About Richard

I'm a systems thinker. I see structures and patterns everywhere - in businesses, in teams, in technology, in life. It's how my brain has always worked.

I graduated from the University of York with a Masters in Electronic Engineering and became a Chartered Engineer. I'm a Fellow of the RSA, committed to inspiring better ways of thinking, acting and delivering change. And some years ago, I discovered I have aphantasia - an inability to form mental images — which may explain why I've always leaned towards systems, logic and frameworks rather than visualisation.

My career has taken me from corporate telecoms (BT, MFS) to co-founding a Silicon Valley startup that grew to over 1,200 people and a $2.3bn NASDAQ listing, to leading UK ventures in Wi-Fi infrastructure, charity, and beyond. Some thrived. Some were expensive learning exercises. All of them taught me something.

Today I spend my time helping entrepreneurial leaders see and change the systems holding their businesses back - primarily through EOS - and building TheGivingMachine, a charity I co-founded in 2006 that's given over £2.5 million to UK good causes.

What connects all of it is a simple belief: people and teams almost always have more in them than they're currently showing.  If you change your system, you can change your results and if I see better way - I can't leave that alone.

Beyond Work

Underpinning everything is the foundation my family and friends provide - something I never take for granted.

I'm also endlessly curious, which means I'm usually exploring something:

• Technology & AI - I'm constantly testing new tools and approaches to understand where they fit. Sometimes it's genuinely useful. Sometimes it's just an excuse to play.

• Gaming - The early days of Quake and Counter-Strike never left me. I still find time for my Alienware rig, though I can't claim to be any good.

• Physics, metaphysics & beyond - The relationship between consciousness, quantum mechanics, the nature of reality and energy fields fascinates me. I'm enjoying the new contributions appearing regularly in these areas.

• Skateboarding - Yes, I can still do a 360. Mostly without falling off.