Scroll Down
BUILT THROUGH COMPLEMENTARY EXPERIENCE ACROSS COMPLEX PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
MB International brings together complementary experience across commercial, education, public and international environments.
We work with leaders and organisations when strategic decisions and human dynamics interact — where clarity, judgement, communication, trust and change can shape what happens next.
The origin
MB International grew from a recurring pattern Matthew Bleakley saw across commercial, leadership and international work: important outcomes were rarely determined by strategy, expertise or communication alone.
Again and again, the real difficulty sat in the interaction between them — how decisions were interpreted, how trust and authority shaped response, and how people behaved when pressure, uncertainty or competing interests entered the picture.
MB International was built to work in that space.
The thinking behind the work
MB International is built on the principle that professional outcomes are rarely shaped by strategy or expertise alone.
They are also influenced by decision quality, trust, communication, authority, culture, reputation and the way people interpret what is happening around them.
That is why the work draws on complementary expertise across strategic navigation, diagnostics, leadership, communication and organisational change — bringing in specialist capability where the situation requires it.
The work focuses on the point where strategic choices and human behaviour begin to affect one another.
How we work together
Matthew and Mabel bring distinct but complementary professional backgrounds, perspectives and areas of strength. Together, that allows MBI to move between strategic clarity, diagnostic insight, interpersonal capability and organisational change without forcing every challenge through a single lens.
Where deeper specialist expertise is useful, trusted strategic alliances and collaborators can be brought into the work, while MBI retains responsibility for its quality, coherence and delivery.
The thinking behind the work
MB International is built on a simple principle: professional outcomes are rarely shaped by strategy or expertise alone.
They are also influenced by decision quality, trust, communication, authority, culture, reputation and the way people interpret what is happening around them.
That is why the work draws on complementary expertise across strategic navigation, diagnostics, leadership, communication and organisational change — bringing in specialist capability where the situation requires it.
The work focuses on the point where strategic choices and human behaviour begin to affect one another.
How we work together
The work is led through a complementary partnership, strengthened by specialist expertise where the situation requires it.
Matthew and Mabel bring distinct but complementary professional backgrounds, perspectives and areas of strength. Together, that allows MBI to move between strategic clarity, diagnostic insight, interpersonal capability and organisational change without forcing every challenge through a single lens.
Where deeper specialist expertise is useful, trusted strategic alliances and collaborators can be brought into the work, while MBI retains responsibility for its quality, coherence and delivery.
The people behind the work
MBI is led by Matthew Bleakley and Mabel Lajes-Guiteras, whose complementary experiences span commercial, educational, public and international environments.
Matthew brings nearly 25 years of experience across commercial, leadership and international settings; Mabel brings nearly three decades across leadership, organisational transformation, diagnostics and complex education systems.
Matthew Bleakley
Founder | Strategic Navigator
Matthew’s work has repeatedly placed him inside situations where judgement, communication and human dynamics shape outcomes as much as strategy does. That experience led to a clear focus: helping leaders and organisations navigate the point where strategic choices and human behaviour begin to affect one another.
He has worked with more than 1,000 professionals across more than 30 nationalities, including founders, senior executives, multinational teams, government representatives, military personnel and public-sector leaders across Europe and beyond.
His approach combines strategic clarity with communication, influence, professional credibility and a close attention to how decisions are understood by the people expected to act on them.
Mabel Lajes-Guiteras
Partner | Client & Diagnostic Strategy Lead
Mabel’s career has centred on turning strategic intent into practical, measurable improvement in complex, people-intensive environments.
She has led high-performing schools, developed leaders, assessed early-stage organisations and supported large portfolios of school and organisational leaders across the United States. That experience has required her to work at the intersection of performance, stakeholder trust, change, accountability and community impact.
At MBI, Mabel leads client relationships and diagnostic strategy, translating complex organisational needs into clear, evidence-led direction. Her strengths lie in identifying core issues quickly, building alignment and shaping practical interventions that create sustainable progress.
A defined ethical framework
MB International works within clear principles of integrity, confidentiality, professional responsibility and strategic honesty. These principles shape how we qualify engagements, challenge assumptions, handle sensitive information and act in the long-term interests of the people and organisations we work with.
Start with a conversation
If you are navigating a situation where strategic priorities and human dynamics are beginning to affect one another, a conversation can help clarify what deserves attention and what form of support would be most useful.