About me

I am Ian and I have spent over 20 years in functional and CXO roles building, managing, and advising client-facing small and medium-sized technology delivery organizations, overseeing operations, client portfolios, and go-to-market initiatives across diverse geographies and cultures.Now, I work with leaders in IT professional services firms (software, cloud engineering, consultancies), helping them thrive and succeed in the market by optimizing company value streams and implementing lasting changes to support growth. I take a hands-on approach, focusing on generating value from "hour zero" and getting things done.

What I bring

My core area of expertise is maximizing the value output of technology delivery companies. I focus on providing frameworks and solutions across entire value chain (sales, delivery, operations) to overcome complexities, identify antipatterns, and implement lasting changes.

  • 01 Design lean structures to increase operational velocity and reduce overhead

  • 02 Optimizing value proposition to improve brand perception and uniueness

  • 03 Appying HR frameworks and team topologies to boost employee engagement

  • 04 Designing delivery and portfolio management to maximize client long-term value

  • 06 Selecting Professional Services Automation to reduce toil and automate

  • 07 Designing business intelligence to gain visibility and inputs for decision making

  • 08 Implement frameworks to align across functions to reduce silo effects

  • 09 Individual mentoring for leaders to mobilize, energize and move past change

DIAGNOSIS

Our industry is a complex and fast-paced business.Apart from daily chores, leaders face challenges in driving growth and efficiency. They often struggle to gain an objective view and operate on an evolving entity. As organizations scale, inefficiencies naturally arise and accumulate, making it essential to continually focus on upscaling practices across the entire value chain. Whatever worked well yesterday can become a bottleneck tomorrow.
It is often hard to define a desired status quo, and it is even more difficult to move to the desired future state—it requires cross-company collaboration, alignment, and often competing with other priorities or existing policies. Leadership realizes that it is critical to perpetually seek to identify opportunities for improvement and adopt practices that differentiate their organization in a competitive marketplace.This is why I believe external aid can add value, provide objectivity and help companies move past impediments to differentiate and win the market.

Value Commitment

  • 01 Objectivity I offer clear, impartial perspectives free from dependencies as an external stakeholder.

  • 02 Focus on ROI I focus on a disciplined approach that ensures immediate contributions that drive tangible results.

  • 03 Meritocracy I leverage well-researched concepts and methodologies instead of opinions.

  • 04 Holistic I address the organization, ensuring changes align with broader goals and shareholder interest.

  • 05 Proven Success My track record demonstrates meaningful contributions across small and medium technology companies.

  • 06 Commitment to Excellence I continuously educate myself to stay at the forefront of managerial and leadership practices.

  • 07 Confidentiality and Trust I maintain strict confidentiality, operating solely on recommendation and reputation.

Recent reads

Strategy Safari by Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand, and Joseph Lampel explores the complexity of strategic management by presenting ten distinct schools of thought, each offering a unique perspective on how strategy is developed and implemented. The book categorizes these approaches into three groups: prescriptive (focused on how strategies should be formulated), descriptive (focused on how strategies actually emerge), and integrative (blending elements of both). By likening strategy to a safari through a jungle of ideas, it highlights the strengths and limitations of each school, such as the planning, learning, and positioning schools, encouraging readers to adopt a balanced, multifaceted approach to strategy. This comprehensive guide underscores that no single model fits all organizations, advocating for a tailored and adaptable view of strategic management.I recommend this book for leadership teams aiming to get perspective on different approach to strategy formulations.