For companies
Your strongest functional leader may be your next business leader. But are they ready?
Deep expertise gets a leader noticed. Broader judgment determines whether they can successfully carry a business, a P&L or an enterprise mandate.
I help companies prepare high-potential functional leaders for that transition—and support them once they make it.
The development gap
A promotion expands responsibility faster than experience.
The new general manager may know the product but not the sales system. The engineering leader may suddenly need to understand margins and investment tradeoffs. The finance leader may understand the numbers but need greater fluency in customers, products and commercialization.
Traditional leadership programs often address leadership in general. Functional training goes deeper into the discipline the leader already knows. The gap sits between them: learning how the whole business works and how to lead across it.
That gap becomes most visible at departmental intersections. The product may be technically strong but commercially misaligned. Sales may hear a market signal that Product does not trust. Finance may see unattractive economics after the organization has already fallen in love with the solution. Developing a business leader means developing the judgment and relationships to resolve those tensions early.
When this work makes sense
- A high-potential VP is being considered for a broader role.
- A newly promoted leader is inheriting a business unit or P&L.
- A succession candidate needs commercial or financial breadth.
- A technically strong executive must lead more effectively across functions.
- A recently promoted leader is finding the transition harder than expected.
Two ways to invest in a leader’s transition
Preparing for the Next Role
Before the promotion
Assesses readiness, identifies the gaps and builds the business fluency the target role will require—before the decision is made.
Stepping Into the Bigger Role
After the promotion
In-role coaching that uses the leader’s actual business, team and decisions to accelerate learning during the first six months.
What the company gains
- Faster readiness for broader responsibility.
- Better cross-functional judgment.
- Greater commercial and financial fluency.
- Stronger decisions during a consequential transition.
- A more deliberate approach to succession and internal mobility.
- Development positioned as an investment in potential—not a correction of failure.
Sponsorship and confidentiality
Clear objectives. Clear boundaries.
Company-sponsored coaching works best when everyone understands the purpose of the engagement.
At the outset, the sponsor, the leader and I align on the business context, development objectives and indicators of progress. The content of coaching conversations remains confidential. Progress discussions focus on agreed objectives, observable development and the leader’s own assessment—not a replay of private conversations.
How an engagement runs
- Sponsor, leader and I align on objectives and what progress will look like.
- Coaching begins against those defined development priorities.
- Individual sessions stay confidential.
- Sponsor updates cover the agreed objectives and observable progress — not a replay of private conversations.
- The engagement closes with a transition or development review.
This is the intended public policy. The detailed confidentiality terms, exceptions and information-sharing boundaries should be documented in the engagement agreement and reviewed when that agreement is created.
Why Mark
My career crossed the functions these leaders are learning to connect: Engineering, Product, Sales & Marketing, General Management and the C-Suite. I understand the transition from functional depth to enterprise responsibility because I made it myself.
Selected operator proof
- Grew a business unit from approximately $20 million to $50 million in revenue over four years while carrying complete P&L responsibility.
- Increased a company’s valuation fourfold in less than two years as CEO and led the company through its sale.
- As Chief Product Officer, made Product accountable for commercial outcomes and partnered with Sales and Marketing so commercialization began at the business case rather than after the build—which improved prioritization and stopped weak investments earlier.
Our Customer Success leaders had great insight from customers but could not turn it into recommendations our product teams would act on. I asked Mark to work with them on the product side, and he showed them how priorities get set and how decisions actually get made. They came out of it carrying more weight internally, owning the executive conversations with customers, and cascading the approach through their teams.
FAQ
Who usually sponsors the engagement?
The leader’s manager, CEO, CHRO, Chief People Officer, talent leader or HR business partner may sponsor the work. The right sponsor is the person accountable for the leader’s development and successful transition.
Can the engagement be tailored to our leadership framework?
Yes. Company language and leadership expectations can inform the objectives without turning the coaching into a standardized training program.
How will we know whether it is working?
We establish specific development objectives at the beginning. Evidence may include the quality of cross-functional decisions, confidence with the P&L, stakeholder effectiveness, clarity of priorities or progress through a role transition.
Can you coach several leaders?
Yes, subject to availability. Each leader works with me through a separate one-on-one engagement. I do not currently offer cohort or group coaching.
How is the engagement priced?
Each company-sponsored engagement begins with a scoping conversation and a written proposal. The proposal defines the objectives, cadence, sponsor involvement, scope and total engagement fee.
Who are you preparing for broader responsibility?
Let’s discuss the role, the leader and the capabilities the transition will demand.
Discuss a transitionA brief, confidential conversation about the role, the leader and what the transition will require. No obligation either way.