Board-Level Strategic Advisory for Engineering-Led Businesses
I advise owners and boards of engineering, technical and regulated businesses where growth has increased complexity, decisions carry downside risk, and the enterprise must function without relying on one individual.
Strategic advisory for organisations that need to scale deliberately, govern risk effectively, and create credible exit options - whilst maintaining performance.
Trusted by boards and owners operating in complex, high-consequence environments.
The Founder's Trap
When the business grows - but governance doesn't
Engineering-led businesses rarely fail because of weak capability.
They stall when enterprise value becomes tied to the founder's daily presence.
That dependency creates structural risk:
- Strategic decisions queue behind one individual
- Leadership authority is unclear or informal
- Due diligence exposes key-person dependency
- Buyers and investors discount valuation for continuity risk
- Exit and succession options narrow over time
This is not a motivation problem.
It is a governance and decision-authority problem.
I work with boards and owners to remove founder dependency and build enterprises that operate, scale and transition without dependence on one individual.
When Boards Engage Me
I am a multidisciplinary Chartered Engineer and Former Royal Navy Officer. I have operated in the environments where you operate: building, scaling, and stabilizing complex technical businesses.
Boards typically engage me when:
What Changes When Founder Risk Is Removed
When governance, authority and leadership capacity are rebuilt at enterprise level:
This is what an owner-optional enterprise looks like.
The Freedom Blueprint™
A Proven Method for Engineering
& Industrial Businesses
The Freedom Blueprint™ is the framework I use to help boards and owners:
Representative Board-Level Engagements
Olympic Park security governance and programme recovery
Provided board-level advisory and programme recovery support for the specification, assurance and procurement of £350m+ of security capital projects for the London Olympic Park. Coordinated requirements across multiple government agencies and engineering partners, restored governance coherence, and safeguarded delivery under national and ministerial scrutiny.
Enterprise governance and risk remediation ahead of a £980m defence FM re-bid
Advised senior leadership and owners on governance, operating model and commercial risk across a 99-site, safety-critical enterprise. Re-established decision authority and assurance required to secure business continuity and bid viability.
Infrastructure governance and continuity assurance for a metropolitan light railway
Held senior accountability for infrastructure integrity, supplier governance and risk oversight during a period of extreme demand leading into the London Olympics. Maintained service availability, regulatory compliance and stakeholder confidence in a highly visible public environment.
City-wide resilience and emergency governance under statutory accountability
Led governance, risk and preparedness arrangements for a unitary authority responsible for 190,000 citizens. Established emergency planning, business continuity and recovery frameworks, and chaired multi-agency coordination during live incidents and resilience exercises.
Why Boards Engage Me
Independent strategic advisory grounded in consequence.
Boards engage me because I bring:
I work alongside boards and owners when decisions must be right the first time.