The founder’s fractional COO. Hands-on operational leader for scaling businesses.
I’m a fractional COO, consultant COO, coach and advisor who’s worked exclusively with founders since 2014. I’m obsessed with making businesses that actually work well.
In practice I’m a hands-on leader and practitioner who’s spent more than 26 years in the trenches as a founder and COO, not simply a consultant with theory, untested frameworks and a lot of slides.
I help founders transform their hard work into businesses that can run without them, scale beyond them and make them truly free – not just be the person that everything seems to depend on.
Who I work with
I work with founders – typically of businesses between £1m and £15m revenue that are in the process of scaling. That usually means they have 10 to 125 people working in the business.
Often those businesses are agencies, technology-centric businesses or professional services firms although the challenges founders face at this stage look remarkably similar regardless of sector.
What they have in common is that they’ve built something that works and now that success is creating the strain. The business has grown beyond what can be run informally. It now needs structure, process and leadership – but building that while running the business at the same time is genuinely hard.
I only work with founders who want to fix that properly, not paper over it.
“I’d known Simon at a distance for over a decade, but only started working directly with him in 2023 – and wished I’d brought him in before! He came into the senior team at my ecommerce SaaS platform with a consummate skill at collaborative improvement. He has made a big difference in team re-directing and re-energizing – and really got things done. He combines both a high emotional EQ and systemising skills, which is not so common. 100% recommended.”
Deri Jones, founder & CEO at ThinkTribe
“Simon has an outstanding skill set and extensive experience in technology, business operations and management. He is easy to work with and can effectively draw on his skills and experience to help solve problems with calm authority and creativity. I highly recommend Simon to anyone looking for efficient, energetic and effective support.”
Neil Benson, serial biotech founder at Xenologiq, Quantlmed & Sevenless Therapeutics
What does a well-run scaling business actually look like?
From my experience working with founders since 2014, it’s one where the founder is focused on the future, not firefighting in the present.
The leadership team makes decisions confidently without needing you in the room.
Growth is creating a sense momentum rather than a fear of chaos. The founder notices that every new opportunity feels like an asset of value, not another demand on their time.
That’s what I help founders build: a bespoke business operating system that’s right for them and can work without them. They choose their level of involvement rather than it being determined by their business.
Typically most founders I work with are stuck somewhere between “this is getting harder to manage” and “I can’t see how we grow without it breaking”. They know something needs to change – for example in how the business is structured, how decisions get made or how the team operates. But they’re too close to it and too busy running it to see what needs to change or how.
That’s where working with me as a fractional COO, consultant, advisor or coach makes the difference – not with theory or frameworks borrowed from ChatGPT but with hands-on operational experience. I work alongside you and your team to build a business that doesn’t rely on you being indispensable.
Many founders optimise for leadership or get more involved while ignoring the need for an enduring business operating system. That’s why so many scale-ups feel like a relentless treadmill despite genuine momentum. But there’s a better way: stopping managing tasks and starting building your bespoke business operating system.
As the founder, you should own the system that creates outcomes, not own every outcome yourself.
“Working with Simon has been nothing short of transformative. At the start of the year, my business was on shaky ground, but with his guidance I now have a clear, solid strategy in place. He’s pushed me to tackle the things I’d been putting off, and that accountability has been a game-changer. As a result, I’m winning more business than ever and am on track to double my revenue this year. His support, advice and encouragement have been invaluable I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.“
Rebecca McKee, Founder, This Brand Works
“As a fractional executive in our leadership team, Simon designed and implemented new processes that have significantly improved our operational efficiency. Notably, he introduced our new 1:1s to enhance team engagement and helped create a new ‘lead to sale’ process for our agency. Simon is a collaborative and supportive executive in whom we had trust and confidence from the start. He listens and advises, leveraging his extensive agency and consultancy experience to build trust with the team and deliver results quickly.“
Peter O’Brien, Co-founder & Creative Director, Hidden Creative
The challenges founders often bring to me
- Your business can’t operate at full capacity without you in the room.
- You’re the bottleneck for decisions that shouldn’t need you.
- Business growth is creating chaos rather than momentum.
- Your leadership team isn’t leading the way you need them to.
- You’re doing the work of a COO on top of the work of a founder.
- You know your processes work – or at least they did until suddenly they don’t any more.
- Every new hire you bring in or new client you win creates more complexity, not more capacity.
- You’re building the plane while flying it and it’s taking too long to create.
“Simon is an amazing strategist to have in your corner—he breaks complex problems into digestible chunks that give people clarity, accountability and help teams thrive. I’ve often turned to Simon when faced with tough, frustrating challenges. Whether it’s restructuring a team, refining a business model, or navigating the transition from start up to scale up, Simon approaches everything with a level of level-headedness, integrity and empathy that’s rare. He joins dots and through his network is an incredible connector of people. If you’re a scale up business, Simon will be a trusted guide and an invaluable asset. He’s made a lasting impact on our business.”
Georgia Branch, Co-founder & CEO at We Create Popular
“Simon is a serious company builder. He knows how to take a founder’s vision for their business and make it real step by step. He’s got a collaborative and thoughtful approach to leading teams and getting things done. If you want a trusted partner in scaling your business, work with Simon.”
