Executive Masterclasses & Facilitation
These sessions don’t motivate. They recalibrate how leaders think and act.
Speaking for executive teams and organisations operating under pressure, where decisions have second-order consequences and the cost of drift is measurable.
UK & global • In-person + virtual • By enquiry
What audiences leave with
- Sharper decisions under pressure
- Clear language for what’s really happening
- Practical frameworks leaders can use immediately
- A shared operating mindset (not just inspiration)
This is not theatre. It’s a strategic intervention for leadership teams.
Who this is for
- Senior leadership teams, offsites, and board adjacencies
- Organisations navigating change, growth, scrutiny, or restructure
- Founder/CEO communities and high-trust leadership rooms
- Teams who want action, not applause
Who this is not for
- Generic motivation with no follow-through
- Low-context “one-size-fits-all” inspiration
- Events with no intention to act afterwards
- Audiences looking for comfort rather than clarity
In complex environments, bad thinking is expensive.
Leadership failure rarely comes from lack of effort. It comes from misdiagnosing the problem, confusing activity with progress, and avoiding the real trade-offs.
My work is designed to interrupt that pattern — calmly, credibly, and without theatrics — so leaders can make better decisions on Monday morning, not just feel inspired on Friday afternoon.
How I work
Speaking as a strategic intervention.
Every masterclass or facilitated session is built around your context — the pressures leaders are carrying, the decisions they’re avoiding, and the behaviours that are quietly shaping performance.
- Pre-event alignment on audience + stakes
- Clear outcomes (what must shift in the room)
- Stories that land because they’re true
- Frameworks that translate into action
- Optional post-session next steps
- Virtual or in-person delivery
Signature sessions
Three leadership themes. Each session is shaped around the pressures, decisions, and trade-offs present in the room.
Leadership Under Pressure
How leaders show up, think, and hold others steady when the stakes are high and the room
What shifts in the room
- Leaders become more aware of how pressure shapes behaviour, tone, and judgement
- Unhelpful patterns — avoidance, over-control, false certainty — are named without blame
- The room moves from reactive energy to grounded, deliberate leadership presence
What they leave with
- A shared understanding of what leadership looks like under pressure
- Practical ways to stay present, decisive, and credible when it matters most
- Language leaders can use to stabilise teams in moments of uncertainty
Critical Decision Making
How leaders make sound decisions when information is incomplete, time is limited, and consequences are real.
What shifts in the room
- Decision patterns are surfaced. Not just outcomes, but how choices are actually made
- Assumptions, biases, and hidden constraints are challenged constructively
- Leaders slow thinking down just enough to improve judgement without losing momentum
What they leave with
- A clearer decision framework leaders can apply immediately
- Shared criteria for what “good judgement” looks like at senior level
- Greater confidence in making and standing behind difficult choices
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Capital Strategy
How leaders think about growth, capital, and scale as leadership disciplines and not just financial decisions.
What shifts in the room
- Capital decisions are reframed as trade-offs, not targets
- Leaders confront the organisational and human cost of growth choices
- The conversation moves from ambition to alignment between strategy, capability, and capacity
What they leave with
- A clearer understanding of the consequences attached to different growth paths
- Stronger alignment between leadership intent and financial decision-making
- More disciplined conversations about risk, pace, and sustainability
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Formats
Choose the format based on what you want to shift. Whether mindset, behaviour, decision quality, or team alignment.
Executive Masterclasses
Interactive, practical sessions with deeper application, tools, and reflection — ideal for leadership groups.
Executive Facilitation & Offsites
Designed around live organisational challenges, strategic decisions, and leadership alignment at moments of pressure.
A talk is rarely the end of the work.
For some organisations, the session is the spark. For others, it becomes the entry point to deeper work: diagnostics, leadership development, or executive support.
- Executive Advisory: trusted counsel for leaders carrying complex, high-stakes decisions
- Diagnostics: Executive Edge for leaders who want clarity before commitment
- Executive Coaching: translating insight into sustained leadership behaviour
What clients say
“David presented a brilliant high-energy session to our executive team. He focused on mindset, high performance and facing difficult conversations. Our leaders were challenged to think differently.”
— Director, Lloyds Bank“What he does is truly unique… landing his points by literally telling great stories. Witty, authentic, charismatic — and tailored to our context.”
— Director, Avios“Resilience was made practical. The biggest takeaway: resilience isn’t just individual strength — it’s a collective effort.”
— Managing Director, JP Morgan“A rare combination of sharp insight and warmth. The session created real conversations afterwards — not just notes.”
— Senior LeaderSelected clients
BMW, Mercedes Benz, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Tate & Lyle, Northern Trust, Shell, BP, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, Getty Images, Shopify, Meta, Google, Cisco, Investec, Barclaycard, Vodafone, Avios, Octopus Energy DE, Discovery, Société Générale, Arriva, Barnardo’s, Fidelity, Pure Storage, Virgin Startups, and Soho House.
FAQs
Short answers to the questions that matter when the room is senior and the stakes are real.
Executive offsites, leadership summits, senior team sessions, and closed-room interventions...
Yes. Virtual sessions work particularly well for distributed teams — especially when we align on outcomes and audience dynamics in advance.
Fees depend on format, length, tailoring, and travel. Engagements are a five-figure investment and paid in advance. Share your context and I’ll recommend the simplest option.
Absolutely. Tailoring is the default. The goal is not a generic talk — it’s a session that lands because it’s true in your environment.
If you’re responsible for the room, let’s make the session worth it.
Share the audience, context, and what you want to shift. I’ll propose the best format and a clear outcome.
Quick booking checklist
- Audience size + seniority
- Engagement type (masterclass, facilitation, offsite)
- Date + location (or virtual)
- What must shift in the room
The clearer the stakes, the sharper the session.