlier work was also recognised with a second-place award in the Animal Portraits category at the World Nature Photography Awards.
Volleyball
Although I don’t play volleyball anymore, for a number of years I trained and played, to national level, even training as part of the England youth team. The discipline of the training, balance of strategic and tactical aspects, and team collaboration, set me up very well.
I thrive in a team environment, working with others, to reach a shared goal.
Supporting nature
I believe that everyone can do their bit when it comes to helping wildlife and the environment. I live with my partner in Staffordshire where we are supporting nature as much as we can, planting native trees and plants, watching the wildlife flourish.