Advisor to CEOs, Founders & Senior Executives

Judgement under pressure.
Clarity when it matters.

I am David McQueen. I work with leaders carrying consequential decisions — where capital, people, reputation, and legacy are in play. The work is calm, confidential, and designed to improve decision quality when the room gets serious.

UK & global • Confidential • By enquiry

Mode Confidential, direct, senior
Focus Decisions • Capital • Consequence
Work Advisory • Coaching • Speaking • Diagnostics

The work

Choose the mode that matches the pressure you’re under. If you’re unsure, start with the diagnostic or the Start Here page.

Executive Advisory

Clarity when decisions carry consequence.

A confidential thinking partnership for strategic inflection points — capital decisions, scale, M&A, scrutiny, and exit.

  • Decision preparation and pressure-testing
  • Trade-offs, constraints, and second-order consequences
  • Narrative discipline under scrutiny

Executive Coaching

Judgement work for sustained leadership pressure.

For CEOs, COOs and senior executives who must remain credible, coherent, and decisive over time — not just in a single moment.

  • Clarity, composure, and executive presence
  • Decision patterns under stress
  • Leadership coherence across complexity

Speaking & Facilitation

Sessions that recalibrate how leaders think and act.

Keynotes, masterclasses and executive facilitation designed for organisations operating under pressure — where decisions have second-order consequences.

  • Leadership under pressure
  • Critical decision-making
  • Capital strategy and consequence

Diagnostics: Executive Edge

Clarity before commitment.

A structured diagnostic for leaders who want a precise read on capability, risk, and decision-quality before choosing coaching or advisory.

  • Pressure, context, and decision landscape
  • Strengths, constraints, and leadership signals
  • Clear recommendations for next steps
How to choose

If you’re uncertain which route is right, use this simple filter.

Start with Advisory

You’re facing a high-stakes decision with time pressure, scrutiny, or significant trade-offs — and you need senior judgement now.

Then with Coaching

You’re carrying sustained leadership pressure and want to strengthen judgement, presence, and decision quality over time.

Then the Diagnostic

You want clarity before commitment — a structured assessment that creates a precise picture and a recommended next step.

Insights

Essays and notes on judgement, leadership under pressure, and capital consequence — written for leaders making decisions that will be audited later.

No spam. No noise. Just signal.

What you’ll find

  • Decision-making under pressure
  • Leadership coherence and accountability
  • Capital, governance, and second-order consequences
  • Narrative discipline for executives

Written in the same spirit as the work: precise, calm, and consequential.

If the decision is real, the conversation should be too.

Share the context, the stakes, and the time horizon. If it’s a fit, I’ll recommend the simplest next step.

No free consultations. No browsing calls. Just considered conversations.

Include in your note

  • Your role and organisation
  • The decision you’re carrying
  • What is at stake
  • Your timeline

The clearer the stakes, the sharper the work.