About

I was living transition long before it became my work.

I still am, and every transition brings new crossroads.

Faried Chopdat at a lectern, black and white

My story

Five crossings

Each one asked me to let go of who I had been. Each one taught me something I now bring to the leaders I work with.

01Executive↓Solopreneur

No title, no team, no safety net. Finding out who I am without the job description: the hardest crossing, and the most rewarding.

02Executive↓Non-executive

From doing to overseeing. You give up the levers, and your influence comes from the quality of your questions and the trust you build.

03Consumer goods↓Financial services

A different language, different risks, different politics. I had to prove myself all over again.

04South Africa↓London

I grew up under apartheid, in a country where the law decided which rooms I could walk into. Then I started again in London: new networks, new rules, and the loneliness of rebuilding.

05Bending to fit↓Simply myself

For years I bent myself out of shape to fit rooms that were not built for me. Now I simply show up as I am. I know what fitting in costs, and that is where my empathy comes from.

When the ground moves under you, you will not get a textbook. You will get practical, grounded help, from someone who has stood there himself, more than once.
1995First day as a trainee at Deloitte
80Countries, leading strategic transformation, audit and risk at SABMiller plc
40Countries, leading audit and risk at Travelex
5Boards and trustee roles, past and present

What shaped me

Values formed where fairness was never a given.

Growing up under apartheid, and rarely fitting the mould since, gave me the values I bring to everyone I work with:

IntegrityEmpathyFreedomSocial justiceInner authorityPower held to a standard

Why I do this →

Come through transition steadier, and more fully yourself.

Talk through your next move →