What this is
You’ve invested in good companies. The challenge is helping them unlock their full potential, especially after acquisitions or in the scale‑up phase.
I work with investors and operating partners to evaluate, align, and strengthen B2B SaaS portfolio companies. The focus is on product strategy, portfolio coherence, operating model maturity, and the leadership needed to execute.
Examples of this kind of work in my career:
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At Alpega Group, I led post‑merger integration for two acquired TMS businesses – assessing overlapping products, technology, and teams, then rationalising them into a single unified portfolio while reporting progress and recommendations directly to group leadership and investor stakeholders.
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At Sage, I led the integration of cloud business portfolios after the merger of two major HR software players in the South African market – consolidating products and commercial offerings into one coherent proposition under the Sage One brand.
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At MIXMOVE, I worked regularly with the board and investors on strategy, performance, and growth priorities, aligning product and go‑to‑market decisions with the expectations of a PE-backed growth story.
When this is useful
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You’ve backed a company that has grown by acquisition and now has overlapping products, brands, or tech stacks.
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A portfolio company is "good but stuck": decent product, some traction, but struggling to scale efficiently.
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You see execution issues but aren’t sure whether the problem is product strategy, team, tech, or operating model.
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A founder‑led company is reaching the limit of what its current ways of working can support.
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You want a more independent, operator’s view to complement board discussions and management reports.
What I do with you and your portfolio companies
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Rapid assessments: Short, focused evaluations of product, portfolio, team, and operating model, with clear findings and options.
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Integration and consolidation plans: For acquired portfolios, mapping how products, tech, and teams should be rationalised.
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Execution roadmaps: Translating strategy into an actionable sequence that leadership teams can actually deliver.
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Embedded support: Acting as a fractional CPO/COO within a portfolio company for a period, to drive change from the inside.
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Founder support: Helping founders evolve from doing everything themselves to leading a more scalable organisation.
How it works
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Engagement start: Typically with one or two portfolio companies where the need is clearest.
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Mode: Combination of board‑level advisory, leadership team work, and, if needed, a fractional executive role inside the company.
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Reporting: Clear, concise communication to both investors and management, with an operator’s eye on practicality, not just theory.
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Time horizon: From short diagnostics (a few weeks) to embedded engagements (several months).
Outcomes you can expect
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Clearer investment in the right products and markets.
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Stronger alignment between portfolio companies’ product strategies and their growth stories.
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Leadership teams with better structure and support to execute.
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Issues surfaced honestly and early, with realistic options to address them.
This way of working is grounded in real operator experience: integrating acquisitions at Alpega, running and consolidating business units at Sage, sitting in the CEO chair at MIXMOVE, and building and exiting a start‑up. You get an investor‑savvy operating view.