About Us

Dr Kieth Deats

Dr Kieth Deats

MBA DrBA (Bus Econ)

Business Growth Specialist & Executive Business Coach

My Mantra

“Making the Impossible Possible”

I’m a Doctoral Practitioner graduate from the World Class DBA Business Economics programme at University College Cork, where I was supervised by renowned Harvard Professors Robert Kegan ret. (Head of Adult Professional Development) and Eleanor Doyle (Co-Chair of Harvard Business School’s Knowledge Generation Council and a member of the Harvard Hall of Fame). My significant academic and practice credentials are further complemented by graduating from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business with an Advanced Management Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business and Executive Coaching, an MBA from Newport, and study in Adult Training and Continuing Education, Neuro Linguistics, Industrial Relations, Negotiation, Management Accounting, and the Science and Practice of Agriculture. I’m a consummate believer in learning-by- doing, experiential knowledge and lifelong learning. I am a specialist in Next Generation Leadership and Next Level Growth with significant doctoral training in Adult Mental Development and Complexity and Self-Directed Learning.  I update my framework regularly by ongoing and lifelong learning through research and practice from the World’s top Universities and Institutes of Technology, Harvard, MIT and Wharton as my principle resources.  

My approach facilitates the connection of CEO’s, business owners and leaders to individuals and groups in their organisations to fulfil their collective potential to grow their businesses. I achieve this by helping shape, evolve and embed highly collaborative ongoing programmes of change and growth using organically conceived frameworks. I do this by mapping out the psychological, social, and commercial goals that work to achieve sustainable growth and preferred futures with individuals, groups and leaders in their business pursuits.

My work life has taken me on journeys to four different continents and six different countries with an overarching purpose to the commitment of sustainable business growth and prosperity. I’ve led regional economic initiatives, turnarounds of multinationals, family businesses, and small to medium enterprises.  On this journey, I discovered a world very different to the traditional world of business where power, position, and coercive behaviour that I used to believe was how everyone conducted themselves at work.

I have combined my practical experience with learning gleaned through academic study to develop conceptual frameworks that are uniquely designed to understand business performance challenges.  My work explores the changes needed to connect leaders and owners to their business potential and their best possible emerging future.

My Story - read more

I’m South African born of Scottish and German descent. My work life has been influenced by a variety of careers including; being a conscript in counter insurgency, a diamond prospector, a bush pilot, and an Agricultural Economist. I have also spent decades as a business leader with; a major multinational food processing plant, a leader of multi store business of rural trading stores and been the owner of a major contracting division. Through my life and work experience, I’ve learned that the mind-set of the entrepreneur is a critical success factor needed to sustain and grow successful enterprises.

Shared success is based on principles of high levels of equality-based practice, integrity, transparency, and business best practice. I am total believer in the potential of humanity and experiential knowledge, and value diversity as a significant contributor to business growth. My theories and practices of continuous improvement are being used today in the ongoing development of high growth businesses in Ireland and Scotland.

Where I spend my time when not working - read more

I’m nuts about reading, writing and keeping my mind, body and spirit in a place where I am fulfilling my preferred life. It is not uncommon to find me in the countryside, stick in hand, with my dog, crossing a river, climbing a mountain or just walking, breaking trail, or turning left on the path less travelled. I am an un-rehabitable adventurer and have a profound love for the outdoors and nature and can often be found BBQing in the rain or snow in my outdoor kitchen, savouring a good whisky and great conversation-or watching a programme on aviation, or top-class international Rugby.

My biggest achievement in life is having single parented two adult children, who are brilliantly well educated at World Class Universities, and like me enjoy their physical well-being and are amazingly self-critical resilient Modern Day practitioners

‘Ayrton Group have worked consistently with Kieth over the past decade. He brings a unique perspective on business growth, which is unlikely to be found elsewhere. His experience & methods of engaging our Leadership Teams, of helping us understand business growth, as well as leading an exciting journey of high-level long-term growth are unlikely to matched’

Kieran Linehan CEO

‘Helps us think and grow, and connect to the Bigger Picture, sustainable growth and make these connections to our team leaders, and the broader economy. Challenges and supports both achievable shorter-term goals, strategies and tactics very effectively…highly experienced, and self-assured in enabling us to make the most audacious goals possible’

Anonymous

‘physically powerful man with great presence and gravitas, yet has a casual easy-going disposition’

Joanne Boyle

‘courageous, self-aware hungry individual who has great Boardroom presence. He is willing to deal with the ups and downs and go journey with clients-seriously resilient individual. ’

Enda Allen

Justin Grace

Justin Grace

BSc (Hons) FCMA CGMA

Senior Project Management Consultant

My Mantra

“help businesses transform and flourish”

I’m a Senior Project Management Consultant with over 20 years’ experience in a variety of international senior leadership roles for varying business sizes and types. This included living in Northern Italy for several years where I was instrumental in turning around a manufacturing company.

