Experienced Business Leader

When Results Matter

I deliver measurable outcomes for businesses facing critical challenges, fast. From crisis recovery to digital and business transformation, I work with your teams to turn strategy into reality.

£200M+ Revenue Generated
90% Debt Reduction
17 Weeks Zero to Market Leader

Former Aldi Director with 10+ years leading transformations. I bridge business and technology, taking ownership from strategy through to measurable results.

Business Transformation • Interim Leadership • Stalled Project Recovery • Crisis Management

Three Ways I Deliver Value

Different businesses, different needs.
Same commitment to results.

Real Results. Real Impact.

My focus is always on measurable outcomes. Here's what execution looks like.

🚀

Built £200M Business in 17 Weeks

Designed and launched Aldi's Click & Collect during COVID crisis. Build & led cross-functional teams of amazing people, cut through red tape, and delivered a market-leading service at unprecedented speed.

Rapid Market Entry ✔️
📈

400% Efficiency Improvement

Transformed operational processes saving £9M annually. Led a fantastic multi-disciplinary team to improve technology and redesign workflows, empowering them to iteratively deliver improvements to the live service.

£9M Annual Savings ✔️
💡

Business Turnaround Success

Interim COO - Business Turnaround. Analysed 5 years of accounts, reduced HMRC debt by 90%, and implemented sustainable financial controls.

Complete Recovery ✔️
🎯

10-Year Strategic Roadmap

Created comprehensive omnichannel strategy for Aldi UK & Ireland. Full market analysis, financial modelling, and implementation planning approved at board level.

£Multi-Million ROI Projected ✔️
📊

Fixed Financial Blindness

Created financial measurement framework to accurately track online vs offline performance and cross-channel impact. Solved the "where's my money going?" problem that every multi-channel business faces.

Framework Adopted Globally ✔️
⚙️

9 Products, Dozens of Projects

Coordinated a programme of projects across 4 websites, 4 customer apps, plus internal systems simultaneously - all while supporting £500M revenue across FMCG touchpoints. When you need multiple projects delivered on time, on budget, without failures.

Complex Projects, Delivered ✔️

My IMPACT Framework for Delivering Results

I've developed this approach over 10+ years of leading transformations. It adapts to your situation while maintaining the discipline needed for real results. Click each step to see how I turn challenges into outcomes.

I

Identify Real Goals

Dig deep to find what you really need to achieve

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I use the "5 whys" to move past surface requests and uncover the actual business need. We define specific, time-bound, measurable outcomes AND what happens if we fail. This clarity drives everything else.

What This Involves:

  • Push past vague objectives to specific targets
  • Define success metrics AND failure consequences
  • Identify constraints and non-negotiables
  • Get leadership alignment on the REAL goal
Example: "Not just 'improve sales to £150k per week' but 'break even in the month of August and then grow profitability to 2% by February or the store faces closure. The technology must be able to scale to a store 3x the size.'"
M

Map What Exists

Audit current state and identify critical gaps

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Before engaging teams, I audit what currently exists against what should exist. Where are the gaps in governance, planning, or capability that will prevent success?

What This Involves:

  • Review existing documentation and processes
  • Identify missing elements (e.g. risk logs, profitability models)
  • Assess team capabilities and resources
  • Understand what's really blocking progress
Example: "Transformation project with no RAID log, no success metrics, no clear ownership. Store with no path to profitability model. Team with no decision authority."
P

Prepare Teams

Share context and create energy for change

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This is where transformation becomes possible. I translate the goal into a compelling vision - provide the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), establish how we'll work together, and secure the mandate to deliver.

What This Involves:

  • Create compelling BHAG that energizes teams
  • Clarify stakes: what success and failure mean
  • Establish decision-making authority
  • Set working agreements and communication rhythm
Example: "BHAG: Build a profitable online grocery operation for a discount retailer in less than 4 months. Stakes: Success = 200-store expansion, Failure = market share slip. Agile ceremonies, daily steerco, clear rules for team decisions vs senior management decisions."
A

Act with Daily Discipline

Service blueprint, plan, and execute together

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Working with teams, we map journeys and analyse unhappy paths, identify improvements and maintain daily execution rhythm. This is where plans become progress through disciplined action.

What This Involves:

  • Service blueprinting (customer journey & colleague journey mapping) with the team
  • Daily progress reviews and problem-solving
  • Immediate unblocking and decision-making
  • Continuous measurement of what matters
Example: "Daily: Camera accuracy 96% (target 98%). Payment fraud down 70%, 20% further to go. Blocker: vendor API access - calling CEO today. Team idea for camera accuracy improvement through varied merchandising - testing tomorrow."
C

Confirm Success

Measure and validate real business impact

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We track progress against the specific goals set at the beginning. Regular measurement ensures we stay on track and can prove the impact of our work.

What This Involves:

  • Track real business metrics, not activity
  • Regular stakeholder updates in their language
  • Celebrate wins and learn from setbacks
  • Adjust approach based on data
Example: "Month 3: £18k profit achieved (target £15k). Camera accuracy stable at 98.5%. Payment fraud reduced 90%. All metrics green. Ready for expanded trial."
T

Transfer & Sustain

Embed changes and build lasting capability

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I don't just deliver and disappear. I ensure changes are sustainable, teams have the capability to continue, and create playbooks for scaling success.

What This Involves:

  • Transfer ownership with full capability
  • Document processes and learnings
  • Train teams on ongoing management
  • Create playbooks for future scaling
Example: "Team trained on all processes. Documentation complete. Technology package, business change, merchandising equipment, ready for 50-store rollout. Monthly check-ins arranged for first quarter."

Real Impact, Real Numbers

"Dan stepped in when we were facing closure within two weeks. He immediately identified our real problems - poor accounting, inefficient processes, and outdated systems. Within days he'd negotiated with HMRC and within months he'd reduced our debt by 90% and increased our trade counter sales by 80% YoY. Most importantly, he gave us back control of our business."

Managing Director
Family-Owned Automotive Refinishing Distributor
90% Debt Reduction
80% Sales Increase
Turnaround Completed
Dan Smith

Dan Smith

Former Aldi Director who's led 150+ person teams and delivered transformational results. I bridge the gap between strategy and execution, taking ownership of critical problems until they're solved. Whether crisis recovery, digital transformation, or interim leadership - I deliver measurable outcomes, fast.

Learn more about my experience

Ready to Deliver Results?

Let's discuss your challenges and how I can help you achieve measurable outcomes.