Metropolitan Business Association

I'm leading the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), an organisation dedicated to developing an English-speaking business community of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Barcelona and empowering its members to achieve sustainable growth through a network built on respect, collaboration, and mutual success.

President & Co- Founder

Ask Maria Kelly

As Fractional Chief Strategy Officer, I help businesses scale with confidence by providing the strategy, structure, and skills they need to grow smoothly and sustainably.

✅ Business Strategy & Growth Coaching: Partnering with entrepreneurs to develop clear strategies that drive sustainable growth.

✅ Leadership Development: Empowering leaders to enhance team performance and navigate challenges effectively.

✅ Process Optimisation: Streamlining operations to improve efficiency and scalability.

✅ Team Training Workshops: Conducting customised training sessions to build cohesive and high-performing teams.

Founder & Principal Consultant 

North Paddington Food Bank

Implemented and managed the on-boarding and DBS vetting of 400 new volunteers to respond to the high demand of home deliveries for people self isolating or vulnerable in the wake of Covid-19. Tested and integrated a volunteer software program to manage the process going forward.

Senior Volunteer

Sotheby's

Leading the Division’s Auction & Private Sales Business. 
Consolidated the core activity of both divisions ensuring global consistency & synergies within regions and departments. 
Led the Middle East development launching the first Watches Auction in Dubai.

Global Deputy Managing Director Jewellery & Watches Division

Working alongside the Managing Director, created the  Luxury & Lifestyle Division & successfully delivered <$500 million of aggregated auction sales.

Deputy Managing Director Luxury & Lifestyle Division

Business lead for two Global Departments: Jewellery and Watches

International Division Director Jewellery and Watches

Management of the North America regional specialist departments: 
24 Departments split across three divisions: Fine Arts, Decorative Arts and Asian Arts.
Led the integration & partnership with RM Sotheby’s (cars)

Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Specialists

Management of the North America Regional Fine Arts Division
Guest Speaker at the Sotheby's Institute of Art Summer Study Program

Senior Vice President, Division Director

Led all Financial, Operational, HR & Administrative functions in Switzerland. 
•	Compliance Officer Switzerland
•	Deputy Money Laundering Officer Switzerland
Officer Promotions:
•	Senior Director 2012
•	Director 2007
•	Deputy Director 2006

General Manager & Business Director Switzerland

Lead the Swiss Administrative group, the Shipping Department, Security and Risk in Geneva. Oversaw the client experience.

Office Manager

Organised the physical movement of all Works of Art, Jewellery and Watches in and out of Geneva for annual values exceeding $ 300 million. Managed Security, Risk and Building Maintenance.

Shipping Manager

Effectively ran the administration of the Geneva Import & Export Department. Coordinated shipments of consignments and purchases of high end jewellery, watches and works of art for auction.

Shipping Coordinator

Split between the Shipping Department and the Sales Administration Department.
Assisted the Shipping Deputy on all administrative tasks, including Inventory management and SAP and invoice procurement and administered the auctions.

Sales Administrator & Shipping Assistant

CAMAIEU INTERNATIONAL

Camaïeu is a French retail clothing company which manufactures and sells its own collections of women's clothing.

Sales Assistant

EMS Eynard-Fatio  Retirement Home

Gave daily care to elderly "end of life" patients

Health Care Assistant

Fondation Baur, musée des arts d'Extrême-Orient

Museum Assistant

🚀Accelerate Your Leadership Transition in 90 days 💥Growth Strategist for Leaders Who Care 🎯Executive & Corporate Coaching 🎯Career Coaching For Frustrated Professionals Who Want to Get Unstuck

You didn’t start your business to feel stuck, stressed, and overwhelmed. But here you are, you’ve hit a wall. You’re busting your chops, yet things aren’t coming together. Your business is running you instead of the other way around

You had a vision: freedom, growth, & work that truly mattered. But somewhere along the way, things got complicated:

‼️ You’re working hard, but growth isn’t happening fast enough
‼️ Your team should be your biggest asset, not your biggest challenge
‼️ Decisions are piling up, you feel stuck & scaling seems impossible

