Paul Ward is a highly experienced business leader, mentor and executive coach with over 30 years’ experience operating at CEO and Divisional Managing Director level across engineering, manufacturing, technology and high-growth SMEs working both across the UK and Internationally.

Through GKE Advisory and Dangerous Dreamer Executive Coaching, Paul supports SME owners, CEOs and leadership teams to stabilise, scale and transform their businesses.

He specialises in:

Business turnaround and performance recovery
Scaling strategies for growth and market expansion
Commercial and operational optimisation
M&A, acquisition, and exit readiness
Leadership development and executive coaching

Paul has a proven track record of turning around underperforming businesses, delivering sustained EBITDA growth, and leading international expansion strategies across the UK, Europe, Asia and North America. He has also successfully supported multiple acquisitions, disposals and post-deal integrations.

His approach combines board-level strategic insight with hands-on execution, enabling clients to move from complexity and uncertainty to clarity, structure and measurable results.

Alongside advisory work, Paul is an executive coach using structured frameworks including GROW and performance psychology to help leaders:

Make better decisions under pressure
Build high-performing teams
Navigate change and uncertainty
Align personal leadership with business outcomes

Paul works with:

SME owners and founders
CEOs and senior leadership teams
Private equity-backed and growth-stage businesses
Engineering, industrial and technology-led organisations

His focus is simple:
to help leaders unlock performance, accelerate growth, and build businesses that are both scalable and ultimately exit-ready.