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The Accidental Strategist

Who is Gary Pearson?

Technology CEO, Board, Consultant, Author, MBA

I help reduce sleepless nights and stress for boards & C-suites of 7-figure software and technology companies.

I help reduce sleepless nights and stress for boards & C-suites of 7-figure software and technology companies.

The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. - Socrates

The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. - Socrates

An oil tanker in a strom.
An oil tanker in a strom.
An air traffic control tower.
An air traffic control tower.
An Antonov 124 plane.
An Antonov 124 plane.
A Royal Air Force graduation parade at RAF Cranwell.
A Royal Air Force graduation parade at RAF Cranwell.
Gary M Pearson
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Gary Pearson MBA

The Accidental Strategist

LinkedIn Button

Gary Pearson MBA

The Accidental Strategist

LinkedIn Button

Gary Pearson MBA

The Accidental Strategist

CONSULTING

By blending public company leadership and turnarounds with hands-on experience as a startup founder, and infusing the critical principles of air traffic control, I bring a uniquely transformative perspective to the boardroom and C-suite. I deliver innovative strategies and actionable insights that drive leadership excellence and maximize business value.

Here's what I've learned: every business, like every aircraft I've ever guided through the skies, has its own unique flight plan for success.

My job? Being your controller, helping you navigate through the complexity to find your path to success.

By blending public company leadership and turnarounds with hands-on experience as a startup founder, and infusing the critical principles of air traffic control, I bring a uniquely transformative perspective to the boardroom and C-suite. I deliver innovative strategies and actionable insights that drive leadership excellence and maximize business value.

Here's what I've learned: every business, like every aircraft I've ever guided through the skies, has its own unique flight plan for success.

My job? Being your controller, helping you navigate through the complexity to find your path to success.

By blending public company leadership and turnarounds with hands-on experience as a startup founder, and infusing the critical principles of air traffic control, I bring a uniquely transformative perspective to the boardroom and C-suite. I deliver innovative strategies and actionable insights that drive leadership excellence and maximize business value.

Here's what I've learned: every business, like every aircraft I've ever guided through the skies, has its own unique flight plan for success.

My job? Being your controller, helping you navigate through the complexity to find your path to success.

Education

Master of Business Administration - Nottingham Trent University (2024)

Air Traffic Control Studies & Licensing - College of Air Traffic Control RAF Shawbury

Marine Navigation & Deck Officer License, Class 3 - UK Department of Transport

Associates Degree in Nautical Science - Fleetwood Nautical College

National Association of Corporate Directors

Financial Oversight, Risk Management Oversight, Compliance and Ethics, CEO Succession, Strategy and Long-Term Value Creation.

Certifications

Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Azure Open AI, Managing Machine Learning Projects, Data Science Ethics, Preparing for AI in the Workplace, Applying AI

Transacting on the Blockchain, Blockchain for Business, Blockchain Opportunity Analysis

Financial Modeling & Forecasting, Financial Forecasting with Big Data, Foundations of Raising Capital, Corporate Governance, Cybersecurity & Risk Management

Negotiation Skills, Conflict Management, Developing Emotional Intelligence

A BRIEF CAREER HISTORY

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

From software test engineer to CEO in 14 years.
Senior positions include:

Board Chairman
Non -Executive Director
Startup Founder & CEO
Chief Operating Officer
VP R&D and Advanced Programs
VP Product Management

Transformed a $30 million, 250 person, global, public technology company into a powerhouse of performance.

Created products and executed programs that generated over $500 million in revenue.

Founded a speech recognition software company.

JOB FUNCTIONS

Several senior positions responsible for:

Product management | Program Management | software engineering | R&D | operations | QA and product testing | marketing | program management | business development | IT.

GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

UK & US Citizen

Lived and worked in:

UK | Germany | Ukraine | Canada | USA.

CEO for an Australian listed multi-national

Visited or done business in more than eighty additional countries.

A British & US Citizen, I have lived and worked in the UK, Germany, Ukraine, Canada and the USA. I was the CEO for an Australian listed company and have visited or done business in more than eighty additional countries.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Software & Technology
Simulation and Training
Aviation & Aerospace
Airline Operations and Cargo Logistics
Military Operations
Heavy Industry
Marine Operations

  • A tanker in a storm with the deck underwater.
  • The SS British Renown, a supertanker at sea.
  • A front view of the loaded supertanker, the British Respect.
  • A view of a large ships propellor from the bottom of a drydock.
  • A boat in Drydock in Grangemouth Scotland.
  • A Royal Air Force graduation parade at RAF Cranwell.
  • A hovering Harrier GR3 of 4 squadron
  • RAC Shawbury ATC graduation picture.
  • RAF Gutersloh air traffic control tower.
  • The British Commerce. A large oil tanker
  • The Deck of the supertanker, the British Renown
  • A ships propellor view in drydock
  • the Funnel of a BP Tanker
  • A RAF Harrier GR5 on a field deployment being pushed back into the hide.
  • A destroyed Harrier GR5
  • RAF air traffic controllers in a radar room.
  • An Antonov 124 plane.
  • Inside the cargo hold of an Antonov 124
  • Inside the cockpit of an Antonov 124 cargo plane.
  • An Illyushin 76 Cargo plane parked at an airport.
  • A landing Antonov 22 cargo plane.
  • The air traffic control simulator at NASA Aimes in California.
  • RAF air traffic controllers on duty in the tower
  • An Antonov 124 Cargo Plane
  • Engine change on an Antonov 124
  • A Group of RAF officer cadets
  • The BP logo
  • The RAF Logo
  • The Antonov Airlines logo
  • Hughes logo
  • Raytheon logo
  • Adacel Technologies logo
  • Verbyx Inc logo

MERCHANT NAVY

Picture this: A wide-eyed 17-year-old navigator and cargo officer cadet, stepping onto an oil tanker in West Africa, for the first time, salt spray in his face and absolutely no clue that this was the first chapter in an adventure that would span the seas, skies, and boardrooms of the world.

