Building a Safe, Scalable & Integrated Platform in a Restructuring Industrial Group

Context

A large PE-backed industrial group in the UK was undergoing a difficult restructuring and was effectively fighting for survival. Margins were leaking, service performance had deteriorated, operational discipline had collapsed, and employee churn was high. Toxic leadership behaviours and serious H&S and legal exposure created immediate organisational and reputational risk.

The Group operated as fragmented standalone entities with inconsistent standards, weak governance, unreliable data, and little cross-company alignment—further undermining stability and leadership cohesion.

Lenders demanded rapid derisking, restored profitability, and a unified operating platform capable of supporting future growth and exit readiness. I joined as Interim COO with a clear mandate: restore control, eliminate critical risks, rebuild leadership, and integrate the organisation into a safe, aligned, and scalable platform.

Approach & Execution

The execution was structured around three phases designed to regain control, stabilise operations, and get the business ready for the next phase of growth.

Phase 1 — Fix: Leadership Reset, Safety Recovery & Urgent Risk Control

The organisation faced toxic behaviours in critical roles, weak leadership capability, and a collapse in basic H&S discipline. Before stabilisation could begin, we needed to reset leadership expectations and remove unsafe practices.

We made urgent leadership changes, strengthened the senior team through targeted recruitment, and launched a rapid H&S recovery programme. Employee forums, standardised incident reporting, immediate hazard remediation, and clear behavioural rules were deployed across all sites. Safety was positioned as the non-negotiable organising principle for the entire platform.

A senior leadership reset and a 90-day control plan restored authority, focus, and predictable execution. Weekly SLT reviews, cross-site operational calls, and structured one-to-ones with General Managers re-established governance and discipline.

By the end of this phase, critical risks had been closed, unsafe behaviours eliminated, and operational control restored, creating the foundation for stabilisation.

Phase 2 — Stabilise: Operating System, Culture & Performance Discipline

With immediate risks contained, we rebuilt the behavioural, cultural, and operational foundations needed for consistent execution. Safety remained the backbone of the transformation, providing a unifying theme across all sites.

Unified incident reporting, standardised investigations, and enhanced H&S metrics shifted the culture toward root-cause thinking and evidence-based action. Daily safety walks, toolbox talks, deep-clean routines, and 5S discipline reinstated essential standards and improved working conditions. Clearly defined “golden rules” reinforced expectations and created consistency across the platform.

Leadership visibility increased significantly, supported by stronger communication and structured coaching of middle management. Morale improved, absenteeism and turnover declined, and teams intervened earlier to protect quality and throughput. Employee engagement surveys confirmed higher trust, alignment, and safety confidence.

In parallel, we rebuilt performance discipline and leadership cadence through cross-site trend reviews, daily production meetings, and shopfloor scoreboards that strengthened execution consistency and data integrity.

Phase 3 — Integrate & Scale: Margin Recovery, Platform Maturity & Leadership Cohesion

With culture and routines embedded, the Group was ready for integration, scalability, and margin restoration. We focused on strengthening the supply chain, improving material quality, reducing waste, and eliminating structural inefficiencies draining margin and cash.

Quality standards were aligned across all sites, with consistent checks on incoming materials and production outputs. Stronger supplier governance and formal SLAs improved specification compliance and reduced volatility. Targeted operator training improved accuracy and throughput, enabling a more stable, higher-value production mix.

We removed cost drag by limiting low-quality or unnecessary materials, improving inventory alignment, cutting storage and handling costs, and eliminating double-handling. These actions materially strengthened working capital, enhanced service levels, and lifted throughput and yield.

As processes, standards, and data became consistent, the business began operating as a cohesive platform rather than separate entities. Shared incident reviews, aligned corrective actions, and structured cross-site exchanges created meaningful learning opportunities. General Managers increasingly acted as a unified leadership team, sharing best practices, coordinating improvements, and setting Group-wide direction.

A reliable reporting system, a single KPI framework, and consistent governance reinforced data-driven decision-making and strengthened leadership capability. Standardised processes, shared systems, and unified training created a common operating language that allowed knowledge and solutions to flow seamlessly across the Group.

Results at a Glance

Risk & Safety

• Major H&S and legal risks eliminated, with Group-wide standards reinstated.

• Leadership capability and accountability strengthened, restoring discipline and compliance.

  
  

Operational Performance

• Operational stability regained, with predictable performance across all sites.

• Fragmented entities integrated into a scalable operating platform, aligned under one model.

• Single KPI and reporting system deployed, providing consistent visibility and governance.

  
  

Margin, Cash & Value

• Margin recovery accelerated through improved production mix, reduced waste, and tighter labour/supplier control.

• Working capital and cash generation strengthened, enabling reinvestment and protecting profitability.

Outcomes

Within nine months, the Group moved from instability and fragmentation to a safe, disciplined, and investment-ready platform with predictable performance and clear scalability.

The safety-led cultural reset was the catalyst for transformation. By establishing safety as the non-negotiable unifying theme, we rebuilt trust, aligned behaviours, restored discipline, and created the conditions for rapid integration.

This cultural alignment enabled faster operational improvements, accelerated margin recovery, and significantly stronger cash generation, positioning the business for sustainable growth and future value creation.