About Us
Leading the Way in Executive Leadership and Strategic Advisory
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy is that exceptional leadership is necessary, but not sufficient. True value creation in PE requires aligning the entire human capital system—from the board dynamics and organizational culture to the leadership team's execution. We partner with clients to build this alignment at every level.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
John Declerck, Managing Director of Portobello Advisory, is a private equity CEO coach with a proven track record of leading and transforming PE-backed businesses. Based in London, he works with CEOs and leadership teams in the UK, US, France and other key European markets.
John holds a Certificate in Coaching for Leadership: Psychodynamic Approaches from the Tavistock Institute, one of the world’s leading institutions in leadership and organizational development. He also holds an MBA from IESE as well as a BA in Economics from Bucknell University. As a former CEO, Chairman, and PE Operating Partner, he has first-hand experience tackling the challenges of private equity-backed leadership.
John is certified in the Hogan Assessment, the Denison Culture Model, and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) 360 suite, bringing data-driven insights to his advisory work.
EXPERIENCE
John has held senior roles at private equity portfolio companies and global corporations, working directly with PE investors on business growth, M&A, and leadership development. He participated in over 30 acquisitions and exits, both in PE and corporate roles. His career includes:
Kingfisher plc (London, Paris, Moscow): Led group strategy, acquisitions, and a significant turnaround as CEO of Castorama Russia.
The Home Depot (Atlanta, Toronto): Spearheaded international expansion, M&A, and corporate strategy.
Toys“R”Us Europe (Paris, London, Frankfurt): Managed $2B+ in revenue across nine countries as SVP & Chief Merchandising Officer.