• 2 parts Visual thinking Falmouth University

  A degree in illustration taught me to see problems differently, make abstract ideas concrete, and answer a brief with something unexpected. That instinct never left — it just scaled from paper to systems and organisations.

• 1 part Radical transparency NixonMcInnes

  Transparency isn't a risk — it's a strategy. I learned at NixonMcInnes that sharing work early, inviting critique, and building in public creates better outcomes and stronger teams. Everything I do now starts with an open hand.

• Equal measures Design × Engineering We Are Friday

  The best products come from designers and engineers working side by side, not throwing specs over a wall. Embedded in engineering teams before cross-functional was a buzzword, I learned that agile isn't a process — it's a posture.

• A generous helping of Institutional patience Lloyds Banking Group

  Five years inside one of the UK's biggest institutions taught me that simplicity is hard — and that telling the story of why it matters is just as important as achieving it. Simplicity requires patience, knowledge, the courage to cut, and a narrative that brings people with you.

• A pinch of Productive tension 4G Capital

  Good product leadership isn't comfortable. At 4G Capital in East Africa I learned to hold the tension between what the business wants and what users need — and not let either side win too easily. The stakes were real, the constraints were real, and the easy answer was rarely the right one.

• To taste Purposeful disruption JPMorgan Chase

  Bringing all of the above into one of the world's largest financial institutions. The goal isn't to break things — it's to change them from the inside, in ways that actually stick. Twenty years of unconventional moves, finally making sense.

Combine. Prove for 20 years. Apply heat.