The C-Suite Coach | I help senior leaders thrive in their roles by optimising their performance, energy and time to enjoy their careers once more (you deserve it). Book your discovery call today.

Most senior executives are technically brilliant but invisible.

I help C-suite executives build the executive presence and influence to get recognised as visionary leaders.

Why does this matter?

Despite your contributions, you're not getting the recognition you deserve. 
You're stuck managing tasks instead of leading strategically. 
Your boss wants you to be "more strategic," but you can't see the path.

Worst of all?

You're overlooked while others with less competence move ahead.
The problem isn't your intelligence or work ethic. 

It's your executive presence.

My Background: I've Walked This Path

I've spent 20+ years at the C-suite level at Citi and currently as GM at a Blackstone portfolio company. 
I know what it takes to command respect and lead with influence because I'm living it right now.
I coach from the arena, not the sidelines- which means I understand your current pressures and can help you carry the load. I'm also a Communications Professor at IESE Business School and have spoken at 50+ conferences globally.

The Transformation

I help senior executives who feel invisible become recognised leaders who:

→ Communicate with influence, not just authority 
→ Get recognised and advance their careers 
→ Command respect without demanding it 
→ Inspire teams instead of micromanaging 
→ Focus on strategy, not stuck in tasks

My Approach

Unlike coaches who only ask questions, I provide practical solutions based on C-suite experience.
I combine emotional intelligence with accountability to turn problems into action.
No corporate BS or cookie-cutter frameworks.

My methodology builds:

• Masterful Communication & Executive Presence 
• Authentic Leadership Identity 
• Resilient Inner Core 
• Strategic Influence

I integrate insights from marathon running, meditation, and Stoic philosophy for sustainable performance.

Who I Work With

C-suite executives across all industries who are ready to build executive presence that advances their careers.

What Clients Say

"Peter is a brilliant coach. He is a great listener, truly cares and freely shares his wisdom." 
Nora Tandberg, CFO, Papirfly

"Peter's unique perspective is very effective in a business setting and brings a fresh perspective to solving contemporary challenges." 
Guy Nicholas Mansfield, CFO, C-Quest Capital

Ready to Elevate Your Leadership Impact?

Book your strategy call today.

Peter McKenzie

The biggest mistake executives make when they prepare for presentations? 
They try to sound like someone else.

I've coached over 100 senior professionals improve their presentation style.

Most say they want to become a version of a leader they admire.

Think Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Barack Obama, Donald Trump.
Or their most impressive boss.

And that's exactly what holds them back. 

Executive presence isn't about copying someone else. 

It's about connecting by being you. 

Watch the video - I break down what that means and how to apply it.

What's your biggest challenge when you have to present when the stakes are high?

----------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

The C-Suite Coach | Elevating Executive Presence for Greater Leadership Impact | C-suite at Citi, currently GM at Anticipa - a Blackstone portfolio company | I coach from the arena, not the sidelines.

"Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions" is a horrible way to lead your team.

It's one classic phrase that leads to another:

"Why didn't anyone raise this before?"

The reason: 
You trained them not to.

Your team may have seen a complex situation unfold.
But if speaking up means they must have the answer, most will stay quiet.

Because they know the situation isn't easy to solve.

And you've made it clear: 

“Bring me a problem without a solution, and you’ll get a rollicking.”

So they wait. 
They pray it resolves itself.
Then it blows up.

And you're frustrated that no one informed you.

And worse still, the buck stops with you.

My old Ops head did it differently.

He'd genuinely thank people for raising issues, even when there was no clear fix.
He'd reward honesty - as long as we'd work with him to figure it out.

And we built a reputation as a group: no nasty surprises. 

And crises caught early.

So if your team isn't vocal enough, redefine what your leadership looks like.

You can’t demand your team have all the answers.

Instead, make it safe for them to speak up when they have none.

-------------------------
Is your team 100% transparent with you? 
If not, how will you fix that?
-------------------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

You don't have a leadership impact problem. 
You have a distraction problem.
 
Your phone is in your hand. 
Your mind is rehearsing. 
You're performing instead of delivering. 

You're focusing inwards.
 
Want presence? 
Be present.
 
Close the laptop. 
Drop the phone. 
Watch their faces. 

Listen to their point, not prepare yours. 

And when you speak? 

Observe how your message lands and connects.
 
It's called Executive PRESENCE for a reason.
 
Which habit trips you up - phone in hand or mind rehearsing?

---------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

Michael's boss gave him candid feedback:
 "Your presentations lack energy. Your delivery is monotone."

