Mark Francis' leadership journey began unexpectedly when he became the first-ever Captain of King's College School, Wimbledon, despite being shy and heavily dyslexic. At Lancaster University, he served as Athletic Union President, sparking a lifelong interest in guiding teams and leading organisations. He built a successful corporate career in fast-moving consumer goods and global HR, culminating as Vice President of Global Human Resources at JTI, overseeing 14,000 staff. In 2002, he founded Augmenta Ltd, a consultancy dedicated to developing confident, skilled leaders, with multinational clients including Danone and Edwards Lifesciences. Alongside his professional life, Mark has coached women's rugby since 1982, including 30 years at Richmond Rugby Club.
""Women's sport is doing so well, due not only to female pioneers, but also to true male allies like Mark Francis; get ready to be inspired."" - Gill Burns MBE, England Rugby Captain ""These are great insights into top-level leadership."" - Gavin Hastings OBE, Scotland & British Lions Captain ""This book nails what Everest taught me - true leadership is guiding your team through a storm, not just reaching the summit."" - Bonita Norris, Adventurer, climber, motivational speaker