Holes in my shoes, voodoo magic and some jazz…

Yes, I did arrive at London’s Heathrow Airport as a young man, flying in from one of Africa’s major cities, many years ago.

I didn’t worry about the big, gaping holes in my shoes that first day—those worries would come in a few months when I would feel the biting cold of winter clawing at my feet. But I was very aware of the few coins that jangled in my pocket, reminding me that I had to find a job fast or … God knows what.

Indeed, I soon found a job mopping floors and washing dishes in a restaurant in London’s famous Leicester Square. And I haven’t looked back since then!

I eventually graduated from kitchen porter and other similar menial jobs into a corporate career.

(Reading this back to myself now, it sounds so smooth and easy. Yeah right, “graduated” indeed. I can assure you that washing pans and delivering pizzas to pay my way through university was no easy gig. I had fun though. And shed a few tears too. But hey, …)

I cut my teeth in the corporate world driving performance improvements and organizational change in various functions, in a career that spanned most areas across end-to-end Operations and Supply Chain Management—from Demand Management at the front-end, through Procurement and Manufacturing, to Logistics at the back-end. And it included some sexy stuff like Six Sigma, Business Process Re-engineering, New Product Introduction, and Outsourcing.

(Okay, maybe I’m pushing it a bit; Outsourcing isn’t really that sexy…)

A lot of that experience was stretching, and sometimes stressful. But some of it came with enjoying the perks and excesses of international corporate executive life.

Yes, working for a conglomerate with two corporate jets and sponsorship of a Formula One racing team does have its benefits!

I’ve had extensive leadership experience in different sectors, including senior executive roles with several blue-chip multinationals, such as Customer Supply Chain Director at Bombardier Transportation, Global Logistics Director at GEC-Marconi, and Head of Procurement & Supply Chain at BAA Airports.

The common thread through my life and my work is ‘change’. I was always interested in learning the changes I could make to improve my situation—right from my kitchen porter days, I relentlessly sought the alchemy of personal success.

And when I eventually made it into the corporate world, my desire for success transmuted into an attraction to jobs that entailed creating organizational success by driving change—going in to turnaround performance or creating new functions from scratch.

Change is always about people. And people dance to the tune of their leaders. So it’s somewhat unsurprising that I ended up doing my MBA research on management effectiveness and organizational performance. I was awarded a distinction for the dissertation, and was subsequently approached to publish my seminal work as a management book.

It was a fabulous accolade, and probably the first sign of my future pull as a writer. But more significant for me was the learning I gleaned—and, boy, what an insight that proved to be!

Today, that insight and my broad career experience informs much of my work.

I also learnt a heck of a lot in transforming my life, from impoverished immigrant to FTSE 250 director—that’s the extra oomph I add in my offerings to you.

YOU gain the benefit when you engage me or through my books & products. You’ll get the magic spark and the know-how to get your groove on and ramp up your workplace effectiveness and performance success.

I could tell you that I’m the best thing since sliced bread, but I’d be lying. So I won’t. However, at the risk of sounding pompous, egotistical or annoying, I will say: I’m brilliant at what I do—helping individuals and organizations create the magic of workplace success.

Don’t just take my word for it; see for yourself what others who’ve benefitted from my magic have to say.

What else? Mmm… Oh, yeah, I’m a Chartered Engineer, a Six Sigma Black Belt, and a member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) and the Society of Authors. I hold an MBA from Durham University Business School and a BEng (Hons) from Greenwich University.

That’s it, c’est fini.