What I Do

I work with entrepreneurs and business owners hitting a wall in strategy, leadership, or processes. I deliver a clear, practical plan so you can stop second-guessing & start scaling

No vague advice. Just clarity, confidence, and action

How We Make That Happen

✅ 1:1 Business Strategy Coaching – Get unstuck, simplify decisions, & confidently move forward

✅ Fractional Chief Strategy Officer: People | Processes | Leadership – High-level strategic support to optimise your team, streamline operations & strengthen leadership

✅ High-Impact Team Training Days – Hands-on workshops to improve communication, collaboration, & performance

What You Can Expect

✔ No cookie-cutter solutions. Just practical, tailored strategies that work
✔ A clear, actionable plan for your business & you
✔ A trusted partner to help you scale with confidence

Why Trust Me?

With 25+ years of experience in business strategy, leadership, and operations, I bring real-world expertise, a global perspective, & a results-driven approach

Key Credentials

⏩ Triple-Accredited Professional Coach
⏩ Senior Executive Leader (Sotheby’s, $500M+ in annual sales)
⏩ Co-founder & President, Metropolitan Business Association 
⏩ Member of the Professional Speakers Association Spain
⏩ Officer of 22@ Toastmasters Barcelona Club 

What Clients Say

"Maria’s insight made a tangible, emotional, & financial difference to the company." 
— Zoe Loveday, Managing Director, SSK

"Maria’s intervention was critical in accelerating awareness around opportunities ahead, resulting in significant positive change."
— Bruno Vinciguerra, CEO, Bonhams

Beyond work? You’ll find me

🤝 Speaking at Toastmasters
🌍 Building the Metropolitan Business Association 
🐶 Hanging out with my husband, Yann, & our jack-a-bee, Cookie

📞 If you’re ready to stop spinning & start scaling book a call to talk about how I can support you

Your business should serve you, not consume you. Let’s fix that!

👉 Get my best business tips in your inbox: https://askmariakelly.ck.page

Maria Kelly

This one feels like a "pinch me" moment
I’ve had something under wraps for a while, and today I finally get to share it.

Today is my first day as a Professor at CIEE Barcelona.

I'll be teaching Strategic Management to undergraduate study-abroad students, the kind of course that blends classic strategy thinking with how organisations actually make decisions in the real world.

We'll cover frameworks, yes. We'll talk about AI and how it can be used ethically and responsibly as part of modern coursework (not as a shortcut). But the real focus is on judgment, decision-making, and what happens when context, culture, and people complicate all the neat theories.

I want students to leave this course with more than good notes. I want them to build confidence in their thinking, learn how to challenge ideas constructively, and understand that good decisions rarely come from theory alone.

The group work and the conversations we'll have, that's where the real learning happens and I can't wait to see what they bring into the room.

Feeling grateful, slightly nervous in the best way, and very ready to step into the classroom.

Wish me luck!!

I'm an early adopter at heart, so when Lea 🌈 Turner launched The HoLT I was one of the first to join.

A few years in, I can only say how brilliant this community is.

I've made friends, found suppliers, connected with people to work with, and honestly? It's just been a genuinely great place to be part of.

So I'm pretty proud to announce that today The HoLT Directory launches, and I'm a Founding Member!

Ask Maria Kelly is officially listed inside The HoLT Directory - a completely free, searchable directory designed to make finding brilliant support easy.
It's packed with hundreds of trusted expert small business owners and solopreneurs, covering a full spectrum of services:

Automation pros to architects. Contract lawyers to copywriters. PR to paid ads. SEO to speakers and everything in between.

Easy to use. Free to access.
Just great services, great people, and absolutely NO KNOBS!

If you're a business looking for reliable experts you can actually trust, this is a link you'll want to bookmark.😉

Check it out here: www.the-holt.com/directory

This Christmas, I made my entire family cry.
And here’s how you can too.


➡️ I used ChatGPT to write custom song lyrics for each person, pulling in shared memories, inside jokes, and things I've always wanted to say but never quite found the words for. 

➡️ Then I fed those lyrics into Suno, chose music styles I knew they'd love, and turned them into actual songs. 

