Charles McLachlan

Managing Director

The CEO Growth Academy

In an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business landscape we need a better way of leading – for ourselves, our companies and our team.

Our members have been able to:

1.   To continue being effective and impactful, by growing themselves
faster than the business you are building – in skills, mindset, and behaviours.

2.   Intentionally create the space to be deliberate, to design what they really want for themselves, their family and their business.

3.   At the deepest level, discover how to activate all they were born to create in this world.

Are you ready to unlock a new level of freedom and joy in your work? 

Would you like to know how you can scale up your effectiveness with your
team, customers, suppliers and partners?

Founder

InspiredCEOs

Inspired CEOs is an online community for CEOs, business owners, and other senior executives who are ready to raise their leadership game and do the work of transforming themselves and their company from the inside out.

Our members have created new products, removed business bottlenecks, opened new markets and made radically shift in mindset to release new potential.

There are four ingredients that work together to empower and equip every member to step into their full potential.

- The Game Changer Conversations
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- The Activation Sessions
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- The Hot Seat Mastermind Sessions
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- The encouragement from like-minded business leaders

​If you know that it's time to see, think and do differently, today is the day to make that commitment to yourself. We can help you make that shift from where you are to where you need to be.

Portfolio Executive Community

We work with accomplished senior executives. If that's you, we can help you build a portfolio
career of part-time executive roles with growing businesses. 

It's a more rewarding, sustainable and enjoyable workstyle than that of an interim, contractor or independent consultant.

AQai - Adaptability Assessments & Coaching

As a Foundation Certified Practitioner with AQai I am committed to their mission: to inspire & empower every human with the skills to adapt and thrive. Ensuring no-one is left behind in the fastest period of change in history. Transforming the way employees, teams and organisations thrive in change.
 
AQai is a pioneer in the field of organizational adaptability to support the development of highly adaptable employees, safeguarding careers, unleashing potential, and protecting the future of their organisations.

Partner

FuturePerfect Company

FuturePerfect is building a powerful brand to empower CEOs and senior professionals through a range of innovative new membership offers.

Since the brand was launched five years ago, we have made a transition from the brands of Academy for Chief Executives and Ella Forums to build:
- CEO Growth Academy
- Portfolio Executive Growth Academy
- Cardamom Growth Academy
- InspiredCEOs
 and most recently the School of Creation Community

Chairman

Transformation Development Partnership LLP

Founder developing services to partner with individuals, teams, organisations and communities to bring transformation economically, socially, environmentally and spiritually.

Alongside the brands associated with FuturePerfect (see above) we have recently taken on the operations at Moggerhanger Park through our wholly owned subsidiary TDP at the Park Ltd.

University College London

Visiting Professor of Software Enterprise

Emeritus Visiting Professor

Insight to Impact Consulting Ltd

Retained to as a consulting partner particularly to assist in strategic sales consulting and to work with hi-tech clients.

Associate Partner

4dChange

As the founder of 4dChange, I am seeking to encourage a  movement of individuals, teams, enterprises and communities to deliver holistic transformation in the four dimensions of economic, social, environmental and spiritual  impact.

Acuity Associates UK Ltd

Board Advisor bringing particular insight to new recruitment sectors and experience of off-shoring in India and Eastern Europe.

Board Advisor

CEO and Portfolio Executive development - MAKING YOUR FUTURE WORK with Freedom, Joy and more opportunities to offer Love to those around you.

Growing people and growing businesses are my passions. I work with leaders to transform their organisations and break through their personal barriers to success. 

I am convinced that a leader who fails to invest in personal growth will hold back his team and his business, so I now bring my passions to FuturePerfect and the Growth Academies that we run.  But most importantly, I will help you find joy, freedom and reward in your working life.

Since 2002, I have been living a portfolio executive workstyle, directly supporting a number of other businesses as a part-time member of the management team and now offer this opportunity to others through the Portfolio Executive Growth Academy.

I bring 30+ years of experience of developing and growing business: start-ups to global organisations. For example, I worked to grow an international IT services consultancy for Andersen (partner in 2001), built 2 companies from scratch and supported 2 others into the Tech FastTrack 100 and now offer this insight to others through the CEO Growth Academies we run.

A project I helped found during the COVID-19 pandemic is InspiredCEOs - an online community for CEOs, business owners, and other senior executives who recognise it's time to see, think and do differently.

