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

Last Thursday I went for a carefree evening walk with my wife.
After a truly horrendous day.

Notification of a tax inspection, a leaking shower (with furious neighbours downstairs) and a curt response from the boss on a tricky subject.

Financial loss, a long drawn out dispute and a mail that makes you question your self-worth.

A triple whammy of despair.

But I realised during the walk that none were spinning round in my head!

Something that 10 years ago would have had me ruminating for a week.

I had taken it in my stride.

I wasn’t going to let it ruin my night.

After years of dealing with massive crisis in my head that never happened, I have learned how to be resilient.

The number one trait that leaders need to get through hard times: 

Because the shorter the length of time it takes you to return to your baseline state after a setback, the better your final response will be.

And the quicker you can shrug things off and get back to work, the better a leader you are.

People may spend billions trying to stay young.
But resilience and wisdom only come with age.

And the realisation that imagined disaster outcomes are worse than the actual problems you face.

You'll never recover the wasted time catastrophising.

But you can learn that lesson before you get too old.

-------------------------------
PS How long does it take you to bounce back from a setback? 
Do you put things in perspective or blow them out of proportion?
--------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

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.

When IKIGAI goes badly wrong.
You finally discovered your deep purpose in life... 

But keep doing something else anyway.

Funny!

Or not?

So, how do you score?

I've made money - but not always at the things I'm best at.
 
And I spent plenty of time outside of the important blobs.

So what do I do now?  

And you?

Happy Friday, all!

(The answer can wait until Monday).

NB Kudos to the great Colby Kultgen for this sketch, which made me laugh out loud.  
.---------------------------------- 
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺
🐟 Dead fish go with the flow.
🎸Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Sorry to tell you this: 
Your tough boss isn’t the root cause of your problems. 

Your response to them is. 

People complain when they work for a hard boss. 
And that applies to senior execs as well. 

Because the majority of CEOs aren’t easy people. 
(It’s often why they got the job!). 

The first time I had a tough CEO, I completely flunked the exam. 

I complained to anyone that would listen. 
Thought things were unfair. 

And the worst of all:

Passed the pressure onto my team. 

It changed the day my number 2 broke into tears in a team meeting.
I realised it wasn’t my boss, job or life that was unfair. 

It was me. 

Instead of absorbing the pressure, I was passing it down. 
A bad moment for her became a valuable one for me. 

I realised it was all a test. 

It was my job to shield my team – and prove my worth. 
Not whinge, whine and push my people to their limits. 

Years later, as a coach, I hear clients complain of the same. 

And things only shift when the story shifts. 
When they stop feeling sorry for themselves. 

And start doing their job. 

It’s exactly what happened to me. 

A tough CEO forces you to choose.
Either learn how to handle pressure. 

Or to turn into the very person you’re complaining about.

<<<>>>

PS Have you ever had a tough boss?
How did you react?

The long silence at the meeting table was unbearable.
I felt the need to step in. 

To say anything to break it.

I squirmed in my chair.
It felt like the deal was slipping from our grasp.
But my boss’s stern glance told me to keep my mouth shut.

He was one of the best bosses I had at Citi. 
He was never shy to speak up.
As regional Ops head, he had to drive results.
Which meant driving his team.

So why didn't he speak?

Because he was teaching us a lesson.
To me and those on the other side of the negotiating table.

It was so tense because there was a lot of money at stake. 
This particular relationship wasn't easy.

The silence became too much to bear.
So much that they caved in - and filled it. 
And their words revealed the details of what they were willing to offer.

That was exactly what we needed.

Priceless.

We had spoken the least - but gained the most.

I realised that my strategy of always talking and expressing my thoughts was just performance for my ego.

Instead of giving me power - my talking drained it.

Impact is knowing when to speak up,

And when to say nothing.

----------------------
PS When was one time you wish you had kept silent in a meeting?
Drop the details in the comments.
----------------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

As uncomfortable as it is being a spectator, it feels safer than risking looking stupid.

Or worse - proving that you’re not good enough.

But there are only two ways you’re perceived at work:

You’re either visible or invisible.
Important or irrelevant.
Powerful or powerless.

Your career’s going nowhere if you’re on the wrong side of that list.
Even if you work hard and do a great job.

Unfair?
 
It doesn’t matter.

That was what I said to an ex-colleague last Tuesday.
In a busy Barcelona cafe she stared back at me, letting that sink in.

She’s been HR head for 5 years at the Spanish branch of a multinational.

She's in the management team.
But never in the centre of the conversations that count.

She feels second class and overlooked.

Her boss constantly urges her to say what she thinks, even if it's not about HR.

But she admits it feels safer to watch and listen. 

Like an extra in a film, or a background figure in a videogame.

Unnoticed.

To earn points and win, you need to be the player.

Even losing is better than being irrelevant.

Her next game is her next meeting.
Her challenge is to grab the controls and play.

