About
Independent thinker. Professional sceptic.
My business is built on clarity of thought, plain speaking, unconventional ideas, and the willingness to speak against consensus when necessary. I'm suspicious of jargon, buzzwords, and one-size-fits-all advice.
About the firm
I founded Systems & Co in 2017 as a boutique management consulting firm. It's an alternative to the consulting arms of the Big Four professional services firms. The practice is deliberately small and I don't compete on the basis of scale. I serve clients looking for a genuinely fresh perspective rather than the heavy process and formulaic advice that large consulting firms are known for.
Given my industry background, the firm initially focused on the engineering and construction sector. These days the firm is industry-agnostic and open to a broad range of clients — from established multinationals through high-growth challengers to entrepreneurs. The work spans strategy, operations, technology, and behavioural engagements. What ties my clients together is their desire for substantive change, openness to advice beyond the usual “industry best practice”, and the ability to act decisively.
About me
I've been called an “anti-consultant” because of my distrust of jargon, buzzwords, management fads, and generic one-size-fits-all advice, and an “iconoclast” because of my willingness to consider unconventional ideas and speak against consensus.
I didn't start out as a management consultant. After earning a degree in maths from the University of Melbourne, I decided not to go into academia and instead joined one of Australia's leading engineering and construction contractors. I spent over a decade there, beginning as an analyst and ending up in senior management. The common threads through all my roles were management systems, process design, and technology — I was effectively an internal consultant.
After eleven years, I decided to go out on my own and set up shop as an independent management consultant. Systems & Co was successful almost immediately.
Eventually, I decided to go back to study. I earned another bachelor's degree — in arts this time — while simultaneously completing a master's degree in management from Harvard University. Along the way I also picked up graduate certificates in strategic management, finance principles, and corporate finance.
Outside of consulting, I read voraciously, spend time with my young family, and run an edtech start-up.