Specialties: Building & growing successful commercial organisations. Bringing insight, innovation & challenge. Creating business advantage using technology. Developing leaders to achieve their maximum potential. Peer to peer learning, experiential learning, business best practice, personal & professional development, world class speakers, peer group sharing, executive mentoring.


Is it time to rewrite your second-half story?

Becoming a Portfolio Executive isn’t just a career move—it’s a mindset shift.

For many, it begins with frustration: the corporate ladder no longer fits, or the next promotion no longer holds the same excitement. But what follows can be extraordinary—a career of freedom, contribution, and alignment with your deeper purpose.

The challenge is knowing when (and how) to begin.

I’ve spoken with dozens of leaders in the second half of life who tell me the same thing: they didn’t want to retire, but they also didn’t want to keep compromising.

Portfolio work offered them a new path: to serve multiple clients, do work they love, and shape their time with intention.

But what sparks that first step?

What most attracts you to a portfolio career?

#business #careerchange #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment #success

What most attracts you to a portfolio career?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Disappointment is inevitable.
Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or walking your own path, setbacks come. But when you’re running your own business—when your name is on the work, the pitch, the invoice—it feels deeply personal.

I remember moments early in my journey where a lost contract or an unanswered proposal left me questioning not just the work, but my worth. It's hard not to take it to heart.

But here’s what time and perspective have taught me: Disappointment doesn't define you. Gratitude does.

The freedom, the variety, the alignment with purpose—these are the real rewards of the Portfolio Executive life. And when I pause to reflect on that, I find I can reframe the disappointment. It becomes less of a failure and more of a signpost: what do I need to learn, change, or let go?

One of the most powerful antidotes to discouragement is connection. A strong support network—people who remind you of who you are, what you bring, and why this path matters—can turn a bad week into a renewed sense of direction.

Who are the five people you can count on to walk with you in your Portfolio journey?

Have you built your support network—or is it time to start?

#PortfolioExecutive #SecondHalfCareer #FreedomAndPurpose #Resilience #LeadershipCommunity #BusinessGrowth #CareerRedesign

We live in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity or the VUCA landscape. With the rapid pace of digital evolution and the fourth industrial revolution, the only way to stay ahead is to evolve faster than the environment around us.

At CEO Growth Academy, we equip leaders to adapt swiftly and strategically, empowering them to not only survive change but thrive in it.

Are you ready to lead the change rather than chase it?

#business #ceo #ceogrowth #leadership #personaldevelopment

As I work with Portfolio Executives in the early stages of developing their client portfolios, I encourage them to create compelling LinkedIn profiles. They should also post content regularly on LinkedIn and reconnect with their existing network…

#business #startup #careerchange #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment

View newsletter: Discover Freedom and Joy!

As I work with Portfolio Executives in the early stages of developing their client portfolios, I encourage them to create compelling LinkedIn profiles

Open article: Building a Pipeline by Charles McLachlan • 5 min read

In our youth, freedom is often loud—quitting jobs, moving cities, chasing adventure. But in the second half, freedom becomes something quieter, deeper.

Freedom is the ability to spend time with your grandchildren midweek. To say yes only to work that aligns with your values. To design your week around purpose—not pressure.

Freedom is not about escape. It’s about choosing deliberately.

And the remarkable thing? Many professionals don’t realise this kind of freedom is available to them—until they start asking different questions.

The Portfolio Executive journey starts with one of those questions: “What does freedom look like for me now?”

What part of your life no longer reflects the freedom you’re capable of claiming?

#business #careerchange #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment #success

Is it time to rewrite your second-half story?

This poll reveals what I’ve witnessed time and again: freedom and flexibility aren’t just perks—they’re the primary catalyst for career reinvention later in life. 63% of respondents identified these as the driving force behind their interest in a Portfolio Executive path.

And it’s no surprise.

After decades of climbing ladders, hitting targets, and navigating structures designed by others, many senior professionals reach a quiet but profound conclusion: it’s time to reclaim agency over how we work and what we give our energy to.

But freedom on its own isn’t enough.

Equally telling is that 14% chose ‘alignment with purpose’ and 19% ‘meaningful client work’—reminding us that second-half careers are not just about exiting burnout, but entering into something more intentional. A space where work is shaped by who you’ve become, not who you were trying to impress.

