Dave is an experienced leadership coach and mentor who has a substantial track record in strategic leadership across complex crisis and political environments. Social Justice is central to Dave’s way of life and he has become increasingly conscious and motivated in the areas of climate change and biodiversity. Dave brings this ethos and challenge to the coaching space to help clients explore their corporate responsibility and contribution. Dave’s expertise includes, strategic leadership, culture change, partnership working, political acuity and crisis and risk management.

Coaching Philosophy & Approach

Dave has a strong track record in supporting and developing CEO’s and other Executive Directors, in the Aerospace, Retail, NHS, Local Authority, Construction, Education and Media settings. His coaching style is pragmatic, supportive, challenging, and ethical. He also utilises his extensive experience to enrich coaching and mentoring conversations. Dave has always been enthusiastic about developing people to realise their potential, become strong leaders and build excellent teams.

He believes in creating a safe, trusting space where clients can explore their own challenges. He supports this exploration by using his experience to ask insightful and challenging questions to enable new possibilities to emerge. Dave uses NLP coaching techniques to ensure focussed, structured, and therefore progressive conversations. Often these conversations revolve around relationships and here he can bring his specific experience in a mentoring capacity.

Background

Dave's background is a career in the Emergency Services and as the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Hampshire Fire and Rescue service. He worked closely with the Home Office, Ministers and other Government Departments on National Fire Policy and reform for over 15 years. He also served as a Non-Exec Director on a number of national private, public and third sector boards as well as playing a leading role across the UK Fire Service in Executive leadership development and EDI.

Dave provided operational and technical leadership through the 2014 floods, 2012 Olympics and a number of major incidents across the Southeast between 2003 and 2017. In this capacity he saw first-hand the impacts of climate change and the devastating effects it is having on communities. This operational leadership was dependent on building solid trusting relationships with strategic commanders across emergency services, other agencies and the military. Incident resolution required fast time decision making and systems thinking across multiple stakeholders in complex and time bound environments. Failure to do so could have resulted in incident escalation and further loss of life.

As Chief Executive of one of the leading public sector services in the Country he led the organisation through a period of financial austerity. However, in order to maintain operational excellence, he diversified the delivery of services through partnerships, thus showing the ability to innovate through challenging times, whilst achieving safer and more sustainable communities.

Client testimonials

“I feel Dave's 1-1 Executive coaching really has brought a practical, pragmatic and real approach to how I can improve my leadership skills within any business. Dave brings a unique way of getting you to reflect and take yourself to another level of thinking, I would absolutely recommend this to any leaders who are looking to stretch themselves and think outside of the box.”  

Marketing Director Retail Sector

“The coaching support I have received from Dave has been invaluable - it has enabled me to truly develop my leadership skills. Many colleagues have noted a significant change in my leadership style as a result which has proved to be of great benefit to myself, my colleague relationships and therefore the business.”

CEO Public Sector service provide

“Dave I can genuinely say that I have a completely different outlook, and this will provide me with guiding principles that I will take forward for the rest of my career.”

Senior Fire Officer

Qualifications / Other Credentials

• Institute of Leadership and Management 2019 – NLP Executive Coaching 

• Leadership Circle Accreditation – 2019

• Asian Fire Service Association Shining Light award – 2017

• Windsor Leadership Programme 2013/14 – Chief Executive Programme

• Advanced mediation training 2009 – Mediation Services

• Emergency Planning College 2008/11 – National Multi Agency Command Course

• National School of leadership 2008 – Top Managers Programme

• Lancashire University 2004 – Masters in Science Fire Engineering and Management

• Brigade Command Course 2003/04 – Fire Service College

• Henley Management College 2003 – Masters Degree – Business Administration 

Dave was honoured with a Queens Fire Service Medal (QFSM) in the Queen’s Birthday honours 2017 for his dedication to Public Service.   

Board experience and affiliations

•  CEO and Chief Fire Officer Hampshire Fire Service

• Chairman of the National Fire Service Executive Leadership Board

• Director of UK Chief Fire Officers Association

• Director of 3S Fire Ltd

• Non-Exec Director Fire Protection Association

• National Strategic Advisor for critical incidents working to COBRA