Meeting Everyone Where They Are

Modern Leadership Strategy

Leading a business through growth, transformation, or preparing for an exit requires a structured approach to leadership, operations, and communication. Whether you're navigating a turnaround, restructuring your team, or scaling for acquisition, I help leaders build strategies that drive efficiency, clarity, and long-term success.

I provide high-level advisory and fractional COO support, ensuring that teams, tools, and business strategy are aligned for optimal performance. My experience spans three startups, two of which successfully exited, giving me firsthand insight into the pressures, milestones, and decision-making frameworks that define successful businesses at key inflection points.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

  • Effective communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how it’s structured for maximum clarity, impact, and engagement based on the audience it’s trying to reach. I help leaders:

    » Craft & Deliver Quarterly Updates – Ensure key business updates are framed clearly and strategically, making data meaningful for everyone who’s listening

    » Turn Data into a Narrative – Translate complex reports into digestible, compelling story-driven insights that motivate teams and inform decision-making.
    » All-Hands Meetings & Reports – Optimize internal presentations so they drive action, not just information overload.

  • Scaling a business succesfully means ensuring processes, teams, and systems are primed for long-term value. Having navigated multiple startup lifecycles, including successful exits, I help businesses:

    » Structure Operations for Investment or Sale – Ensure that financials, data, workflows, and leadership structures are optimized for a smooth acquisition or fundraising process.

    » Refine Internal Processes for Scalability – Implement frameworks that allow a business to grow efficiently without operational bottlenecks.

    » Align Leadership & Board Priorities – Provide strategic support to unify leadership teams, investors, and operational goals for high-growth and exit planning.

  • Digital transformation is only as effective as the leaders driving it. I work with executives to:

    » Design & Execute Change Programmes – Develop clear, actionable strategies for organizational shifts, ensuring alignment from leadership to frontline teams.
    » Communicate Change Effectively – Train leaders to present change narratives that inspire buy-in and reduce friction across teams.

    » Build Leadership Resilience – Equip executives and emerging management talent with the tools to navigate uncertainty, maintain morale, and keep teams focused during transitions.

What’s My Story?

For more than two decades, I’ve been driven by storytelling—first as a journalist, then as a strategist helping businesses articulate and refine their narratives. My experience spans newsrooms, startups, SMEs, and large corporations, giving me a unique perspective on how stories shape perception, engagement, and growth. Whether it's breaking news, brand messaging, or corporate positioning, I understand the mechanics of compelling storytelling at every level.

Beyond crafting narratives, I’ve built and led businesses, from running small companies to scaling startups and directing large teams in global enterprises. This hands-on leadership experience means I don’t just advise on storytelling—I help businesses execute their narratives in real-world market conditions. I understand the pressures of growth, the challenges of differentiation, and how the right story can unlock opportunities, sell a concept and fuel momentum.

At the intersection of content, strategy, and leadership, I offer a practical, results-driven approach to storytelling. My work isn’t just about words—it’s about ensuring your narrative aligns with your strategy, drives action, and strengthens your position in the market. Whether you’re pitching investors, defining your brand voice, or entering a new market, I help you craft a story that sets you apart and sets you up for success.

Claire McHugh - Axonista

"In a few sessions, Markham provided Axonista with a fresh, strategic perspective drawing on his extensive experience in the media tech world. He helped us to transform our approach to opportunities that lay within our network. His ability to facilitate sessions to extract ideas, evaluate them objectively, articulate and document them in a clear way, was incredibly helpful to our leadership team in our decision making."

Let’s Shape Your Narrative

Whether you’re launching, scaling, or repositioning your business, your story is a powerful asset. Let’s work together to shape a narrative that drives growth, unlocks new opportunities, and strengthens your market position. Share your details below or book a 15-minute exploratory call.