One of the things we pride ourselves on is fairness. In a way that fairness builds trust. Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods.

About us

The Trusted Executive Foundation - logo

Although trust in business is at a low ebb, it retains higher levels of trust than other institutions and business leaders such as Paul Polman, ex-CEO of Unilever, Dame Carolyn McCall, ex-CEO of EasyJet, and Richard Branson of Virgin are demonstrating how businesses can focus on their ‘purpose beyond profit’ to do good in the world for their communities and provide the wisdom and economic power to conserve the planet whilst still delivering market-leading financial returns.

The Trusted Executive Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in helping leaders build purpose-led, high performance cultures built on the values of trust and challenge. Our products and services transform the performance of leaders and organisation to deliver the triple bottom-line of results, relationships and reputation.

At the heart of our work lie the proven models and diagnostic tools from our founder Dr John Blakey’s acclaimed books, ‘Challenging Coaching’ and ‘The Trusted Executive’, together with his prize-winning doctoral research on trust, involving real-world CEOs, from one of the UK’s leading business schools.

We help you drive sustainable and measurable business impact through working with our team’s unique combination of board-level commercial acumen and extensive coaching expertise. As a not-for-profit, our mission is to gift over £1m to UK-based Christian charities, that are inclusive at the point of need, over the next ten years via the Trusted Executive Charitable Foundation.

Come and join us on the Journey of Trust!

Request a call back today to find out how the Journey of Trust
can benefit you and your business.

Our Partners

Vistage logo
Institute of Directors logo
illustra logo

Our Team

Click on the photos below to find out more about the skills and experience of our team:

Dr John Blakey

Mac Farquhar

Chris Gaines

Sharon Curry

Mandy Fowler

Steve McCann

Proud to be helping the following organisations deliver results, relationships and reputation:

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John BlakeyJohn Blakey

It has been my life’s work to research and practice how trust and challenge contribute to building high performance teams and organisational cultures. As an entrepreneur, corporate leader, CEO executive coach and thought leader, I have worked at the highest levels in both business and sport to support and challenge brave leaders who are pioneering to create purpose-led organisations where success is measured by results, relationships and reputation.

My role in the Foundation is to inspire and motivate senior leaders through delivering thought-provoking, pragmatic keynote sessions based on the best-selling books ‘Challenging Coaching’ and ‘The Trusted Executive’, as well as working 1-2-1 with CEOs as an executive coach to help them build the habits of trust and challenge in their day-to-day leadership roles.

Mac Farquhar

Mac Farquhar

Throughout my business career as a manager and a coach, I have long been curious about why leadership has not improved as a result of all the investment that has gone into its development. Sadly, in some quarters, it appears to have gone backwards, not forwards.

Thankfully, the answer to this paradox is emerging from the research conducted by John Blakey and others into the power of trust and its effect on engagement and performance. In particular, the difference that benevolence makes when shown by leaders of ability and integrity in creating a culture of trust.

As a co-Director of the Trusted Executive Foundation, it is a rewarding experience for me to have the opportunity to co-create with our clients and our team, a new standard for leadership defined by trustworthiness. One that is supported by a strong sense of purpose that extends beyond profit to develop long-term, sustainable, and successful businesses, that care about humanity and the world we live in.

Chris GainesChris Gaines

I firmly believe that outstanding teams deliver outstanding results. Subsequently I have devoted my career in the pursuit of building and leading outstanding teams, where successful outcomes, growth, strategic and cultural change programmes are achieved through creating a high trust culture. A culture built around the 3 pillars of ability, integrity and benevolence and role modelled through the 9 Habits and focused on delivery.

With a proven track record, having worked at board level across FTSE 100 to private equity, my commercial experience enables me to support corporate, public and 3rd sector organisations in mapping and measuring outcomes across a triple bottom line. Fully committed to support the organisations we work with to deliver courageous and stretch goals across the results, relationships and reputation spectrum.

Sharon CurrySharon Curry

The ‘Three Pillars’ of integrity, ability and benevolence drive my personal best with trust and respect at my core. 35 years of national and international experience provide a deep understanding of people and the behaviours and strategies required for successful business outcomes.

Executive Coach, Innovation Expert and former Naval Officer, I coach and facilitate leadership thinking in leading military, educational and commercial organisations globally including the NHS Leadership Academy, Royal Navy, SAID Business School (UAE), Pfizer and Toyota.

I enable my clients to influence success for themselves, their teams and organisations, bringing about change for the benefit of all. Together, through trustworthiness, clarity, and a proactive approach we promote and sustain the ‘triple bottom line’ of results, reputation and relationships.

Mandy FowlerMandy Fowler

With over 25 years commercial experience in some of the UK’s largest marketing and media companies it is no surprise that my coaching framework has a strong outcomes and solutions focus.

At the heart of my philosophy is the strong belief that everyone can achieve their full potential when feeling empowered to act and I'm hugely motivated by the level of transformational change that is possible when set within the context of the Trusted Executive’s pillars of ability, integrity and benevolence.

My role is to support and challenge leaders and teams on their Journey of Trust as well as responsibility for the Foundation’s business development.

Steve McCannSteve McCann

Individual and team development is my passion. Based upon a deep belief that we all have the potential to achieve the results we want, establish the relationships we value and create the purpose we need. This is embodied by the three pillars and nine habits of trustworthy leadership.

Developing high-performing, high-trust teams that deliver significant return to investors, strong foundations for future growth and work that people love, is what gets me out of bed in the morning.

My positive, energetic and challenging approach is underpinned by over 30 years of senior executive experience across a variety of roles and functions in military, sporting, public, private, listed and private-equity businesses, most recently as COO of a PE backed automotive distributor, leading a major transformation programme.