My family had a background of farming near the coast in North Yorkshire. During my early years, I worked a lot with different kinds of machinery, from tractors to electricity generators. As a hobby, I built shortwave radio transmitters and receivers.

However, although I enjoyed Maths and sciences at grammar school, I decided to study languages, and went on to get a first-class degree from the Queens College Oxford in modern languages, with a special paper in the history of science.

Being of a practical frame of mind, I decided to join the Glacier Metal Company, an engineering components producer, as a graduate trainee, and through the 'Glacier Institute of Management' I obtained the equivalent of an internal MBA. When I became involved in Glacier's overseas marketing and market research activities, I studied for a diploma in advanced statistics from Harrow College.

I worked there for 19 years, and operated as the managing director of a group of three companies in Germany, with board positions in other group companies in Belgium, France, Spain and Italy. When our group of companies was taken over, I took the opportunity to leave and found my own consultancy company.

I obtained a variety of projects in top level management or as a director in fields from engineering and and aerospace through to women's fashion and retail. These activities often involved managing or establishing country companies within Europe, or more remotely, in Turkey and Brazil, where I lived and worked for various periods. In these activities I was assisted by an unusual gift for languages which emerged during my childhood.

Over the years I have written articles and books on management and have a specialism in the licensing of intellectual property and trademarks.

Consequently, I have built up experience in a number of countries and industries, and enjoy solving problems with my clients in a wide variety of fields. In fact, some aspects of working in one field of activity may provide insights for assisting clients in other fields and promote lateral thinking.

I support companies in the (international) recruitment and selection of senior executives, and also enjoy acting as a coach/mentor to managers at all levels in their organisations.

Finally, I have been asked on a number of occasions to carry out confidential conciliation projects to overcome differences between competitors on particular markets, or between departments in major worldwide business groups.