Leverage Your Corporate Experience to Build an Extraordinary Second Act CareerÂ
We help senior executives build paid portfolio careers - across NED appointments, advisory roles, consulting and fractional leadership - all with ambitious SMEs. Faster, strategically and on your terms.
Explore How We Help
Join 1500+ Executives Who Read the SME Boardroom Brief Every Sunday
The exact frameworks, strategies and market insights our members are using right now to land paid board roles with ambitious SMEs.Â
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Turn Decades of Experience Into Income, Influence and Independence
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Most senior executives leave corporate with extraordinary experience and no idea how to deploy it. The traditional options - another full-time role, early retirement or hoping the right opportunity appears - don’t work for people who want to stay relevant, earn well and choose how they spend their time.
SME Non-Exec exists to solve that problem. We give you the roadmap, the positioning, the outreach system and the accountability to build a portfolio career that works... combining paid NED appointments, advisory roles, consulting and fractional leadership with ambitious, growing SMEs.
No guesswork. No networking-and-hoping. A proven system that’s already helped 50+ executives start building the careers they actually want.
Don't Take Our Word For It
Steve Goodwin
Former CEO Europe, DEB Group
"The approach was practical and pragmatic but stimulating thanks to key learning on new business development techniques. I'm confident this experience will help me find the best NED and Board Advisory partners. Any Executive Advisor would benefit strongly from speaking with Adrian."
Natalie Simms
Former International VP and CIO, Disney Television Group
"Adrian is incredibly relatable, and his unique blend of entrepreneurial experience and deep insight sets him apart. The workshop created a relaxed environment where we could openly share our experiences and learn from one another. If you're looking to step into or grow your NED career, Adrian is the guide you want."
Mark Rattley
Former VP Sales and Head of Strategic Programmes, EMEA, SAP
"I left feeling energised, focused with a clear understanding of the role and an execution plan. Adrian is very passionate, the course was well researched, entertaining and fun with game changing insights. The best and most focused course I have attended in years."
Wherever You Are On The Journey, We Can Help
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Whether you’ve already left your corporate role or you’re counting down to a leave date, the challenge is the same: how do you turn decades of leadership experience into a portfolio career that delivers income, purpose and freedom?
We work with senior executives at two critical stages:
I’ve Already Left Corporate
You’ve left your role. The runway is getting shorter. You know you want board-level involvement with growing businesses... but you’re not sure where to start, what to charge or how to find the right SMEs.
You need a system, not a job board.
I Have A Leave Date
You’re still employed but you know the end date. You want to hit the ground running... not spend six months after leaving trying to figure out your next move.
You need to start building now, while you still have the safety net.
Why The Biggest Opportunity For NEDs Isn't Where You Think
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Most executives assume the path to a board seat runs through FTSE-listed companies, formal governance roles and NED recruitment agencies. It doesn’t.
The UK has over 5.5 million SMEs. The overwhelming majority have no non-executive director, no advisory board and no structured external governance. These are businesses turning over £1m-50m that desperately need experienced commercial leadership... but don’t know how to find it and aren’t listed on any job board.
That’s where the opportunity sits. SME board roles are:
Accessible
Flexible
Impactful
Lucrative
The catch? These roles aren’t advertised. You won’t find them on LinkedIn job boards or NED listing sites. You have to know how to position yourself, where to look and how to start the right conversations.
That’s exactly what we teach.
FREE DOWNLOAD
The SME Non-Exec Playbook
Your Free Guide to Building a Paid Portfolio Career with Ambitious SMEs
Inside, you’ll discover why SMEs are the biggest untapped opportunity for experienced executives, how to navigate the hidden job market where these roles actually exist and what it takes to build a portfolio career that works.
Why SME Non-Exec?
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There are NED training courses, membership clubs and listing directories. We’re none of those. Here’s what makes us different:
- We’ve done it ourselves. Adrian built, acquired and scaled SMEs for over a decade. He knows what SME owners actually want from a non-exec because he’s been on the other side of the table.
- We don’t just teach theory. The Accelerator is a 12-week implementation programme. You leave with a positioned LinkedIn profile, a pipeline of SME targets, a proven outreach system and the confidence to have the conversations that lead to paid roles.
- We focus exclusively on SMEs. Not FTSE boards. Not charity trusteeships. Paid roles with ambitious, growing businesses where you can make a genuine commercial difference.
- We build community. 50+ executives are already on this journey together. You’ll learn from people further ahead, get accountability from your cohort and build a network of peers who understand exactly where you are.
- The results speak for themselves. Members are landing paid advisory and NED roles within weeks of completing the programme. Not months. Weeks.
A Clear Path From Experience To Income
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Every product answers a different question at a different stage. You can start wherever makes sense for you.
Life After Corporate
ÂŁ99
EXPLORING
A self-paced digital course for executives who want clarity before commitment. Discover whether a portfolio career is right for you, understand the SME landscape and map out your options... on your own time.
FastTrack Workshop
From ÂŁ299
READY TO PLAN
One intensive day that gives you the complete A-Z roadmap for building a portfolio career with SMEs. In-person in London or live via Zoom. Your fee is credited against the Accelerator if you join within 14 days.
ACCELERATOR
ÂŁ2,999
READY TO BUILD
The 12-week group programme that turns your plan into reality. Structured portal content, weekly live calls with Adrian, cohort accountability and cross-cohort learning. You’ll leave with market-ready positioning, a pipeline and a proven outreach system.
Accelerator Plus
ÂŁ199/mo
KEEP GROWING
For graduates who want to stay connected and keep building. Fortnightly calls, advanced content, ongoing community and access to quarterly networking events. Your portfolio career doesn’t stop at the first role... neither should your support.
HI THERE, I’M ADRIAN KNIGHT
I help executives build paid portfolio careers so they can grow income and impact, while building a purposeful next chapter beyond corporate life.
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I’ve spent nearly 11 years helping senior executives navigate the transition out of corporate life. Not from a classroom but from the other side of the boardroom table.
I’ve built, acquired and scaled over a dozen SMEs. I know exactly what growing businesses need from their board - and I know why most executives, despite their extraordinary experience, struggle to land these roles without the right positioning and system.
I’ve now guided hundreds of executives through this transition. If you’re ready to move from experience to influence, you’re in the right place.
Learn More About Adrian
Ready To Build Your Portfolio Career?
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Whether you’ve already left corporate or you’re preparing to, the next step is the same: get the roadmap.
Join the Next FastTrack Workshop