Metropolitan Business Association

I'm leading the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), an organisation dedicated to developing an English-speaking business community of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Barcelona and empowering its members to achieve sustainable growth through a network built on respect, collaboration, and mutual success.

President & Co- Founder

Ask Maria Kelly

As Fractional Chief Strategy Officer, I help businesses scale with confidence by providing the strategy, structure, and skills they need to grow smoothly and sustainably.

✅ Business Strategy & Growth Coaching: Partnering with entrepreneurs to develop clear strategies that drive sustainable growth.

✅ Leadership Development: Empowering leaders to enhance team performance and navigate challenges effectively.

✅ Process Optimisation: Streamlining operations to improve efficiency and scalability.

✅ Team Training Workshops: Conducting customised training sessions to build cohesive and high-performing teams.

Founder & Principal Consultant 

North Paddington Food Bank

Implemented and managed the on-boarding and DBS vetting of 400 new volunteers to respond to the high demand of home deliveries for people self isolating or vulnerable in the wake of Covid-19. Tested and integrated a volunteer software program to manage the process going forward.

Senior Volunteer

Sotheby's

Leading the Division’s Auction & Private Sales Business. 
Consolidated the core activity of both divisions ensuring global consistency & synergies within regions and departments. 
Led the Middle East development launching the first Watches Auction in Dubai.

Global Deputy Managing Director Jewellery & Watches Division

Working alongside the Managing Director, created the  Luxury & Lifestyle Division & successfully delivered <$500 million of aggregated auction sales.

Deputy Managing Director Luxury & Lifestyle Division

Business lead for two Global Departments: Jewellery and Watches

International Division Director Jewellery and Watches

Management of the North America regional specialist departments: 
24 Departments split across three divisions: Fine Arts, Decorative Arts and Asian Arts.
Led the integration & partnership with RM Sotheby’s (cars)

Senior Vice President, Head of Regional Specialists

Management of the North America Regional Fine Arts Division
Guest Speaker at the Sotheby's Institute of Art Summer Study Program

Senior Vice President, Division Director

Led all Financial, Operational, HR & Administrative functions in Switzerland. 
•	Compliance Officer Switzerland
•	Deputy Money Laundering Officer Switzerland
Officer Promotions:
•	Senior Director 2012
•	Director 2007
•	Deputy Director 2006

General Manager & Business Director Switzerland

Lead the Swiss Administrative group, the Shipping Department, Security and Risk in Geneva. Oversaw the client experience.

Office Manager

Organised the physical movement of all Works of Art, Jewellery and Watches in and out of Geneva for annual values exceeding $ 300 million. Managed Security, Risk and Building Maintenance.

Shipping Manager

Effectively ran the administration of the Geneva Import & Export Department. Coordinated shipments of consignments and purchases of high end jewellery, watches and works of art for auction.

Shipping Coordinator

Split between the Shipping Department and the Sales Administration Department.
Assisted the Shipping Deputy on all administrative tasks, including Inventory management and SAP and invoice procurement and administered the auctions.

Sales Administrator & Shipping Assistant

CAMAIEU INTERNATIONAL

Camaïeu is a French retail clothing company which manufactures and sells its own collections of women's clothing.

Sales Assistant

EMS Eynard-Fatio  Retirement Home

Gave daily care to elderly "end of life" patients

Health Care Assistant

Fondation Baur, musée des arts d'Extrême-Orient

Museum Assistant

🚀Accelerate Your Leadership Transition in 90 days 💥Growth Strategist for Leaders Who Care 🎯Executive & Corporate Coaching 🎯Career Coaching For Frustrated Professionals Who Want to Get Unstuck

You didn’t start your business to feel stuck, stressed, and overwhelmed. But here you are, you’ve hit a wall. You’re busting your chops, yet things aren’t coming together. Your business is running you instead of the other way around

You had a vision: freedom, growth, & work that truly mattered. But somewhere along the way, things got complicated:

‼️ You’re working hard, but growth isn’t happening fast enough
‼️ Your team should be your biggest asset, not your biggest challenge
‼️ Decisions are piling up, you feel stuck & scaling seems impossible

What I Do

I work with entrepreneurs and business owners hitting a wall in strategy, leadership, or processes. I deliver a clear, practical plan so you can stop second-guessing & start scaling

No vague advice. Just clarity, confidence, and action

How We Make That Happen

✅ 1:1 Business Strategy Coaching – Get unstuck, simplify decisions, & confidently move forward

✅ Fractional Chief Strategy Officer: People | Processes | Leadership – High-level strategic support to optimise your team, streamline operations & strengthen leadership

✅ High-Impact Team Training Days – Hands-on workshops to improve communication, collaboration, & performance

What You Can Expect

✔ No cookie-cutter solutions. Just practical, tailored strategies that work
✔ A clear, actionable plan for your business & you
✔ A trusted partner to help you scale with confidence

Why Trust Me?