Being successful in another business and social culture taught me a huge amount about myself, how the world can work and more importantly, that there is more than one way to get something done. 

I began my career as a Management Accountant working for a small SME in Shropshire, rising quickly through the business to become Financial Director at the age of 28, which gives me a great insight into the engine room of how business works.

My last corporate position was as Managing Director Northern Europe for an operating division of a US conglomerate. This included substantial P&L and operational responsibility for an area covering the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Poland, as well as being a member of the Executive Management team in Paris.

Corporations are fantastic at process and control, SME’s are fantastic at innovation with speed, which is why I now focus my energies and use my skills and experience acquired over the years to help businesses transform and flourish.

As well working in several roles in the business transformation sector I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and also a Global Management Accountant.

‘a rare individual, and a top business leader…an experienced operator, equally effective at the top table as a strategist, and leader, and on the shop floor, with his sleeves rolled up. Justin has led successful multinational enterprises as a CEO, generating both sustained increased growth, and profit’


Dr Kieth Deats MBA DrBA (Bus Econ)

‘role models quality leadership, empowering people to use their knowledge, skills, experience and business judgement to achieve results and will offer his valued support wherever it is requested or needed. A natural mentor who is personable and approachable ’

Samantha O’Brien

‘an excellent MD who had the respect of his team and his customers. He has extensive engineering experience, and this is combined with a great focus on the customer and a high level of strategic focus. I enjoyed his support as a key supplier’

Mark Haslam

‘a dedicated international business leader, with a passion for developing businesses through their people…has the ability to act as a strong leader whilst maintaining strong sense of mentorship. Justin is thorough in detail, while remaining highly solution oriented, he is proactive in approach’

Brett Smyth

‘Justin has a depth of commercial and financial knowledge that has enabled him to deliver to me innovative and rewarding solutions from both a capital equipment and industry leading service perspective. Relentless with his customer focus’

Dave Barlow

Maria Moore

Maria Moore

Psy.(Hons),MSc Psychotherapy, Dip. Counselling

Psychotherapist and Executive Coach

Maria has an Honours Degree in Psychology, a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling, a Masters Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy and a Diploma in Supervision and Consultancy.

She is an Associate of the British Psychological Society, is accredited with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Maria takes a pro-active approach to all individuals, couples and group therapy sessions, creating forward momentum so you can see the progress towards improving your state of mind and mental health. Maria has 25 years of experience in psychology, psychotherapy and counselling as well as work related issues, stress and depression.

As an integrative psychotherapist Maria works creatively with diversity. She uses different models, styles and techniques that complement, support, and reinforce working potently and creatively.

People may choose to work with Maria if they want to understand themselves more and gain insight and self-awareness. This can range from company owners, leaders or managers who need consultancy support in understanding staff dynamics and how they can impact systems operations, to individuals who are struggling in life and want some support, empathy and the possibility of resolution of re-occurring problems.

‘Maria is energetic, enthusiastic and spending time with her has given me a great sense of empowerment and choice. She manages to be compassionate whilst directive and allows the development of decisions with the help of her insight and understanding. I always feel hugely motivated after seeing her!’


Doctor

‘I somehow felt safe with her and wanted her to take me through a very difficult time in my life where things could go one way or the other. I am a challenging person and along the way I have irritated, annoyed and found that people gang up on me. With Maria she had such a mix of characters to deal with this. She would have called it “me being held”. A bit pony for my liking but I really found strength in her gentle yet powerful approach to our work. I had a 6th sense that working with her would be something that would take me where I needed to go. This was so true.’

Consultant

‘What do you do if you have to take a centre stage role and all you want to do is let the ground eat you up? The work Maria did with me I was delighted with and somehow after it I felt I could take centre stage on world level. I don’t know if the mix of coaching and therapy meant I fed off her energy and she knew me anyway as a person so it was not just a model of work. All I know is that it worked to an extent that it felt like magic. I don’t know all the psycho babble that goes with it in explanation. It was a bit like the film ‘The Kings Speech’ and Maria is rather different in her approaches. I have seen other healthcare professionals who don’t get me the way she does.’


Businessman

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