Tim Deeson, serial exited founder & advisor to early stage start-ups
Not just a consultant. A hands-on COO practitioner.
I’ve spent more than 26 years working in and on scaling businesses – as a founder, a managing director and a COO.
I’ve built teams, restructured organisations, fixed broken operations, navigated funding rounds and helped founders through acquisitions and exits.
My experience spans agencies, SaaS, media, technology and professional services – across the UK and internationally. That means I’ve usually seen a version of your problem before and I know what works and what doesn’t when the pressure is on.
I don’t arrive with a standard playbook in mind. My B3 framework® is deliberately solution-agnostic so I can work out what your business actually needs and build the right solutions with you.
“Simon brought a level of insight and expertise that profoundly impacted our company’s leadership strategy. His customized approach helped us outline a clear path for our company’s growth in the short and long term and establish personal goals for each founder. Simon’s strategic thinking, coupled with his ability to provoke thoughtful discussions, made the entire process not only effective but also enjoyable. We highly recommend Simon to any company looking to solidify their leadership structure and future plans.”
Matt Linder, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Strand LLC
“Simon has often been my go to person to talk to about gnarly problems in technology businesses. We’ve often brainstormed ideas around operating models and structures, and I’ve really valued Simon’s approach as a leader, which is about integrity, inclusivity, and being a servant to his colleagues. If you need help with leadership, business models, or people challenges, you’ll be in very safe hands.”
Stuart Arthur, Founder & CTO, Pivotl
What working with me looks like
Every engagement with me starts the same way: I get properly under the skin of your business before suggesting anything. I want to see and understand what’s working, what isn’t, where the real bottlenecks are and what you as the founder actually need – which is often different to what you think you need.
After that, the way we work together varies depending on what we’ve learnt together:
As a fractional COO, I’m embedded in your leadership team for one to three days a week – leading, deciding, and doing. As a consultant COO, I diagnose and fix specific problems in your business for you, working fast and collaboratively. As an advisor, I’m a trusted sounding board through regular structured conversations. As an executive coach, I work one-to-one with you or members of your leadership team.
What’s consistent across all the ways I work with founders is that I’m practical, direct and focused on outcomes that actually change how your business runs – not producing presentations that gather dust.
“Following a team restructure, Simon played a crucial role in navigating the complexities that can come with big change. His calm demeanour and intuitive approach made everyone at ease, which gave different personalities the opportunity to speak and feel listened to. The team went from being deflated and uncertain, to being a united, high-performing team with clearly defined roles and goals to look forward to. I highly recommend Simon to any team leader looking for direction, support and guidance across a multitude of business needs.”
Louise Ioannou, Marketing Director at National Geographic Kids Magazine
“I’ve been working with Simon as a coach and mentor since 2021. He’s always great at bringing a different perspective, and through building trust and understanding, he’s also able to challenge me and help me with alternative approaches and viewpoints to broaden my thinking. I continue to really enjoy our sessions, and find them invaluable in bringing additional perspectives, opening my eyes to opportunities and always, always reminding me of the value and experience I have to offer.”
Louise Lai, Chief Client and Transformation Officer at TPXimpact
“Simon’s coaching and mentorship have transformed my professional progression from Head of Delivery to VP of Operations (and beyond) in a scaling global AI start-up. Simon and I have worked in two key areas: business mentorship and career progression. He has given me the tools to navigate tricky, new business challenges and better understand and prepare myself for my future professional journey. He is an invaluable mentor and coach for any executive looking for a seasoned business leader to work with to develop your future self and to navigate business challenges from across all business areas.”
Adam Fowles, VP of Operations at OpenDialog AI
Leading a growth business?
My B3 framework® helps you get your scaling journey right and reduce the challenges of successful business growth.
Developed in 2023 from interviews with more than 50 scale-up founders, it’s a simple yet powerful framework for company building, giving you everything you need to build a brilliant business.
“Simon is an outstanding coach. His calm presence and thought-provoking questions helped me see challenges from new perspectives and overcome obstacles that had been holding me back at work. Each session left me with practical insights that strengthened my relationships with colleagues, leading to better collaboration, faster decisions, and improved outcomes.
What impressed me most was Simon’s ability to add value without prior experience in my industry. He drew on his expertise to help me better understand myself and how I interact with others, which has significantly boosted my performance. I highly recommend Simon to anyone seeking a coach who can unlock growth and deliver real results.”
Mark Moreton, Director of Learning and Development, CVS Group
“With his knowledge of agencies, tech, and delivery at all levels, Simon is an excellent person to have on your bench. He has great intuition and knows when to ask the right questions to help you come to your own conclusions, and when to lean on his own extensive experience. He works to understand the challenges specific to my organisation, and helps me to see them in the context of the broader market. We’ve worked through everything from operating models to team dynamics, and his counsel has always been wise, measured and insightful. I always look forward to our time together – his impact has been felt throughout our company.”
Siobhan McKeown, Chief Operating Officer at Patchstack