With 25+ years of experience in business strategy, leadership, and operations, I bring real-world expertise, a global perspective, & a results-driven approach

Key Credentials

⏩ Triple-Accredited Professional Coach
⏩ Senior Executive Leader (Sotheby’s, $500M+ in annual sales)
⏩ Co-founder & President, Metropolitan Business Association 
⏩ Member of the Professional Speakers Association Spain
⏩ Officer of 22@ Toastmasters Barcelona Club 

What Clients Say

"Maria’s insight made a tangible, emotional, & financial difference to the company." 
— Zoe Loveday, Managing Director, SSK

"Maria’s intervention was critical in accelerating awareness around opportunities ahead, resulting in significant positive change."
— Bruno Vinciguerra, CEO, Bonhams

Beyond work? You’ll find me

🤝 Speaking at Toastmasters
🌍 Building the Metropolitan Business Association 
🐶 Hanging out with my husband, Yann, & our jack-a-bee, Cookie

📞 If you’re ready to stop spinning & start scaling book a call to talk about how I can support you

Your business should serve you, not consume you. Let’s fix that!

👉 Get my best business tips in your inbox: https://askmariakelly.ck.page

Maria Kelly

This one feels like a "pinch me" moment
I’ve had something under wraps for a while, and today I finally get to share it.

Today is my first day as a Professor at CIEE Barcelona.

I'll be teaching Strategic Management to undergraduate study-abroad students, the kind of course that blends classic strategy thinking with how organisations actually make decisions in the real world.

We'll cover frameworks, yes. We'll talk about AI and how it can be used ethically and responsibly as part of modern coursework (not as a shortcut). But the real focus is on judgment, decision-making, and what happens when context, culture, and people complicate all the neat theories.

I want students to leave this course with more than good notes. I want them to build confidence in their thinking, learn how to challenge ideas constructively, and understand that good decisions rarely come from theory alone.

The group work and the conversations we'll have, that's where the real learning happens and I can't wait to see what they bring into the room.

Feeling grateful, slightly nervous in the best way, and very ready to step into the classroom.

Wish me luck!!

I'm an early adopter at heart, so when Lea 🌈 Turner launched The HoLT I was one of the first to join.

A few years in, I can only say how brilliant this community is.

I've made friends, found suppliers, connected with people to work with, and honestly? It's just been a genuinely great place to be part of.

So I'm pretty proud to announce that today The HoLT Directory launches, and I'm a Founding Member!

Ask Maria Kelly is officially listed inside The HoLT Directory - a completely free, searchable directory designed to make finding brilliant support easy.
It's packed with hundreds of trusted expert small business owners and solopreneurs, covering a full spectrum of services:

Automation pros to architects. Contract lawyers to copywriters. PR to paid ads. SEO to speakers and everything in between.

Easy to use. Free to access.
Just great services, great people, and absolutely NO KNOBS!

If you're a business looking for reliable experts you can actually trust, this is a link you'll want to bookmark.😉

Check it out here: www.the-holt.com/directory

This Christmas, I made my entire family cry.
And here’s how you can too.


➡️ I used ChatGPT to write custom song lyrics for each person, pulling in shared memories, inside jokes, and things I've always wanted to say but never quite found the words for. 

➡️ Then I fed those lyrics into Suno, chose music styles I knew they'd love, and turned them into actual songs. 

➡️ Finally, I designed lyric sheets in Canva, got them printed, and on Christmas Day, I handed them out and pressed play. 

The confusion lasted about ten seconds. Then the tears started. (Mine included.) 😅

This is another example of how you can use AI in your everyday life.

A year ago, I couldn’t have created a song in 15 minutes. The quality and range of styles are impressive. It gave me a way to express something deeply personal that I simply didn't have the skills to create on my own.
I also really had fun creating these songs.

That is the real opportunity with AI: use it to boost your creativity.

Start with an idea, then let it help you deliver it in a way you couldn’t have before and in much less time.

Have you used AI to create gifts???

I don't need a word of the year.
I need a way to stop saying yes to the wrong things.

So I'm using three words as filters instead.

