The Portfolio Executives

After more than two decades managing operations and leading transformations in high-growth and complex businesses – and having co-owned, scaled, and sold a telecoms company – I wanted to do something a bit different rather than working again solely for one company with the same people, products, and services day in and day out.

As it happened, I had been asked by the company who bought our business, Elevate UK, if I could help them to integrate our company into their group, as well as restructure their end-to-end systems of work. This involved integrating four subsidiaries in total and aligning them to the customer journey. Since I had done post-merger integrations several times before, as well as built structures and systems of work during periods of high growth – especially at Groupon – I happily agreed. When this engagement came to an end, I realised I enjoyed this different type of working, even though it was still connected to a familiar environment.

This restructuring became my first success as an external advisor, creating a structure that allows Elevate UK to continue to grow, whether organically or through further acquisitions.

Along the way, I’ve learned that most successful businesses that experience problems such as rising escalations, backlogs, overstretched leadership, reactive managers, and broken communication don’t struggle because of bad people or bad products – they struggle because growth outpaces structure. Success brings another layer of complexity; what works with 30 employees doesn’t work anymore for 300. Without the right scaffolding, even thriving companies can feel like they’re collapsing from within. I’ve learned that sustainable transformation isn’t about bureaucracy – it’s about the right level of governance, clarity of ownership, leadership enablement, and sensitivity to culture. Change only sticks when you don’t just design new processes – you also coach managers on how to design themselves, to own and lead those processes, and to involve the people affected.

I’m now at a stage where I can combine and share all my experience without the need to commit full-time to a single business. Portfolio Executive work lets me focus on one thing: stabilising businesses, freeing up leadership, and embedding systems and cultural changes that last. It also allows me to work across a variety of sectors and industries – from SaaS and telecoms to, more recently, a housing association.

Looking ahead, I want to continue building long-term partnerships where I’m not just a short-term fixer but a trusted operational co-pilot, ideally supporting two to three companies at a time. My aim is to help more founders and executives step back from firefighting, knowing their businesses can scale with confidence – whether they’re preparing for a major funding round, an exit, or simply want to regain control and focus. I’d also like to mentor and develop more operational leaders within the companies I support, so they inherit the capability to lead and sustain growth long after I step away.