Poor Michael had been delivering PowerPoints like that for years.

But three weeks later, the boss had changed his tune: 
"Whatever course you’ve been on, it’s working."

But he hadn’t been on any course.

We’d introduced one simple daily habit into his routine.

In this video: The 7-day smartphone challenge I use with C-suite clients.

No fancy equipment needed. 

Are you up for the challenge?

-----------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

What if your Impostor Syndrome is not a problem? 
Instead it's confirmation you're exactly where you need to be?

Most leaders see it as a weakness. 
It sends shivers down their spines. 

They try to push through it, 
To suppress it
Or pretend they have it all worked out. 

Its a mistake.

That's the path to cracking under pressure. 

In this video I describe the reframe: 

Imposter syndrome is a sign you're stretching yourself.

-------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

A new year is like a new relationship based solely on physical attraction.  
Once that spark fades, the mundane takes over.  

You slip back into old habits. 

Your New Year's resolutions won't make 2026 different from last year. 

Defining a fresh identity will. 

The first CFO I worked for at Citi in London was Bob.

He was criticised for being too distant. 
People said he spent too much time in his office.  
He lacked presence and charisma. 

In fact, some of us had never spoken with him. 

At the start of the new year, he took the feedback on board and publicly committed to becoming more engaged. 

But he didn't go mad. 

He started monthly breakfast meetings with people he didn't know.

He led a cross-department project instead of staying in his silo. 

And something really simple:  

He walked the floor daily and kept his office door open. 

There was no massive overnight transformation. 
Just small things that became significant over time. 

By the end of the year, his team, peers, and boss saw him in a different light. 
He'd built a new leadership identity - not from a list of goals, but from changing how he showed up every day. 

So if you want more impact as a leader in 2026, forget that resolution list (the same one from last year, right?). 

Instead, decide who you want to be this year. 

Then take the small, daily actions that person would take. 

--------------------
PS The most powerful way to make lasting change is to be held accountable by a coach for what you commit to. 
If you want to explore how that works, DM me and let’s talk.

Most executives avoid the spotlight.
They're brilliant technically, but invisible when it matters:
 
Board presentations  
Investor pitches  
Townhalls  
Keynotes
 
These are your opportunities to step up.
 
But do you seek them, or shun them?
 
And what does that cost you? 
(It's more than you think.)
 
I've spoken at 50+ conferences across Europe. 
It took me years to figure out what works on stage.
 
Here are 5 mistakes I see leaders make when presenting (I've made them all).
 
Which one are you making?

<<<>>>

It's 8am on Day 1 as CEO of Github.
Nat Friedman gets everyone on a call.

People are expecting the usual new CEO stuff. 
The big vision speech. 
The strategic priorities.

Instead, Nat screen-shares a giant list of 100+ customer complaints.

Every bug. 
Every frustration. 

The stuff the team had been ignoring for months.

He says: 
"Today, we're going to pick one of these and fix it. 
Tomorrow, another one. Until we've knocked out 20+ of them."

The team were shocked. 

They were used to thinking in months. 
Now things were measured in hours.

It transformed Github within weeks. 

And showed everyone exactly who Nat was: 

Someone who acts, not plans.

Most new executives do the opposite.

They show up with process reviews and strategy sessions. 
Lots of meetings behind closed doors "getting the full picture."

Meanwhile, their number 2 is out on the floor fixing actual problems.

By day 30, it's clear to everyone who the real leader is.
(and who should have been promoted into the job)

Executive presence isn't built through careful planning.
It's built in the first 30 days when people watch what you DO, not what you SAY.

When you're the new leader, your team isn't waiting for your vision.
They're watching to see if you'll make their life better. 

Or just add more meetings.

You’ve got 30 days ahead. 
What are you going to fix?

And when?

PS What's the best (or worst) executive transition you've witnessed?
------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Blindly following productivity advice keeps you exactly where you are.
Busy - but ineffective.
 
And no threat to anyone above you.

You know the feeling. 

• Your calendar is packed. 
• Your Inbox is close to zero. 
• Your to-do list is under control.

But then you have that Wile E. Coyote moment. 

You glance down...
Your legs are spinning...
But there’s no ground beneath your feet!

Splat!

And all that optimization stuff?

It made you excellent at tasks that don't matter.

• The Pomodoro technique powered you through mails.
• Time blocking stuffed meetings into your calendar. 
• Tasks got ticked off.
  
But none of it achieved anything.

Because the work that actually matters - the 20% that creates 80% of impact - doesn't fit into 25-minute sprints.

