CEO Executive Coach

Group members have an amazing track record in setting and achieving courageous goals such as:-

• Two CEOs who have successfully sold their businesses for multi-million pound valuations
• Two CEOs who have transformed their work/life balance habits and routines
• One CEO who presented at the Davos World Economic Forum for two years in succession
• One CEO who successfully implemented a succession plan for a 40 year-old owner managed business
• One CEO who raised funding to establish a new company to tackle the UK’s affordable housing problem

"I know John Blakey as an excellent Vistage chair. His extensive management and business experience combined with an executive coaching background makes him an ideal leader of such meetings. He is knowledgeable, curious, entertaining and an extremely nice person. Meetings chaired by John are usually productive, exciting, disciplined and conducted in a friendly atmosphere."
Jesper Holm Nielsen, ex-Chairman and CEO of CorpNordic

Free Consultation Offer

If you want CEO executive coaching from one of the leading UK coaches please contact John for an initial selection discussion:

His coaching style is captured in his book, ‘Challenging Coaching’, co-authored with Ian Day. Watch the video clip below for more details on the challenging coaching approach:

His clients have an amazing track record of setting and achieving courageous goals such as:-

• The strategic transformation of a real estate business in Sweden through a series of market-leading acquisitions
• Many successful transitions from effective board leader to inspirational CEO
• Completion of board level overseas assignments in countries such as Portugal, Malaysia, Australia, UK and the US
• Being the first female CEO on the board of a multi-national telecoms operator
• Leading the management team in one of the UK’s longest and most hostile trade union disputes
• Delivering keynote presentations throughout the world to internal and external stakeholders

"John has built my confidence as a female leader operating in a male environment; building my strengths and delivering fantastic results whilst staying true to my personal values."
Ingrid Lorange, CEO, Global Shared Services, Telenor

"John helped me grow into a CEO role in CGI. For me, it was important to learn how to navigate successfully through complex and cross-cultural political challenges."
Paul Schuyt, CEO, Levi9

"John is a great listener who really probes to ask the right questions, keeping me accountable and applying pressure where needed to very effectively add value through coaching."
David Stickland, CFO, Eversholt Rail Group

Free Consultation Offer

If you face similar challenges to these board leaders and want to engage a confidential sounding board then contact John for a free initial 1 hour consultation

John has a thirteen year association with Olympic and elite sports coaching.

In 2003, he set up ‘121partners’ with Olympic silver medallist, ex-CEO and Team GB rowing coach, Bill Barry. 121partners specialised in transferring the lessons of Olympic sports coaching into business. In that time, John worked with Olympic medallist rowers such as Katherine Grainger, Martin Cross, Alan Campbell, Tim Brabents and Sarah Winckless. Watch the video clip opposite for a glimpse of Bill Barry’s work with Alan Campbell.

Like their peers in business, elite sportes coaches need to be at the top of their game.

UK Sport’s Elite Coaching Programme aims to develop world-leading sports coaches for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and beyond. John Blakey has worked as part of a small team of executive coaches supporting the Elite Coaching Programme since 2013. Through his work in this programme, John has supported Team GB coaches in the fields of paralympic target shooting and diving.

In the period 2013-2015, John was engaged by Peter Moores, who was then Lancashire cricket coach.

John helped Peter achieve an unprecedented second term as England cricket coach and then supported him through a number of test matches, as well as the extremely challenging cricket world cup of 2015. Despite the ultimate failure of Peter’s second term, John still credits him as being the most inspirational leader with whom he has had the privilege to work.

The focus of John’s work with elite sports coaches has been on the following topics:

• Handling the pressures of 24 hour national media press coverage
• Managing the politics of complex multi-stakeholder governance and funding bodies
• Transferring best-practice from the world of business in the areas of strategic thinking, team building and performance management
• Preparing for and implementing critical team selection decisions
• Developing inspirational communication skills both in 1-2-1 and group settings

Free Consultation Offer

If you are an elite sports coach who is facing similar challenges and wants to go to the next level, contact John for a free 1 hour initial consultation