ABOUT
ABOUT MARK O’NEIL
Business Mentor and Executive Coach
I am a Professional Business Mentor and Executive Coach who helps leaders build clarity, momentum and sustainable growth.
For more than thirty years I have supported SMEs, scale ups and owner managed businesses as they navigate leadership pressure, strategic decision making, funding challenges and the demands of growth.
I work with clients online across the UK and in person throughout Sussex and Kent. My focus is simple. I help founders and senior teams think more clearly, make better decisions and move from constant firefighting to confident, deliberate leadership.
My Approach to Mentoring
Running and scaling a business is demanding. You carry responsibility for strategy, people, operations and finance, often with limited time or space to think.
My role is to create that space and make it productive.
I provide structured senior level support that blends practical guidance, strategic thinking and calm accountability. Clients value having a trusted sounding board who understands commercial reality, has sat in their seat and brings an external, unbiased perspective.
The work often includes:
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Clarifying direction and priorities
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Stress testing plans and assumptions
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Exploring options, risks and trade offs
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Turning intent into simple, actionable steps
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Holding you to what you said you would do
My frameworks, including SHIFT³, 12 Week Sprints and the Growth Engine, bring structure and momentum while keeping mentoring human, adaptable and focused on real world results.
What I help clients achieve.
The goals vary by client, but the themes are consistent.
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Stronger strategic clarity
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More confident and capable leadership
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Better conversations and alignment across the senior team
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Improved grip on cash, funding and risk
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Real progress on growth, succession or exit plans
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A business that feels more under control and a role that feels more sustainable
My focus is always on helping you make better decisions and execute with confidence.
About Kinetic Mentoring™
Kinetic is the mentoring and advisory practice I founded to provide structured, high impact support for ambitious SMEs and professional service firms.
Through Kinetic Mentoring, Kinetic Capital and related frameworks, I combine mentoring, advisory and funding expertise so that:
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You have one senior partner to talk to
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Strategy, leadership and funding decisions are considered together
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You get both thinking time and practical help to move things forward
Kinetic is built on integrity, long term thinking and measurable impact. It reflects my belief that mentoring should be professional, disciplined and rooted in real world experience.
Our Values
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Straightforward conversations
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Calm, steady guidance
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Practical, evidence based support
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Long term client relationships
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Professional standards and ethical practice
These values underpin every engagement.
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Learn more about my executive mentoring approach → link to Executive and Leadership Mentoring
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Explore how structured business mentoring works → link to Business Mentoring
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I also work in person across Sussex and Kent → link to both regional pages
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Read my latest Blog → link to blog
Experience and Professional Recognition
I bring more than thirty years of experience in banking, finance and SME advisory, including senior commercial leadership roles supporting businesses across the UK.
My background includes:
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National sales leadership and strategy roles
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Funding, finance, restructuring and turnaround expertise
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Supporting thousands of SMEs and mid sized businesses
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Executive mentoring and advisory work with founders, boards and senior teams
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Experience of founding, buying, selling and merging businesses
I hold the ILM Level 7 qualification in Executive Mentoring and Coaching and I am committed to ongoing professional development.
I am also:
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Fellow of the Association of Business Mentors
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Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute
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Member of the City and Guilds Institute (MCGI)
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Professional Mentor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council
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Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs
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Freeman of the City of London
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Mentor on the national Help to Grow Management programme
This mix of practical experience and formal recognition means you work with a mentor who has both commercial realism and a professional, ethical approach.
Who I Work With and Where
I mentor founders, business owners and senior leaders who want structured thinking time, experienced challenge and a trusted partner for their next phase of growth.
I work with clients online across the UK and in person throughout Sussex and Kent. Clients consistently value the clarity, momentum and strategic confidence gained from our work together.
Ways We Can Work Together
You can work with me through:
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Ongoing executive mentoring relationships
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Strategy and clarity sessions for founders and senior teams
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Founder mentoring through growth, succession or exit
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Leadership development and communication support
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Funding readiness and finance guidance
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Board level mentoring and NED style support
We begin with a conversation to understand your goals, challenges and context and to confirm that mentoring is the right fit for you and your business.