• Having that difficult conversation with your underperforming direct report. 
• Taking three days to think through a tough strategic decision. 

These things don't feel productive. 

Its the opposite - they feel so slow & inefficient that you procrastinate.

It’s easier to optimize the easier 80%. 

I know all of that because I was Wile E. Coyote.

It was only when I realised that the best leaders I worked with often didn't look productive that the penny finally dropped.

Productivity isn't the goal.

Productivity tips may make you faster.
But they won’t make you an effective leader.

So:

What's that uncomfortable important task you’re avoiding by staying so busy?

<<<>>>

➕ Follow me for more on leadership & executive presence 
♻️ Reshare if you found this helpful.

To become the best, you have to learn from the best.

The Australian Tennis Open champion, Carlos Allcaraz, is just that.

At the age of 22, he has made history by becoming the youngest player to lift the 4 major Grand Slams.

How does he do it?

Mindset.

And three words of advice from his grandfather.

If you want to know what they are, watch this short video.

You can learn from a 22-year-old, too!

-------------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Personalised VA | Allowing You to Focus on Your Why | Digital Marketing | Become Accountable | Global Traveler

My journey to creating Ignite Drive started during the Pandemic. 


Like many, you find once you share a story - you're not the only one whose been through such a pattern. 

In fact, most of my clients have been in a similar position. 

The 6am-6pm grind. A life where the week seemingly disappears. 


During my journey I’ve encountered many ups and downs. 

Went from a big team to downsizing, to upsizing again to only realise that I was just doing whatever path was easily set out before me. 


I wasn’t fulfilled. 


More and more the clients I was working with started to be small businesses. 

Companies that have a purpose and want to make a positive impact on the world. 

That have motives beyond just making money… 

Education
Learning 
Community Building 

I realised these are the people I want to align with. 


More and more the responsibilities they wanted to hand over became of higher value than just a VA. 

They wanted strategy. 

“Sure let’s do this” I said. 

So I invested my time preparing. More courses, books, insights, calls, talks - you name it - I’m making a wave there. 

Because in the end - strategy is what I would most enjoy helping my clients with. 

Getting all the moving parts - and aligning them. Making sure everyone is talking together. 

Marketing & Sales - Converting seamlessly. 


Coming from a corporate background - I know the money that’s out there. 

I know a lot of it is made without being “popular” on any social media. 

There are more unknown “rich” people than known. 


So why not find them… 

That’s what I’m doing. It’s what I’ll be helping my clients do. 


With that welcome to the next chapter in my life.

Welcome… to 

Ignite Drive.

Embrace Your Ambitions & Transformation Consultancy

Oliver G Allen

New Year. New plans. 

If 2025 was the year of finding where I wanted to live. 

Then 2026 is the year I go full throttle into the many avenues I’ve spun myself into. 

In no particular order - here is what I have in store:

1) Sales/ Marketing Director for 3 companies (Some are hidden currently 😉). 

Last Year I shifted my business mind. I explored other possibilities and in the summer months of last year I spent some money and time just learning. Upgrading what I could do. 

This led to a few opportunities, some with friends and others with new business partners. 

The best part - it’s all automated. The only thing I do is: 

Set up the system & take the call and close the deal. All have negotiated rates on % of deals and continuous MRR & ARR. 

2) Youtube Automation channel - based on humanising AI automations 

I saw others in my space doing long form content so I decided to give it a go. 

In 1 month I made $1k usd and I expect this to keep on going. 

It essentially educates my audience on how to build the automations I use themselves or pay a small fee to get it immediately. 

Will do a whole separate post on this. 

3) Coliving space in Sri Lanka, Ahangama - The Purple Jungle 

The big one - Its funny world I’m living in. I’m watching a town appear from nothing. 

Ahangama 3 years ago was a small fishing village where barely 100 people lived. 

Now it’s a thriving tourist spot where 100,000’s (maybe millions) are expected to visit. 

So I’m building something different. A space in the jungle - away from the hustle and bustle, the noise and the craziness of life. 

A space to just feel… peace. 

And that for 2026 is so far what will happen. 

I’m sure like every year, there will be ups, downs, pains, challenges, successes, laughter and joys. 

Because after all. 

It’s about the adventure. Not the destination. 


What’s your 2026 plans? Let me know if the comments - excited to hear what you are up to!

Oliver  G Allen

Embrace Your Ambitions | B2B Marketing & Sales Converting Strategies | Automating Your Systems At Scale | Keeping it Human

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