➡️ Finally, I designed lyric sheets in Canva, got them printed, and on Christmas Day, I handed them out and pressed play. 

The confusion lasted about ten seconds. Then the tears started. (Mine included.) 😅

This is another example of how you can use AI in your everyday life.

A year ago, I couldn’t have created a song in 15 minutes. The quality and range of styles are impressive. It gave me a way to express something deeply personal that I simply didn't have the skills to create on my own.
I also really had fun creating these songs.

That is the real opportunity with AI: use it to boost your creativity.

Start with an idea, then let it help you deliver it in a way you couldn’t have before and in much less time.

Have you used AI to create gifts???

I don't need a word of the year.
I need a way to stop saying yes to the wrong things.

So I'm using three words as filters instead.

➡️ Stability 

2026 needs to give me financial security and predictability. A business should support you, not keep you up at night wondering if you can pay next month's bills. I want to stay self-employed AND sleep well. I want to believe that both are possible.

➡️ Commercial 

My time, energy, and expertise have to translate into actual paid work. I'm prioritising revenue over visibility for its own sake. You know what I mean... that exposure that looks great on paper but doesn't lead anywhere concrete? I'm letting that go. If it doesn't help me earn, it's not getting my yes.

➡️ Focus 

I'm stopping the habit of spreading myself thin. This year is about a small number of activities with a clear path to income. Everything else can wait (or disappear entirely, and that's ok too).

Now every idea, opportunity, collaboration, or shiny new project runs through one simple test:

❓ Does this support stability? 
❓ Is this genuinely commercial? 
❓ Does this deserve my focus right now?

If the answer is no to any of them, it waits.

I’ve always taken pride in being available and supportive. Saying yes has felt generous and right, but I need to get my head around the fact that prioritising myself and my business is not selfish, it’s necessary.

If this is going to work long term, I have to be as intentional with my own needs as I’ve been with everyone else’s.

So if you’re a business owner feeling stuck with growth and want a clear, honest conversation about how to move forward, reach out. 
That’s exactly the work I’m prioritising.😉

Unpopular opinion: The question isn't whether students should use AI.
They already do!

The real question is whether we're brave enough to help them use it well.

At CIEE Barcelona, professors set their own AI policy. I chose to allow it, and here's why: my job isn't to police what they do. It's to prepare them for the real world.

So I encourage my students to use AI as a learning tool to:

✅ Explore ideas they're curious about
✅ Clarify concepts that feel confusing
✅ Practise applying what they learn in real scenarios

I even recommend specific tools I believe genuinely help.

Because we all learn differently. Some of us need to read it, others need to hear it, some need visuals or quizzes to make it click. Giving students the option to learn through the format that actually works for them means they're more likely to do the work.

And if Footloose has thought us anything, banning something students are already doing just encourages them to do it in secret. 

Now, I still expect them to write their own work and disclose when they've used AI. In class, we apply the learning together, individually and in groups. Because what I've learned from my own experience is that memorising content for an exam you'll forget the next day isn't learning.

What I care about is whether they understand the concepts and can use them in real situations. That's how learning actually sticks. 

AI can help them get there, or it can be misused. My role is to teach the difference.

These students are stepping into a world where AI will be everywhere. Ignoring that reality doesn't prepare them, guiding them does. Leadership in education now means adapting how we teach, not clinging to outdated controls.

If we want people who can think on their feet, make decisions, and apply knowledge in real life, then our teaching has to reflect the world they're entering.

If you're teaching, training, or leading people right now, this conversation matters. What's your take on the use of AI in school?

Stop rebuilding slides from scratch!

There's a faster, cleaner way to do this now, and I'm genuinely excited to share it.

I discovered Gamma at the end of last year and thought it was brilliant. But what changed this year is a new beta feature they just launched called Remix.
 
Why? It solves one of the biggest problems with AI-created slides: Consistency.

Here's my situation: I create a slide deck for each of my Strategic Management course at CIEE Barcelona, each class covers a different topic, but the structure and visual identity need to stay the same.