➡️ Stability 

2026 needs to give me financial security and predictability. A business should support you, not keep you up at night wondering if you can pay next month's bills. I want to stay self-employed AND sleep well. I want to believe that both are possible.

➡️ Commercial 

My time, energy, and expertise have to translate into actual paid work. I'm prioritising revenue over visibility for its own sake. You know what I mean... that exposure that looks great on paper but doesn't lead anywhere concrete? I'm letting that go. If it doesn't help me earn, it's not getting my yes.

➡️ Focus 

I'm stopping the habit of spreading myself thin. This year is about a small number of activities with a clear path to income. Everything else can wait (or disappear entirely, and that's ok too).

Now every idea, opportunity, collaboration, or shiny new project runs through one simple test:

❓ Does this support stability? 
❓ Is this genuinely commercial? 
❓ Does this deserve my focus right now?

If the answer is no to any of them, it waits.

I’ve always taken pride in being available and supportive. Saying yes has felt generous and right, but I need to get my head around the fact that prioritising myself and my business is not selfish, it’s necessary.

If this is going to work long term, I have to be as intentional with my own needs as I’ve been with everyone else’s.

So if you’re a business owner feeling stuck with growth and want a clear, honest conversation about how to move forward, reach out. 
That’s exactly the work I’m prioritising.😉

Unpopular opinion: The question isn't whether students should use AI.
They already do!

The real question is whether we're brave enough to help them use it well.

At CIEE Barcelona, professors set their own AI policy. I chose to allow it, and here's why: my job isn't to police what they do. It's to prepare them for the real world.

So I encourage my students to use AI as a learning tool to:

✅ Explore ideas they're curious about
✅ Clarify concepts that feel confusing
✅ Practise applying what they learn in real scenarios

I even recommend specific tools I believe genuinely help.

Because we all learn differently. Some of us need to read it, others need to hear it, some need visuals or quizzes to make it click. Giving students the option to learn through the format that actually works for them means they're more likely to do the work.

And if Footloose has thought us anything, banning something students are already doing just encourages them to do it in secret. 

Now, I still expect them to write their own work and disclose when they've used AI. In class, we apply the learning together, individually and in groups. Because what I've learned from my own experience is that memorising content for an exam you'll forget the next day isn't learning.

What I care about is whether they understand the concepts and can use them in real situations. That's how learning actually sticks. 

AI can help them get there, or it can be misused. My role is to teach the difference.

These students are stepping into a world where AI will be everywhere. Ignoring that reality doesn't prepare them, guiding them does. Leadership in education now means adapting how we teach, not clinging to outdated controls.

If we want people who can think on their feet, make decisions, and apply knowledge in real life, then our teaching has to reflect the world they're entering.

If you're teaching, training, or leading people right now, this conversation matters. What's your take on the use of AI in school?

Stop rebuilding slides from scratch!

There's a faster, cleaner way to do this now, and I'm genuinely excited to share it.

I discovered Gamma at the end of last year and thought it was brilliant. But what changed this year is a new beta feature they just launched called Remix.
 
Why? It solves one of the biggest problems with AI-created slides: Consistency.

Here's my situation: I create a slide deck for each of my Strategic Management course at CIEE Barcelona, each class covers a different topic, but the structure and visual identity need to stay the same.

A problem you may have noticed, is that when you ask AI to recreate slides (or anything) from scratch, it doesn't behave consistently. Layouts will shift and colours change. 

You may have seen these videos going around on socials of people entering the same prompt to create a picture over and over, and the picture morphing into something completely different. 

Remix fixes that:

➡️ I start with one solid slide deck in Gamma

➡️ I prompt Remix to keep the same layout and colour structure

➡️ Then I paste in the new slide outline for the next class and seconds later, the new deck is ready

➡️ From there, I only tweak content or add a slide if needed.

And tadaa! I have a consistent slide deck for my next class.

If you create slides regularly, this is genuinely worth trying.
You'll thank me later!😉

Feeling the January pressure?
Yep, me too.

I took a proper break over Christmas with no work just rest. But coming back was harder than I expected.

Everyone’s already sprinting: New goals. New routines. Same crap.

There’s this unspoken rule that you have to “start the year strong", be everywhere, do everything, plan your next six figures before the first week’s out.

But what if you didn’t?

This week’s newsletter is about saying no to the hype, yes to your own pace and how I’m using three simple words to guide every decision in 2026.

Because you know what? January isn’t the main event; it’s just the warm-up.

WANT THE FULL READ?
Check it out here tomorrow morning:  https://lnkd.in/daTCiBhm

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.

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.

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

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?

<<<>>>

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