London gave you the career.
Now build something you own.

Redundancy

The role has gone. The organisation has restructured. But the expertise you built across a London career hasn't disappeared — and decoded shows you exactly what to build with it.

Burnout

The commute. The politics. The endless restructures. You're done with the institution — not the work. There's a way to keep doing what you're good at, without the corporate machinery around it.

Retirement Horizon

You're not ready to stop. But you are ready to stop doing it on someone else's terms. London's business community still needs your knowledge — just not locked inside a single organisation.

Ready For Independence

You've earned your stripes. You know how it works. Now you want to choose your clients, set your terms, and build something that belongs to you — not to a corporate structure.

Your input template

01

Expertise Themes

The recurring problems you've spent a London career solving — transformation, governance, commercial growth, operational change, regulatory navigation.

02

Commercial Opportunities

How your expertise translates into services London businesses and global clients pay for — fractional executive, board advisor, NED, consultant, coach, mentor.

03

Sector Crossover

Industries beyond your home sector that face identical challenges — scale-ups, PE-backed businesses, international organisations, public sector bodies needing private sector thinking.

04

Positioning Clarity

Move from "Former COO, FTSE 250" to something buyers respond to immediately — a proposition that makes the right clients want to pick up the phone.

05

Future Directions

A shortlist of practical routes based on your specific London experience — so you leave with a starting point, not a blank page and a LinkedIn profile refresh.

Rewire

Stop seeing yourself through the lens of your last job title. Start seeing yourself as someone who holds decades of commercially valuable intellectual property.

Repackage

Turn that expertise into clearly defined services. Name what you do so the right clients understand it immediately — and are willing to pay for it.

Repurpose

Deploy your expertise beyond the sectors you built it in. London gave you a world-class network — repurpose it across industries, geographies and client types you've never worked with before.

Meet the founder

Jamie Sylvian

Three decades living the Executive Nomad life. Jamie has run a location-independent business at executive and board level for global brands including British Gas, London Electricity, BetVictor and Casey Research.

He co-founded the marketing business that became Uswitch.com, sold for £210m in 2006. Everything in decoded is built on what the real Jamie learned doing it — across 13 countries, from his laptop.

Published Work

The Executive Nomad Operating System

Founder, The Executive Nomad Ecosystem

Read the book →

Can a senior London executive really build an independent consulting practice from their corporate career?

Yes — and London executives are particularly well placed to do it. A senior career in London means you have operated at the highest commercial levels, built networks that span sectors and geographies, and solved problems that organisations across the world are still trying to fix. The transition is not about starting over. It is about repackaging what you already have into a form the market can buy independently of any institution.

I have been made redundant from a senior London role. What are my realistic options beyond another corporate job?

Redundancy at senior level typically opens four paths: another full-time role inside an institution, fractional executive work across multiple clients, independent consulting in your area of specialism, or a portfolio of NED, advisory and coaching work. Many London executives who have gone through redundancy find the independent options more lucrative and more satisfying than returning to the corporate environment that just let them go. The decoded tool on this page will show you which path fits your specific experience within three minutes.

How long does it take to replace a senior London salary through independent consulting?

Most senior professionals who commit fully to the transition secure their first paying client within 60 to 90 days and reach income parity within 12 months. London executives often move faster because their networks are deeper and their credibility is higher. The variable is not your expertise — it is how clearly you have packaged what you offer and how directly you are communicating it to the right buyers.

Does going independent mean giving up the income level a senior London role provides?

Not if you position yourself correctly. Senior independent consultants in London typically charge between £1,500 and £4,000 per day depending on specialism and seniority. With two or three retained clients at fractional rates, the annual income often exceeds a senior corporate salary — with none of the institutional overhead, politics or fixed hours. The model works because organisations need senior thinking they cannot justify hiring full-time.

I am approaching the end of my corporate career in London but not ready to stop. What next?

A portfolio of NED positions, advisory roles and selective consulting engagements is the natural third act for a senior London executive. You bring pattern recognition, sector relationships and commercial credibility that no younger consultant can replicate. London boards actively seek this depth. The question is how to position and package it so the right opportunities find you.

What does decoded actually do and how is it different from a career assessment?

decoded is not a personality test or a career assessment. You give it one real career win and it analyses the commercial intelligence inside that win. It hands you back three named consulting businesses you could launch, specific sector crossover opportunities, and a positioning statement that replaces your last job title with something buyers actually respond to. The output is commercial and specific, not motivational and generic.

What is the Rewire, Repackage, Repurpose framework?

It is the three-stage methodology Jamie Sylvian developed over three decades of building location-independent businesses at executive level. Rewire means changing how you see yourself — from someone defined by an employer to someone who owns decades of commercially valuable intellectual property. Repackage means turning that expertise into clearly defined services. Repurpose means deploying it far beyond the sectors and geographies you built it in.

What is rewiredAi and how does it complement decoded?

decoded gives you the commercial blueprint from your specific career win. rewiredAi takes you deeper — a free AI model trained on Jamie's three decades of methodology, built to have an open-ended conversation about your results, your options and your next move. Where decoded is fast and structured, rewiredAi is conversational and personal.

