Dr Steve Ingham
Case studies

Executive coaching · 16-week capacity build

Mark — COO, global fintech

From executive overload to strategic renewal: how one COO transformed his capacity in 16 weeks

Mark wasn't broken. He just wasn't brilliant. Sixteen weeks of structured intervention, with measurable, durable outcomes.

16 weeks

Structured intervention · Measurable outcomes

01 · Situation

Mark, 45, COO of a global fintech firm. No crisis — but declining energy and cognitive sharpness in a role demanding constant strategic agility, investor negotiations and multi-market decisions.

His own framing: "I want to feel like my best days are still ahead of me. And I want to work in a way that supports that."

02 · Approach

A multi-disciplinary team: performance physiologist directing the strategy, nutritionist specialising in neuroendocrine recovery, sleep consultant, and a remote strength and movement coach.

  • Nutrition rebuilt around a Mediterranean foundation, glycemic stability, travel-proof structure
  • Movement work: corrective mobility, compound lifts, postural retraining
  • Zone-2 aerobic plus interval training
  • Sleep recalibration: caffeine elimination, light exposure, shutdown rituals
  • An anchor goal — a four-day Norway hiking retreat — to give the work a destination

03 · Outcome

Sixteen-week numbers: sleep efficiency +21%, morning clarity 8/10 (from 4/10), HRV +25%, resting heart rate –9 bpm. Body composition: –7.5kg fat, +2.2kg lean. Back pain eliminated.

His final reflection: "I'm not surviving the role anymore. I'm leading again."

I don't feel broken. I just don't feel brilliant.
— Mark, COO (at the start)

Working on something like this? Let's talk.

Start an enquiry

More case studies