A problem you may have noticed, is that when you ask AI to recreate slides (or anything) from scratch, it doesn't behave consistently. Layouts will shift and colours change. 

You may have seen these videos going around on socials of people entering the same prompt to create a picture over and over, and the picture morphing into something completely different. 

Remix fixes that:

➡️ I start with one solid slide deck in Gamma

➡️ I prompt Remix to keep the same layout and colour structure

➡️ Then I paste in the new slide outline for the next class and seconds later, the new deck is ready

➡️ From there, I only tweak content or add a slide if needed.

And tadaa! I have a consistent slide deck for my next class.

If you create slides regularly, this is genuinely worth trying.
You'll thank me later!😉

Feeling the January pressure?
Yep, me too.

I took a proper break over Christmas with no work just rest. But coming back was harder than I expected.

Everyone’s already sprinting: New goals. New routines. Same crap.

There’s this unspoken rule that you have to “start the year strong", be everywhere, do everything, plan your next six figures before the first week’s out.

But what if you didn’t?

This week’s newsletter is about saying no to the hype, yes to your own pace and how I’m using three simple words to guide every decision in 2026.

Because you know what? January isn’t the main event; it’s just the warm-up.

WANT THE FULL READ?
Check it out here tomorrow morning:  https://lnkd.in/daTCiBhm

Jamie Rose Coaching

If you could turn your LinkedIn network into paying clients, how easily could you grow your agency?

Helping recruiters, agency owners, coaches & talent acquisition teams unlock the power of social selling with actionable strategies that transform their LinkedIn networks into profitable clients and candidates. 

👉 Social Selling Framework
👉 LinkedIn Masterclass
👉 Mentoring & New Starter Training
👉 Bespoke Recruitment / Social Coaching

Social Selling and LinkedIn Coach, Mentor & Trainer

Blend Rec2Rec

Back in 2018 I went through a Rec2Rec to find me a job, and they did.  Then as soon as they found out I was gay, they tried to sack me.  True Story 🥲

As you can imagine, that was the catalyst for me to leave the “old boys’ club” behind. I didn’t want anyone to ever feel the way I did that day, and so Blend Rec2Rec was born.

𝐑𝐞𝐜2𝐑𝐞𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫?

- Agencies that want to find exceptional talent and be supported through every step of the process.
- Recruiters who want to deal with someone who has been there and done it, and will NEVER treat you
like a number or a pay check.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐞𝐭?
𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬

→ Access to the best and brightest recruiters in the market.
→ Personalised support for a smooth & simple onboarding process.
→ Fluff-free communication with total transparency.
→ A fresh approach to how Rec2Rec can & should be done.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:

→ Opportunities to work at stand-out agencies that are not trapped in 1996.
→ Open & honest insights into your potential new employer.
→ Support to identify and plan your perfect career path.
→ Someone who has been in your shoes and will fight to get you what you deserve.

Agency Owner

Independent Recruitment Agency

Delivering strategic change and business growth across core areas within; Commercial, IT & Technical recruitment.  Direct staff management across the UK. 

•Implement processes, procedures and new business standards for operational delivery and internal business functions.  Introduced various new recording metrics.  
•Support new change within the business by managing multiple internal projects including; new databases, company handbooks, new commercial website, data management and staff training.
•Strategic support to the Managing Director’s on all business & operational management. 
•Undertake all HR processes associated with people management, training, development and disciplinary actions.
•Construct and deliver in-house training for consultants; including, candidate attraction, online sourcing, headhunting and writing effective job adverts.
•Actively managing and directing recruitment teams, support staff and all offsite working.  Managing staff across various UK locations. 
•Management of financial forecasting and departmental budgets. 
•All aspects of internal recruitment and interviewing.

