Supporting corporates and scaleUps to move from stalled pilots to alliances
I coach corporate sustainability teams and startup founders to build lasting partnerships from industrial pilots. Accredited EMCC EIA Senior Coach and a coach for EIC and BlueInvest.
Why partnerships stall, and where I come in
Most industrial or corporate pilots work technically. Yet many never become contracts. The reason is rarely the technology. Instead, it is the gap between two very different organisations.
Corporates move through budgets, committees and risk reviews. Scale-ups move fast and need revenue now. Each side speaks its own language. As a result, trust slips and momentum fades.
I work on both sides of that gap. First, I help each party see the communication gaps. Then, together, we explore ways to bridge them. Finally, each side takes ownership of the actions that make the collaboration last.
My focus is water, energy and ecological transition. These are the transitions that matter, and they cannot wait for stalled pilots.
For corporate sustainability, innovation and HR leaders
You sponsor innovation and sustainability goals. However, your teams also need to work well with external partners.
I coach innovation and sustainability teams to:
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Clarify team purpose and set shared goals, including OKRs.
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Build engagement, accountability and confidence.
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Develop strategic partnerships with scale-ups.
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Co-create strategy and lead digital transformation.
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Improve operational efficiency as activity grows.
For HR, every engagement follows the EMCC Global Code of Ethics. I am an accredited EMCC EIA Senior Coach. I have also coached hundreds of corporate leaders and executives.
Moreover, I know the corporate side from the inside. I spent years as Key Account Director for Fortune 500 technology companies and have coached +60 corporate executives in the banking, retail, energy, insurance and industrial sectors. So I understand how decisions are really made.
For founders commercialising at scale
You are past the proof of concept. Your technology is at an industrial or corporate pilot stage. Now you need larger, faster deals with utilities and industrial companies.
Since 2015, I have coached 100+ start-up teams working with corporates in Europe. This includes programmes such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), InnovateUK, BlueInvest and Betaden North.
I help founders, CEOs, CMOs and CFOs with:
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Go-to-market strategy
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Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
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Value propositions
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Partnerships with corporates
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Piloting growth & change when upscaling.
My clients commercialise smart sensors, SaaS, AI, IoT, blockchain and deep-tech solutions. In short, I know what corporate buyers expect, because I used to sell to them.
When coaching is not the right answer, I can step in as an Interim Account Executive.
My background
My career in marketing technologies started in Cambridge UK in 1993. For many years, I was a Business and Marketing Consultant for technology start-ups and SMEs. I was also Key Account Director for Arup Water, Apple, Analog Devices, Compaq, IBM and Texas Instruments. There, I led strategic advice and demand generation programmes.
In 2015, I moved into business innovation coaching for cleantech and deep-tech companies. Gradually, this led to SME–corporate partnership coaching. Today, I combine both experiences: the seller's view and the coach's view.
In 2025, I was part of the Consulting Group that advised CoachHub on developing its AI.
How I work
I combine business and leadership methods. This mix lets me address both strategy and people.
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Business & strategy tools: ABM, ecosystem mapping, Prof Malcolm McDonald's value proposition method, business canvases.
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Cognitive tools: markers of the future, OKRs, GROW, CLEAR, Gestalt cycle of experience, SOAR.
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Somatic tools: breathwork, body scans and individual and team systemic coaching & constellations to reveal hidden systemic dynamics in organisations using spatial representation to surface unconscious patterns.
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Behaviour assessment: DISC, Belbin, MBTI, 360 reviews.
I also vary session formats. With me, you might go for a walk, role play, draw or embody your ecosystem.
All sessions comply with the EMCC Global code of ethics. As a member since 1992, I also follow the marketing guidelines of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Note: accreditation is marked in orange.
Is a pilot stalling between your organisation and a partner? Or are you scaling and need corporate deals to land? Let's connect.
