Matt Bennett, President and Co-Founder of West Peak US

I lead the US part of our global business, working with clients across America to upskill leaders in growing businesses through leadership development and Exec coaching.

With over 20 years’ experience in Senior People and Talent roles in professional services organizations, my leadership development style focuses on growth, sales and bottom line commercial return on investment.

Most of my clients bring me in at critical inflection points in their growth strategy. Seeing that strategy come to life, with measurable ROI, and hearing leaders credit our development work as a key driver of that transformation is incredibly rewarding. It’s a testament to the impact West Peak makes, and something I’m deeply proud of.

My clients tell me I have an ability to listen without judgement and ask the right question at the right time, that changes people’s mindset and instigates change that lasts.

I have the unique viewpoint that I was a customer for over 5 years before I had the opportunity to found West Peak US. I worked with the UK business to create several leadership development programs for my last firm, and saw the financial impact those programs had on the bottom line. I knew there was something special in West Peak’s approach, and was honored to be the first to drive the brand’s growth outside of the UK.

Building something from scratch has always been a motivator for me. This, combined with seeing others grow professionally, is the perfect combination and why I founded West Peak US.

I value leadership that creates clarity and drives momentum in an environment where expectations are high, but support is higher. Teamwork, to me, is about shared ownership, trust, and knowing when to lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Every good coach needs a good coach! It’s essential that I push myself to be the best I can and to keep learning, and working with my coach monthly helps me stay ahead.

I work with aspiring leaders from the veteran and LGBTQ+ communities in my spare time. I’m inspired by their stories, their authenticity and their resilience. In a world that often discriminates against the value these folks add, it’s a privilege to coach them.

I’m a good person to have close by in an emergency. Thanks to an accident prone group of friends I have saved several people’s lives with basic first aid!

2 things you can never have enough of as a leader are curiosity and vulnerability. Always keep open to learning and be curious to find a better way. Showing your vulnerability and letting people in helps to build trust and authenticity, which in turn helps to build commitment and results!

I use AI to plan my days, weeks and months by using a detailed prompt. I share my goals and strategy to achieve these at the start of the quarter, then input my achievements daily. AI then calculates my progress, gives me visuals on how I’m performing, makes recommendations of what to focus on next and gets tough with me when I’m off track. Want to learn how, then reach out!

One that has surfaced for me recently that resonates is “Let go to grow”. The skills that got us to where we are today are not the skills we’ll need to navigate tomorrow’s world of leadership.

The only podcast you need to keep learning about your growth as a leader is, of course, West Peak’s “How They Lead” podcast.

Probably a DJ or music producer. In what seems like another lifetime, I was a DJ with a few million followers!

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