As chief executive, main board member and non-executive director for a number of public and private companies, often with complex board structures, Nicholas has a unique experience of business and business people. He has a broad bandwidth of business leadership experience that combines successful careers in the sports, media, and leisure industries, complimented by a number of years spent in the world of senior executive search, senior executive coaching and strategy management.

After an early career as a Navigating Officer in the British Merchant Navy, he embarked upon a 20-year career in the media industry, occupying senior management positions within the Rank Group plc, and the Chrysalis Group plc. In 1995 Nicholas joined Tyzack & Partners, the UK’s longest established senior executive search firm. Initially he participated in the creation of the Media, Communications & Sports practice group, but within 18 months was invited to become the Managing Partner. During this time, he managed senior executive assignments for a client roster that embraced international media companies, leading sporting bodies, corporate entities, private equity, the Royal Household and Her Majesty The Queen.

Following the successful sale of Tyzack & Partners to the NASDAQ quoted Whitney Group in 2000, Nicholas established Q4 Management Limited, offering strategy enabling and business improvement programmes through consulting, coaching and mentoring techniques. Supporting the launch of the Post Code Lottery and the Health Lottery were two projects that Q4 Management was involved in at this time.

In January 2008 he was invited to participate in a consortium of successful business entrepreneurs who had taken ownership of Swindon Town Football Club.  For the next five years Nicholas was engaged as the CEO of Swindon Town F.C. bringing about substantial improvements in all facets of the club’s commercial, operational, organisational and administrative activities. In March 2013, with the club under new ownership, Nicholas left.

With a Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching from the University of Chester, Nicholas once more turned his attention to Q4 Management, offering leadership support, leadership coaching, business mentoring and strategy facilitation services to companies primarily operating in the sports, media, private equity and SME arenas.  Nicholas is currently chairman of SEC Recruitment Ltd, an Advisor to Hunter Miller and a Board member of the Excalibur Academies Trust. He regularly delivers talks on career planning and career management.