Operations Director

Work Recruitment

•Extensive Talent Acquisition and Recruitment management for HO and multi-site businesses. 
•High Volume recruitment within Insurance and Customer Service, as well as supporting strategic talent acquisition within the technical, commercial and HR markets.   
•Supported the introduction of apprenticeship workers across multiple sites and businesses. 
•Managed graduate recruitment intakes. 
•Complete management of on-site temporary and contract staff across multiple sites.
•Concurrently managed multiple temporary and permanent vacancies including high volume projects and specialist campaigns.
•Implemented and recommended ATS to businesses as well as methodologies on how to increase candidate traffic.
•Actively drove talent identification and ensured that passive candidates were targeted and sourced to fulfill the provision of top talent to clients.
•Effectively used technology to support the business needs and recruitment trends.
•Up to date knowledge of employment legislation that could be easily disseminated to clients as needed.
•Full 360 recruitment including writing and generating full job specifications and associated advertising, candidate pre-screening, interviews, selection and completion of full onboarding process.

Delivery of Talent Acquisition projects: 

1. Supported the restructure of the Cambridge office for a Global Medical manufacturing company, Turnover £3.7b with 25,000 employees.  Project included high volume talent acquisition across three international brands. 
2. Provided talent acquisition and recruitment support for a leading Intellectual Property firm, Turnover £36m with 170 employees.  Project included graduate recruitment and onsite support for intake days. 
3. Partnered stakeholders and senior managers of a leading Global Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys, Turnover £67m with 700 employees.  Project included talent acquisition and recruitment across Cambridge, London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Talent Acquisition Director

Office Angels

•Established career as a consultant at the Cambridge office.
•Completed Management Training and promoted to the London Victoria Branch. 
•Managed the London Victoria branch and a team of six consultants. 
•Active 360 recruitment role supporting a number of clients and candidates within the immediate area.
•Undertook staff training and development. 
•Consistently a top performing recruitment consultant with billings in excess of £300k pa.  
•Award winning consultant.

Career Consultant & Trainee Branch Manager

The Most Advanced, Cost-Effective LinkedIn & Social Recruitment Learning Platform & Live Training For Recruiters, TA & HR

Drive Sales & Attract Top Talent. 🚀

With nearly 17 years in the recruitment industry, from Trainee to Agency Owner, I've seen it all. 

But 2020 marked the most significant shift in how we work, live, and communicate, 
making it challenging for Recruiters and TA teams to attract clients & candidates. 

The traditional sales approach simply wasn't cutting it anymore. 😔

That's when I decided to do things differently.

I stepped away from the cold, outdated sales tactics and embraced the power of 
community, LinkedIn, and social networks to generate inbound clients & candidates. 

Within months, I transformed my struggling agency into a sought-after, thriving business. 👏

Since then, I've dedicated my time to helping other Recruiters and Talent teams achieve
the same success through inbound social recruitment. Here's how you can benefit:

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬:

👉 Helped hundreds of Recruiters & TA Teams benefit from inbound recruitment
👉 Developed a leading learning platform
👉 Building innovative, Recruitment focused AI tools
👉 Created battle-tested social recruitment strategies & frameworks
👉 Focused on making learning accessible to everyone

Ready to Transform Your Recruitment and Hiring Process?

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: 𝐎𝐧-𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝

✅ Comprehensive learning platform for your recruitment needs
✅ Access on-demand learning anytime, with weekly live support
✅ Advanced AI tools to boost your results (coming soon)
✅ Complete training so you master every aspect of social recruitment
✅ Supportive community for peer-to-peer learning & roundtables
✅ Masterclasses, live training, events, workshops & meet-the-director
✅ Scalable solutions, easily enrol your new starters
✅ Certified skills & earn badges to display on your LinkedIn profile

𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 1-2-1 / 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠:

✅ Everything included in SocialRecruit Pro On-Demand, plus:
✅ Customised & personalised support and training
✅ Manage performance, frameworks and support via the client portal
✅ Fully supported for implementation
✅ Build bespoke social recruitment framework for your business 

Not Ready to Work Together?  No problem 👇

Sign up for the free weekly ‘Talent Tactics Periodico’ and stay ahead with the latest social recruitment and hiring trends and strategies, designed to boost your sales and attract top talent.

taplio

The Battle

Maria Kelly

Jamie Rose 🏳️‍🌈

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMaria Kelly's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Maria Kelly

Jamie Rose 🏳️‍🌈

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Maria Kelly's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMaria Kelly's LinkedIn Performance