How is Executive Nomad different from outplacement or executive coaching?

Outplacement helps you find another job. Executive coaching helps you perform better in the one you have. Executive Nomad helps you build a business from your existing expertise that you own outright, that travels with you, and that pays at or above the level you were earning institutionally. The methodology is commercial, not therapeutic.

Do I need to leave London or travel to make this work?

No. Location independence is an option the methodology makes available, not a requirement. Many Executive Nomad clients continue working with London clients from London. Others use the model to work globally from wherever they choose. The point is that the business does not tie you to a desk or a single geography — what you do with that freedom is your choice entirely.

Can I run a serious consulting practice without the London office infrastructure?

Yes. The senior consulting market has shifted permanently toward remote and flexible engagement. Board advisory, fractional executive work, transformation consulting and coaching are all delivered virtually or through selective in-person meetings by senior independents operating from wherever they choose. Your clients are paying for your judgement and your network — not your postcode.

What does a typical week look like as an independent consultant after a senior London career?

A fractional executive with two or three retained clients might work three focused days per week on client work, leaving time for business development, thought leadership and personal projects. A NED and advisory portfolio typically involves monthly board meetings and ad hoc calls. Most independent professionals who have made this transition report working fewer hours than in their corporate roles while earning comparable or higher income.

How do I manage the identity shift from a senior London corporate role to working independently?

The identity shift — from a role inside an institution to being the institution — is one of the most underestimated challenges of this transition. In London particularly, where professional identity is often tied closely to employer and title, this shift takes deliberate work. The Rewire stage of the methodology addresses this directly. It is a structured reframe of where your value actually sits — and what it means to own it rather than rent it to an employer.

Do I need to give up financial security to make this move?

Not if you plan the transition properly. Most successful transitions are staged — the first client is secured before the corporate role ends, or a redundancy payment provides runway. A consulting income is also structurally more resilient than a salary: losing one client does not end your income, where losing one job does. Diversification across three or four clients is a stronger financial position than dependence on a single employer.

Is there an age at which it is too late to go independent after a senior London career?

No. The consulting and advisory market is experience-weighted, not age-weighted. Senior professionals in their 50s and 60s are consistently among the most sought-after independents because they bring what younger consultants cannot replicate. Outside the corporate structure, the age-related biases that exist in hiring become largely irrelevant. Your track record is your advantage.

What types of independent work can a senior London executive realistically pursue?

The options are broader than most people realise: fractional executive roles (part-time CFO, COO, CMO across multiple clients), independent management consulting, executive coaching, non-executive director positions, board advisory roles, expert witness work, mentor programmes, and workshop facilitation. The strongest independents build a portfolio that combines several of these, creating multiple income streams from a single body of expertise.

How do I become a non-executive director after a senior executive career in London?

London boards are among the most sought-after in the world and competition for NED roles is real. Your first NED appointment almost never comes through a job board — it comes through your existing professional network, sector peers and advisory relationships. The path is to be visible and specific about what you bring, build your thought leadership, and approach introductions deliberately. The Repackage stage of the methodology covers this in detail.

Can I use my London sector expertise to consult internationally?

London careers often produce the most internationally transferable expertise in the world. The commercial, regulatory and operational challenges you have navigated in one of the world's leading business cities are precisely what organisations in emerging markets, scale-ups in Europe and North America, and international development bodies are looking for. Sector crossover and geographic expansion are often where the most interesting and best-paid independent work is found.

What is executive coaching and is it a viable income stream after a senior London career?

Executive coaching is one of the fastest-growing segments of the independent professional market and London is one of its biggest hubs. As a senior executive coach you work with leaders on strategic positioning, decision-making, stakeholder management and career transitions — drawing on your own experience rather than a textbook. Day rates for credible senior coaches in London run from £1,000 to £3,000. Corporates, PE firms and individual executives are all active buyers.

What is a portfolio career and how does it work for a senior London professional?

A portfolio career combines multiple income streams from your expertise simultaneously — fractional executive work, NED positions, advisory retainers and selective consulting or coaching. For a senior London professional it might look like: one fractional role two days per week, two NED positions on quarterly board cycles, and one or two coaching clients. The total income often exceeds a senior corporate salary, with significantly more autonomy, variety and control over your time.

What is the Untethered 1:1 session and who is it for?

Untethered is a private 60-minute strategy session with Jamie Sylvian, designed for senior professionals who want to understand exactly how the Executive Nomad methodology applies to their specific career, background and goals. The session covers market fit, product fit, tax strategy for independent operators, and a clear next-steps plan. Every Untethered session includes a printed copy of The Executive Nomad Operating System, posted to you anywhere in the world before the call. Book your session here.

What is the Unlocked programme and how is it different from the 1:1?

Unlocked is the flagship Executive Nomad weekend workshop — a two-day online intensive in small cohorts, once per month. Day 1 covers your commercial positioning, core offer, target sectors, pricing architecture and founder story. Day 2 you build your one-page website live, create your outreach sequence, draft your first proposal template and leave with a launch-ready business. From Day 3 through to Day 33, your dedicated Pathfinder strategist works with you directly until you land your first client — or they continue for free until you do. See Unlocked dates and book your seat.