If you’re in the same game, it's your challenge too.

----------------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

You have to burn down your past to create the future.

That’s what the Valencians do every year when they celebrate the Fallas.
 
They spend months creating elaborate effigies, like this magnificent Charlie Chaplin, all around the city.
 
Then on the 18th March - on the Nit de foc (night of fire) - they burn them to ashes.
 
Madness? 
Pyromania?
Or celebration?
 
I came to live in Valencia 38 years ago. 
I had burned my bridges to my corporate career with PWC in London to set up as a poor English teacher here. 

It was the best move of my life.
 
Eventually though I went back into corporate ( a man has to eat!) and in the 30 years since haven’t done enough burning.
 
It’s easy to think you’re building something that lasts.
 
But nothing can.
Or should.
 
The Valencians have got it right. 

You must burn the baggage from your past to create space.
 
38 years ago I was excited but unsure what I was doing.
 
This time , with the match in my hand, I know its the right move.
 
Which of your effigies do you need to torch?

The price of never risking offending anyone is never risking saying anything important.
Hedging your opinions with caveats is masking your fear.

“Maybe, perhaps, I think…”

Tics I’ve used because I was allergic to conflict.

I figured the best way to keep people onside is never to state a strong opinion.

And I was right.

But my impact was negligible.
One of my bosses, who used to work for Swiss Air, gave me some advice.

“Be like a pilot taxiing down the runway to take off. 
You can’t “sort of fly”. You either go full thrust or abort.  
That’s how it should be with your statements.”

In other words:

If you’re going to say something, go all in.

No caveats, no tics, no hedging.

It may not always be “nice” to have an opinion.
But who wants (or needs) nice...

State your opinion without fear.

Go full throttle. 

Just say it.
-----------------
When was the last time you spoke your mind? 
And when did you last decide to play it safe?
-----------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Finance Professional with 20 years of experience in Managerial Accounting, Corporate Reporting and Investment Analysis I Finance Manager I Consultant

My father would never believe I would end up in a leadership position in finance.

"You are not talented in math. You'll be better off in languages." These words from my father, a gifted mathematician and physicist, echoed through my childhood as we practiced math problems together. He set high standards that I seemed unable to meet, so he guided me to learn languages to make up for my lack of talent in math. Yet here's the irony: I loved solving those math problems, even when they didn't come easily.

Believe it or not, I ended up in finance.

What drew me to finance wasn't natural talent – it was something deeper. I discovered that numbers never lie. They provide the foundation for compelling business stories and strategic decisions. My journey taught me that success isn't about innate gifts; it's about persistence, curiosity, and the willingness to work hard.

As a leader, this experience shaped my philosophy: I never judge team members on first impressions or perceived limitations. Instead, I focus on inspiring commitment to our shared goals and helping each person discover their unique strengths. Having led international controller teams across demanding, multicultural environments at companies like Hoerbiger, OMV, and MOL Group, I've learned that the best results come from building trust-based relationships and creating harmony among diverse stakeholders.

Throughout my career, I've developed expertise in:
🔹Corporate reporting and FP&A
🔹Investment analysis
🔹Strategic planning and process optimization
🔹Cross-functional collaboration and team leadership

Beyond the office, I'm passionate about career development and passive investing strategies. I believe in continuous learning and helping others navigate their professional journeys – perhaps because I know firsthand that the path isn't always straight.

I enjoy connecting with professionals who share stories about overcoming challenges, building careers in finance, or navigating job transitions.

Sometimes the very thing others say you can't do becomes exactly what you're meant to do.

Feel free to reach out – let's connect and share our stories.

Ivana Zmikic

Why do so many variance reports end up collecting dust? 🤔


Because the numbers don't speak for themselves, never have, never will.

Variance analysis is where finance earns its seat at the table. It's not about flagging that costs are 12% over budget. It's about answering the harder questions: So what? What's driving this? And now what do we do about it?

That's where it gets real and messy.

In large, global environments with fragmented processes and multiple systems, finding the true story behind a variance can take days. You're chasing data across different countries and business units, reconciling definitions that don't match, and piecing together a puzzle where half the pieces sit with people outside finance.

The variance report is just the starting point. The real work begins when you dig into what caused it. Was it volume, price, timing, a one-off, or something structural?

Then comes the part many finance teams struggle with: recommending what the business should do differently. We're not just reporting the gap; we're helping to close it.

Complexity can be the enemy of good answers. When the environment is too fragmented, even the best analysts risk delivering insights that arrive too late or stay too surface-level.

That's why variance analysis is a test of how harmonised and transparent our processes really are, from reporting to operations.

💬 In your experience, what turns variance analysis into something that actually drives decisions?
#finance #varianceanalysis #lifelonglearning #storytelling #controlling

Ivana Zmikic, MBA, CMA

Finance Leader I Transforming Financial Insights into Executive Action I Global Sales Controller I FP&A I Board Member of WU EA FLN

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