helping people navigate important moments
Drawing on more than 20 years in executive leadership, governance and organisational change, I help people across Newcastle and the wider North East think clearly when the stakes are high.
Before creating Forster Jones Consulting, I led complex services, managed significant teams and budgets, and worked alongside boards, governing bodies, CEOs and senior decision-makers.
I've learned that the most important challenges are rarely just technical. They involve people, relationships, uncertainty and decisions that affect others.
My work now brings together executive coaching, governance and organisational consultancy, workplace mediation and Humanist funeral celebrancy.
At first glance, those might seem like very different things.
Over time, I've come to realise they are connected by a common thread: helping people navigate important moments with clarity, compassion and confidence.
Sometimes that means supporting a leader facing a difficult decision. Sometimes it's helping a board or team work through conflict, uncertainty or organisational change. Sometimes it's creating space for reflection and support after the death of someone important.
The settings are different, but the underlying work is often remarkably similar. It is about creating space for honest conversation, thoughtful reflection, better decisions and meaningful outcomes when life or work feels complex.
What continues to interest me most is how people make sense of uncertainty, carry responsibility, navigate change and find a way forward when there are no straightforward answers.
what connects my work
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Whether I'm sitting around a boardroom table, facilitating a difficult workplace conversation or meeting a family after a bereavement, I see the same themes again and again.
People are often dealing with uncertainty.
They may be carrying responsibility, facing difficult decisions or trying to navigate change.
They are often looking for clarity, perspective and a way forward.
My role is not to tell people what to do.
It's to help them think more clearly, understand what matters most, explore their options and move forward with greater confidence.
I believe people are usually far more capable than they realise. Given the right support, most already possess the insight and resourcefulness they need.
what matters to me
My work is guided by five values:
clarity
Seeing what is true, understanding what matters, and identifying practical ways forward.
steadiness
Bringing calm and perspective when situations feel uncertain or overwhelming.
humanity
Meeting people where they are with warmth, respect and curiosity.
integrity
Doing work that aligns with values, purpose and long-term impact.
purpose
Supporting people, organisations and communities to do work that matters.
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beyond work
I'm based in Newcastle upon Tyne and work with clients across the UK.
Outside work, you'll often find me cooking, spending time on my allotment, travelling, exploring new places to eat, or working on a (usually a bit rubbish) crochet project.
I'm Chair of Eating Distress North East, a Trustee and Director of Humanists UK, and an accredited Humanist funeral celebrant.
Those roles keep me connected to the things that matter most to me: people, community, good governance and making a positive difference.