What I do
Strategic Operations
I help organisations turn strategy into execution - improving planning, decision-making, governance and operational effectiveness so that what matters actually gets done.
Fractional Leadership Support
I provide experienced operational leadership to founders, CEOs and leadership teams, without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire - a trusted partner for the decisions that count.
Growth & Scaling
As organisations grow, what worked at one stage often stops working at the next. I help leadership teams think through what needs to change, and support the people within their teams who are responsible for making it happen.
Problem Solving & Special Projects
I take on complex operational challenges, change initiatives and cross-functional projects that don't fit neatly into an existing team, and see them through.
Second Order Works is built around a simple idea: the best decisions aren't just good in the moment, they're good for what follows. Second order thinking means looking beyond the immediate outcome to ask "and then what?" - considering the downstream consequences that others often miss. Most organisations are good at identifying what needs to happen and doing it. Fewer have someone consistently asking what comes next. Those downstream consequences are often where things quietly go wrong, and having someone who thinks this way across the whole organisation - rather than just within a single function - is rarer than it should be. The ability to see around corners before issues become problems is one of the most valuable things I bring to the teams I work with.
I typically work with organisations that have outgrown their early ways of working, but aren't yet at the stage where a full-time COO makes sense.
I bring over 13 years of senior operations and leadership experience in the technology sector, working at board level alongside CEOs through periods of rapid growth, funding change, and organisational transformation - including scaling a team from 20 to 90 people in under 18 months. I work with founders and leadership teams at scale-ups and growing businesses, where good advice and experienced support can still make a real difference. Whether that's acting as a fractional leader, supporting a significant change initiative, or being a trusted sounding board, my focus is always on helping you make real progress on the things that matter most.
Let's talk.
If you're facing an operational challenge or wondering whether this kind of support could help, I'd be happy to have a conversation.
Based in Edinburgh. Working with organisations across the UK - in person where it adds value, remotely where it doesn't.