Meet the team

Practical experience. Shared purpose. Real results.

We bring together experienced professionals who share a common goal: helping firms create and deliver greater value through their client relationships. Each of us brings a distinct background in leadership, consulting, finance, coaching, strategy, and research and insight, all focused on helping firms strengthen performance and growth. What connects us is a shared belief that firms thrive when their people are equipped to lead meaningful conversations, deliver quality outcomes, and build lasting trust with their clients.

We work closely with firms, networks, and their leadership to bridge strategy and action. Our approach combines practical experience with collaborative support for both current and future leaders. Whether through advisory projects, group facilitation, or tailored learning initiatives, our aim is the same: to help firms create visible value, strengthen capability, and raise performance across the whole organisation.

Jonathan Lancaster

Co-founder | Managing Director

Jonathan Lancaster has over two decades of experience across technology, consulting, and professional services. His career has been built on first-hand experience competing for high-value work in complex environments and supporting firms in strengthening performance and results. His consulting practice evolved into what is now Practice Edge.

Jonathan’s work has included supporting firms on the role of culture in audit quality under the International Standard on Quality Management (ISQM), which places greater emphasis on leadership, governance, and accountability for quality across firms. He is also the author of published guidance on best practices for audit proposal development, which has reached more than 200 firms worldwide.

As Principal Consultant, Jonathan oversees client projects and the firm’s strategic growth. He believes professionals want clear guidance, structure, and the right environment to apply what they learn and perform at their best. His focus is on helping firms create those conditions and build the confidence to achieve lasting results.

Collaborators and Advisors

Neil O'Brien

Mastermind Facilitator

Neil O’Brien is a Chartered Management Accountant and published author who has worked with more than 250 professional services firms and business owners. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, he helps firms grow profitably and with focus. His work blends financial and behavioural understanding with practical tools such as 80:20 analysis and pricing strategy to identify and act on priorities that deliver measurable improvement. Neil facilitates structured Mastermind programmes that encourage reflection, accountability, and progress.

Duncan Emery

Integration and Value Optimisation

Duncan Emery is the Managing Director of Emery Quinn, a specialist firm that supports clients through significant strategic and operational change. With over 25 years of experience, he has delivered transformation across global manufacturing, industrial, and service organisations. Earlier in his career, Duncan spent six years with McKinsey & Company before moving into senior roles, including Global Operations Director and COO. His expertise covers mergers, acquisitions, and post-integration value creation, helping firms improve performance, strengthen leadership, and realise long-term gains.

Jim Irving

Co-founder | Advisor

Jim Irving is a retired business leader, author, and mentor with more than 40 years of experience in sales and business growth. As a former UK Managing Director for a global software company, he led teams through complex B2B transactions and strategic change. Over the past decade, Jim has shared his experience through mentoring start-ups and SMEs and as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Catalyst, Northern Ireland Science Park. The author of three Amazon bestselling business books, Jim played a key role in shaping Practice Edge in its early years and now supports the team in an informal advisory capacity.

Fiona Norman

Research and Strategic Insight

Fiona Norman is the Managing Director of FN Research and an experienced market research and insight specialist with more than 35 years’ experience supporting organisations to make evidence-led decisions. She works with professional services firms to bring structured research into leadership discussions, helping them understand how they are experienced by clients, teams, and stakeholders, and how this shapes performance over time. Fiona supports Practice Edge clients through research that informs direction, positioning, and internal alignment during periods of growth, change, or integration.

Kevin McNulty

Fractional CFO | Advisor

With more than two decades of international business experience — including ten years in accountancy practice and the rest in industry — Kevin McNulty specialises in strategic business planning, data analytics, and financial performance. His background in chemistry, food technology, and pharmaceuticals across Ireland and Europe gives him a distinctive blend of technical and commercial insight. As a trusted advisor, Kevin has developed budgets exceeding £500 million, led financial due diligence on deals up to £130 million, and helps firms turn financial data into actionable insights that improve profitability and growth.

Noel Clerkin

Executive Coach and Team Facilitator

Noel Clerkin has been practising as an executive coach and team facilitator since 2002, following a career in financial services across Dublin, Paris, London, and New York. He works with senior leaders, founders, and HR directors to help them lead effectively, manage change, and build alignment within their teams. Noel’s international experience and calm, pragmatic style make him a trusted advisor for leaders who want to strengthen collaboration, culture, and performance across their firms.

Jules Alexander

Project and Bid Management

Jules Alexander brings over a decade of experience in project management, business development, and competitive bid strategy across professional services and construction. A certified proposal management professional (CF APMP), she has supported teams at Deloitte and other leading firms across the UK, Ireland, and EMEA. Jules combines structure and clear communication with a collaborative approach that keeps projects aligned, efficient, and outcome-focused from start to finish.

We only take on a small number of new firms at a time so each partnership gets the attention it deserves.

Register your interest to start a conversation about your priorities and fit for the next intake.

Get in Touch

Practice Edge Ltd

94F Hamilton Road

Bangor, BT20 4LG

Company registered in Northern Ireland with company number: NI674011