Having grown up in a military family I spent my childhood fascinated by flying, watching military jets taking off and landing. My admiration for the pilots was immense and, along with the power, noise, and beauty of these aircraft, it was clear what I wanted to do in life.

Having learned to fly at 16, I subsequently entered the RAF as their youngest Officer. Following my Officer training, I spent my first 6 months running the flight operations centre during the 1995 Bosnia crisis before starting fast jet flying training. The intense hard work was more than offset by my love of flying which was further enhanced by being part of a unique family; where success was not possible alone and where leaders and colleagues were mentors, coaches and friends.

Only a few years into my career, following a knee injury, I was medically discharged and found myself with the challenge of what to do next.  After months of feeling sorry for myself, I focused on my future. I took the opportunity to study again and later qualified as an accountant.  Over the next 20 years I have achieved huge success working in the fast-paced high-tech industry as well as high street retail, progressing to roles such as CFO, Strategy Director and Board Executive; as well as starting my own business as a professional coach.