Those five years at sea taught me more than just how to navigate ocean waves, they sparked a hunger for challenge that would define my career.

Picture this: A wide-eyed 17-year-old navigator and cargo officer cadet, stepping onto an oil tanker in West Africa, for the first time, salt spray in his face and absolutely no clue that this was the first chapter in an adventure that would span the seas, skies, and boardrooms of the world.

Those five years at sea taught me more than just how to navigate ocean waves, they sparked a hunger for challenge that would define my career.

Picture this: A wide-eyed 17-year-old navigator and cargo officer cadet, stepping onto an oil tanker in West Africa, for the first time, salt spray in his face and absolutely no clue that this was the first chapter in an adventure that would span the seas, skies, and boardrooms of the world.

Those five years at sea taught me more than just how to navigate ocean waves, they sparked a hunger for challenge that would define my career.

ROYAL AIR FORCE

At 27, I traded ships and machinery for planes, joining the Royal Air Force as a commissioned officer (Flight Lieutenant) and air traffic controller. If you want to master the art of making split-second decisions while keeping your cool, try juggling multiple aircraft in crowded airspace where "almost right" isn't an option. It turns out this skill translates surprisingly well to navigating businesses through turbulent markets, though I'll admit the corporate world does serve better coffee.

Oh, and have you ever been camping with a bunch of Harrier jump jets?

At 27, I traded ships and machinery for planes, joining the Royal Air Force as a commissioned officer (Flight Lieutenant) and air traffic controller. If you want to master the art of making split-second decisions while keeping your cool, try juggling multiple aircraft in crowded airspace where "almost right" isn't an option. It turns out this skill translates surprisingly well to navigating businesses through turbulent markets, though I'll admit the corporate world does serve better coffee.

Oh, and have you ever been camping with a bunch of Harrier jump jets?

At 27, I traded ships and machinery for planes, joining the Royal Air Force as a commissioned officer (Flight Lieutenant) and air traffic controller. If you want to master the art of making split-second decisions while keeping your cool, try juggling multiple aircraft in crowded airspace where "almost right" isn't an option. It turns out this skill translates surprisingly well to navigating businesses through turbulent markets, though I'll admit the corporate world does serve better coffee.

Oh, and have you ever been camping with a bunch of Harrier jump jets?

FLIGHT OPERATIONS

Just when life seemed predictable, I left the Royal Air Force. I embraced what my friends politely called a "moment of madness." I hopped on a passing Antonov 124, the world's largest plane, to manage air cargo operations for a Ukrainian airline.

Picture this: Monday, you're loading satellites worth more than some countries' GDP; Tuesday, you're figuring out how to fit a giraffe in a cargo hold; and Wednesday, you're coordinating disaster relief supplies to areas most people can't find on a map. We flew everything short of the kitchen sink, actually, no, we flew those too.

Just when life seemed predictable, I left the Royal Air Force. I embraced what my friends politely called a "moment of madness." I hopped on a passing Antonov 124, the world's largest plane, to manage air cargo operations for a Ukrainian airline.

Picture this: Monday, you're loading satellites worth more than some countries' GDP; Tuesday, you're figuring out how to fit a giraffe in a cargo hold; and Wednesday, you're coordinating disaster relief supplies to areas most people can't find on a map. We flew everything short of the kitchen sink, actually, no, we flew those too.

Just when life seemed predictable, I left the Royal Air Force. I embraced what my friends politely called a "moment of madness." I hopped on a passing Antonov 124, the world's largest plane, to manage air cargo operations for a Ukrainian airline.

Picture this: Monday, you're loading satellites worth more than some countries' GDP; Tuesday, you're figuring out how to fit a giraffe in a cargo hold; and Wednesday, you're coordinating disaster relief supplies to areas most people can't find on a map. We flew everything short of the kitchen sink, actually, no, we flew those too.

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Let's get to know each other

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Let's get to know each other

Let's work together to chart your course to success. In business as in aviation, the view is always better when you're flying high.

Want to know more about my approach? Check out my book, "The Accidental Strategist: Lessons in Business Value Creation from Air Traffic Control," where I share how the principles of air traffic control can transform your business strategy.

In both aviation and business, it's not about where you're taking off from – it's about where you're heading and how well you navigate the journey. Let's make sure your business reaches its destination safely, efficiently, and profitably.

NeWTHISTle Consulting

DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY

Home

About

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Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved

NeWTHISTle Consulting

DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY

Home

About

Contact

Blog

Privacy Statement

Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved

NeWTHISTle Consulting

DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY

Home

About

Contact

Blog

Privacy Statement

Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved

Abstract background image
Abstract background image

Vision

"To transform businesses by bridging the precision of air traffic control with the dynamics of strategic leadership, creating a new standard for value creation in the corporate world."

Mission

"To help businesses navigate complexity, make better decisions, and create lasting value by applying the precision, discipline, and systems thinking of air traffic control to strategic business leadership."

Abstract background image
Abstract background image

Vision

"To transform businesses by bridging the precision of air traffic control with the dynamics of strategic leadership, creating a new standard for value creation in the corporate world."

Mission

"To help businesses navigate complexity, make better decisions, and create lasting value by applying the precision, discipline, and systems thinking of air traffic control to strategic business leadership."