Who
Christian Kumar is a venture builder and strategic growth architect with over 30 years at the forefront of corporate finance, investment banking, and wealth management. He works across MedTech, construction, and energy sectors, helping early-stage companies accelerate to market while reducing commercial risk. He also lectures at university level and holds a patron role with Medilink Midlands — so his image needs to work across very different rooms.
Why
Christian was launching a consultancy and needed a visual presence to match his experience. A single LinkedIn headshot was not going to cover it. His images needed to hold up in university lecture halls, boardroom negotiations, investor pitches, and speaking engagements — sometimes in the same week.
He wanted to look credible without looking corporate. Approachable without looking casual. Like a lot of the people I photograph, he had been meaning to get it sorted for a while. The consultancy launch gave him the push to finally do it.
How
We ran a personal branding session — longer than a standard headshot sitting, and structured to cover the different roles Christian moves between. We worked through multiple setups and expressions, building a library rather than hunting for one image.
Some shots used a clean background: classic portraits for LinkedIn and his website header. Others were more contextual — Christian presenting to an audience, engaging after a talk, working at a desk, preparing for an interview, and in conversation with colleagues. I guided him through each setup, adjusting posture and expression in small steps.
What I particularly enjoyed about this session was finding the balance between Christian's considerable expertise and his natural warmth as a mentor. Once he saw the first few images on screen, he understood exactly what we were aiming for. His energy made the whole thing straightforward.
Result
Christian came away with a strong, varied set of images he could use from day one of his launch: consultancy website, LinkedIn, speaker profiles, and marketing materials. One sitting, dozens of usable images across different contexts. That variety is exactly what makes a personal branding session worth the investment — you stop patching together different photos and start presenting a consistent identity wherever you show up.
