Defy Expectations is a leadership development and consultancy company, supporting large global organisations improve profitability and commercial performance through human-centred leadership.
We know leadership should be both commercially effective and deeply human. The two are not in conflict. When leaders understand themselves, their people, and the conditions that allow teams to perform well, organisations become stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to deliver sustainable results.
Our work supports C-suite, leaders, senior decision makers, and teams to move beyond outdated models of productivity that rely on pressure, pace, and people simply working harder. Instead, we help organisations build leadership capability that improves decision-making, strengthens team performance, and creates better ways of working.
Our starting point is Leadership Defined, a diagnostic designed to clarify what is really happening in your leadership environment. From there, we help identify the most appropriate support, which may include coaching, mentoring, consultancy, or the Leadership Academy.
At the heart of our work is a simple belief:
We are humans teaching humans how to lead humans more effectively to deliver sustainable commercial results.
We help leaders love leadership, so organisations can work better, perform better, and grow in a way that lasts.
Why We Work Differently
Over time, one pattern became clear to us:
Leadership development fails most often not because leaders aren’t capable, but because action starts before understanding.
Coaching begins too early. Programmes are applied too broadly. Effort increases while clarity decreases.
So we don't work that way.
Our People
Helen Honisett
Helen is a seasoned business leader whose work centres on leadership clarity in complex, high-pressure environments. She specialises in helping organisations and senior leaders make better decisions before investing in coaching, development, or change.
Pat Chapman-Pincher
Pat has spent more than 40 years in the global communications industry through good times and bad and knows how to succeed in both. She has always been at the forefront of technology, responsible for creating and growing companies...
Fiona Dewar
Fiona has over 35 years’ experience leading in businesses. She started her career in large blue-chip organisations before moving to SME’s and leading one of Scotland’s most successful start-up businesses. With an HR background, Fiona is one of a few HR professionals who have successfully transitioned to lead an organisation.
Chris Farnath
Christopher has over 25 years of experience in the B2B SaaS sector, specialising in customer success and engagement. He has worked in global leadership roles, leading teams across six different continents, Christopher provides advice and business mentorship to build teams and transform their customer experience.
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy is an executive and team coach, sales trainer, interim advisor and consultant. He has extensive experience of large customer and complex selling and uses his own real-life examples to bring discussions to life.
Ilinca Munteanu
Over the past six years, Ilinca has been designing and delivering leadership programs that blend practical experience with insights from behavioral science and neurocognitive models. Currently pursuing studies in psychology, she is deeply committed to understanding human dynamics, especially in high-pressure environments.
Alison Milne MBE
Alison has had a varied portfolio career, encompassing several executive and non-executive positions, all driven by her strong dedication to rural Scotland, agriculture, and economic growth. She merges strategic acumen with practical experience, having founded and managed her own businesses in agriculture, manufacturing, and business consulting.
Fer Kitzen
Fer is a commercial jack-of-all-trades. He began his career in complex B2B software sales. After holding roles as an Account Manager, Partner Manager, and Sales Manager, he transitioned into digital marketing. His goal was to bridge the gap between marketing and sales teams—something he recognized as a crucial missing link in many companies.
Adrian Barker
Adrian has 25 years’ experience of working in, and leading high-performance teams, in both the public and private sector. He uses this experience in his capacity as a Learning and Development professional and executive coach. Drawing on his background as a police officer, Detective, close protection and CTSFO, he brings a unique perspective to clients and helps teams and individuals achieve goals and objectives.
Michael Pincher
Leaders don’t need another AI evangelist. They need someone who makes Generative AI deliver. That’s Michael.
With the skill to cut through hype, align AI with strategy, and build teams that actually know how to use Generative AI with intent, his work turns capability into commercial impact.
Michael's two books on this subject: Your Genie Is Listening (non-technical professionals) and Promptology (advanced practitioners), prove one point: the value isn’t in building models; it is in making them work.
Polly Henriques
Polly is a seasoned Programme and Project Manager with over 15 years of experience across various sectors and companies of all sizes. She has a proven track record of successfully managing complex projects and delivering results that exceed expectations. Before stepping into project management, Polly honed her organizational and communication skills as an Executive Assistant, providing her with a unique perspective on the intricacies of business operations.
Nush Gilbert
Nush is a skilled and intuitive marketeer, with a rare ability to blend strategic thinking with operational execution. Her specialism lies in creating authentic connections with our customers.
She is detail-driven and collaborative, with a natural talent for bringing order, creativity, and consistency to busy marketing teams.
How we work
We:
Diagnose before we prescribe
Prioritise clarity over activity
Design leadership that is sustainable, not heroic
Balance human impact with commercial results
Refuse work that won’t make a meaningful difference
These are not preferences.
They are the conditions under which we work.
How to begin
Everything we do begins with Leadership Defined.
Because clarity must come before commitment.
If you are considering leadership coaching or development, this is where we start.
Begin with Leadership Defined