So the question is no longer “What will you retire from?” but “What do you want to build now?”

If you’re standing at the edge of that decision, I invite you to explore the Portfolio Executive pathway. It’s not for everyone—but for the right leader, it’s a return to freedom, impact, and joy.

What would need to change in your current role for you to step into your second-half career with intention?

#SecondHalfCareer #PortfolioExecutive #FreedomAndPurpose #CareerChange #WorkThatMatters #LeadershipAtEveryAge

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“A clear rejection is better than a fake promise.”

One of the earliest lessons I learned about business came not from a boardroom, but from the doorstep.

As a university student, I took a holiday job selling cleaning equipment door-to-door in Cambridge. I would knock, smile, and try to persuade a homemaker to take a brochure. Then, a week later, I’d return to either collect the brochure or, if I was lucky, receive an order.

It sounds simple, but it taught me something profound.

You quickly realise how people respond when they didn’t expect you—and didn’t ask for what you’re offering. You start to understand how to read a room (or a doorstep). And you learn that pretending interest to be polite is not a gift to the seller—it’s a delay that drains time, energy, and opportunity from both parties.

A clear “no” is a step forward. A vague “maybe” is often just a slow “no.”

Great selling isn’t about pressure—it’s about connection. Understanding what truly matters to the other person. Being of service. That’s not just a sales strategy; it’s a leadership principle I’ve carried with me ever since.

If you’re building a second-half career—perhaps through portfolio work—this clarity becomes even more essential. Time is too precious to spend chasing false leads. Better to have five clear “no’s” than one reluctant “maybe.”

What’s one way you've learned to connect more deeply with potential clients or collaborators—especially when the first answer isn’t a yes?

#business #startup #careerchange #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment #connection

As far as Environment scores are concerned, there are multiple levels at which I will engage when the scores become apparent. One is with individuals, where the insights that the Environment scores give them enable them to renegotiate their relationship with their Environment. So, an individual with high Work Stress can find tactics and strategies to change the level of stress. Individuals where there is poor Company Support, can seek to engage with managers and leaders to shift the culture or renegotiate how they experience Company Support.

Ultimately, for individuals in a corporate setting their ability to renegotiate their Environment and to change their Environment scores, is limited. The people who most effectively change the Environment for individuals are managers and leaders. Often senior leaders have a very different perception of Environment than those people who directly report them or those on the front line delivering on behalf of the organisation…

#business #startup #careerchange #adaptability #personaldevelopment

You can sign up to our LinkedIn newsletter here. Within the AQai model of adaptability, Environment is a critical dimension reflecting the impact of c

Open article: What I have learned from helping others understand their Adaptability: Environment by Charles McLachlan • 3 min read

What I have learned from helping others understand their Adaptability: Environment

We cannot lead well if we are not willing to be honest—with others, and more importantly, with ourselves.

When I was invited to share my leadership journey on this podcast, I knew it wasn’t going to be a conversation about best practices or glossy success stories. I wanted to talk about the uncomfortable truths. The kind that most leaders don’t say out loud—but every leader eventually encounters.

It’s time to create space for a different kind of leader.

Not just high-performing—but self-aware.

Not just ambitious—but grounded.

Not just respected—but real.

If you’ve ever wrestled with what it truly means to lead well—especially in the second half of life—I hope this conversation offers both insight and encouragement.

What part of your leadership journey have you kept hidden that might, in fact, be your greatest strength?

Lev Cribb

#Leadership #Vulnerability #SecondHalfCareer #HealthyLeaders #business #startup #careerchange

Managing Director | Podcast Host | Author (The Webinar Excellence Manifesto)

A little teaser of my latest conversation with Charles McLachlan. Get ready for some raw and honest truths... (full conversation in comments 👇).

Charles is the founder of The CEO Growth Academy. And if you are a leader, you should make time to watch the episode.

#leadership #podcast

Today we are celebrating the Portfolio Executive Tom O'Kelly. Tom’s specialisms include: Business growth and transformation, Business and organizational change, Consulting Practice Lead, Scale Ups, COO, CIO & IT Director, Business Leadership. Tom is also a valued member of the Portfolio Executive community! 

If you would like to learn more about Tom’s journey, follow the link: 
https://lnkd.in/eKx4dPzp

#business #startup #careerchange #entrepreneur #personaldevelopment

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