My approach to leadership and strategy is defined by two landscapes: the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent where I grew up, and the steel coast of Teesside where I now live. Coming from the Potteries, I learned early on that industry and creativity are not opposites. They are very much forged in the same fire.
Building a career in traditional, often rigid institutions taught me that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about having the resources and support to navigate uncertainty and design new futures. It’s about understanding the written and unwritten rules of a system, reading the room, and having the courage to design a space for yourself where one didn’t exist before.
For the last two decades, I have worked at the centre of the academic establishment. As a Professor, Associate Dean, and Institute Director, I have navigated the complex machinery of Higher Education, leading teams of over 100 staff and managing a portfolio exceeding £6M. Working in partnership with local authorities, charities, and businesses, I sought to improve lives and drive system change.
But, over my career, I have seen brilliant leaders trapped by rigid systems, spending their days “firefighting” and ticking boxes rather than focussing on the future.
I founded One Little Spark to break that cycle.
I wanted to take the rigour of research and apply it to the messy, beautiful reality of our lives and organisations. I now help leaders and teams reclaim perspective, move beyond the Efficiency Trap (the belief that we can simply optimise our way out of complexity), and start designing the future.
My work is grounded in Possibilities Thinking, Messy Leadership, and the Industrial Sublime.
I recognise that true creativity, good strategy, and effective leadership aren’t neat and tidy—they are complex, gritty systems. It is the ability to look at the heavy machinery of an organisation and see it from new perspectives, recognising the beauty and potential within it, and identifying pathways to reimagine what’s possible.
Guided by my belief that true innovation requires play, I use ideas of “being at the edge” to help you identify the potential for change that insiders often miss. Whether I am coaching a Director, facilitating a University strategy day, or working on local regeneration, I help you to hear through the noise and find the signals within the static.
In this sense, I don’t simply offer consultancy; I offer perspective. Often, the best thinking doesn’t happen in a committee room. It happens when we step away and allow ourselves space to think and imagine—individually and together.
Living on the North East coast, looking out at the horizon where the steelworks once met the sea, reminds me daily that nothing is fixed.
My mission is simple: to help you find that horizon, regulate the noise, and lead with clarity in a complex world.
You can find out more about my research here.
ONE LITTLE SPARK TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY 