Operational Leadership

Strong leadership and management skills are essential for an operational leader. This includes the ability to effectively manage teams, delegate tasks, and motivate employees to achieve organisational goals. Experience in managing large teams or departments is valuable.

• Led teams of 100+ across multiple organisations, including FTSE 100 and scale-up environments—instilling a high-performance culture, aligning cross-functional departments, and driving sustained growth across international markets.

• Motivated and engaged employees through people-first leadership, achieving an 89% employee approval rating at Crimson Tide and improving internal NPS to 80% at Inmarsat by fostering accountability, recognition, and continuous improvement.

• Delegated effectively across global operations, managing full P&L ownership, HR strategy, and team structures in complex, multi-site businesses—enabling agile execution of strategic goals while maintaining operational excellence.

A leader must be able to identify and address operational challenges and make sound decisions under pressure. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential for analysing complex issues and developing practical solutions.

• Resolved complex client relationship issues by restructuring Crimson Tide’s second-largest account—achieving 40% YoY growth and net revenue retention above 102%.

• Navigated operational and financial challenges during two acquisition approaches, including a hostile bid—balancing stakeholder interests while maintaining business continuity and investor confidence.

• Negotiated high-stakes vendor agreements under tight timelines at hiSkySat, securing critical satellite and launch contracts with Eutelsat, Intelsat, and SpaceX—optimising cost, mitigating risk, and ensuring program delivery.

A leader is responsible for optimising and streamlining business operations. Experience in operations management, supply chain management, process improvement, and lean methodologies can be highly advantageous. Knowledge of project management methodologies is also beneficial.

• Redesigned Crimson Tide’s core mobile/web platform, boosting system performance by 20% and cutting platform costs by 90%—a strategic overhaul that enabled scale and improved operational efficiency.

• Optimised company cost structure to support profitability targets, delivering £200K in annual licensing savings and reducing headcount, property costs, and COGS to align with sustainable SaaS growth.

• Applied project management and lean methodologies to lead complex, multi-product launches at hiSkySat—coordinating global supply chains, satellite hardware design, and launch operations, while securing €22.35M in public funding.

The ability to manage and lead through organisational change is crucial for a leader in operations. This includes implementing new processes, technologies, or initiatives and effectively communicating and managing resistance from employees.

• Led end-to-end transformation at Crimson Tide, shifting the company from a legacy service model to a SaaS-first platform—driving cultural alignment, process change, and technology adoption across all departments.

• Successfully implemented Salesforce CRM at Inmarsat, overcoming internal resistance to change and increasing lead generation by 300%—streamlining sales operations and improving cross-functional visibility.

• Built and scaled new UK operations for hiSkySat from the ground up, managing cultural integration, establishing new processes, and securing team buy-in while launching a multi-product innovation program.

An operations leader should possess strategic thinking skills and the ability to contribute to the development and execution of the company's overall strategic plans. This involves analysing market trends, identifying growth opportunities, and making informed business decisions.

• Repositioned Crimson Tide to a SaaS-led growth strategy, transitioning from legacy workflows to an enterprise-grade platform—tripling the sales pipeline in 12 months and boosting new business wins by 500%.

• Identified and executed strategic growth opportunities at Inmarsat, reversing a three-year revenue decline by expanding into IoT and B2B2C markets, adding $135M in new turnover.

• Led strategic due diligence and M&A engagement, managing institutional investor relations and navigating both friendly and hostile acquisition bids—strengthening Crimson Tide’s market position and increasing share price by over 10%.

A solid understanding of financial management and budgeting is crucial for a senior leader. This includes the ability to analyse financial data, interpret key performance indicators (KPIs), and make data-driven decisions to optimise operational efficiency.

• Held full P&L ownership across multiple roles, including Crimson Tide and hiSkySat—aligning financial planning with strategic goals and driving performance through rigorous KPI tracking.

• Delivered £200K+ in annual savings at Crimson Tide by analysing cost structures and implementing targeted reductions in licensing, staffing, property, and COGS to support sustainable profitability.

• Secured $30M in Series B funding and €22.35M in public grants at hiSkySat through robust financial modelling, data-led business cases, and investor engagement—fueling innovation and expansion.