NEWS January 2026
CORPORATE STRUCTURE
The news this month is relevant to a company I am involved with just now. Those who know me are aware that I use a set of proprietary tools and techniques to repair the failed companies of my clients. Always as in-house Managing Director/CEO, so client is the wrong word. Employer is accurate, even when everyone, board of directors included, are totally dependent on me and often guided by me.
My career is characterized by selecting absolute seemingly irredeemable companies. Companies that if not fixed today, may not exist tomorrow. I don’t say this smugly or glibly, because another characteristic is that I limit using my skills for companies that are worth saving, companies that make the world a better place.
Companies in such a situation are often in a last-minute reset scenario. They have realized, almost too late, that what has been happening in the company has not worked, will never work, has wasted years of resources, time, investor funds, staff work effort, equipment and facilities, image and reputation. There has been high turnover of not just employees but executives and officers, there is burnout. All wasted. And now the company has finally pulled its head out of the sand, acknowledge reality, and has a competent replacement board; has some residual expertise and experience in a few remaining employees, has work-in-progress, but has no money, no revenues, to rebuild on that. That’s where I come in. Over and over again I have managed to lead companies out of that pit, sometimes in a few months, sometimes in a few years.
One of the devices I use is a discovery I made at the very beginning of my turnaround career. It concerns corporate organizational structure. I discovered that against all advice to the contrary, all the texts, all companies have the same fundamental internal structure. It makes sense since they are all designed to do the same thing, to sell stuff. I call that organization Standard Structure and I say that if you have it, it is no guarantee that you will survive, but if you don’t it is a guarantee that you will fail.
NEWS December 2025
A BEAN A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
Many years ago I was a junior field technician with the Tasmanian State Department of Agriculture, in the Horticulture Division, mostly looking after apple orchards. Analysing soil samples for trace minerals, actually injecting trees with nutrients to increase yields. Out of nowhere I remember my boss saying one day that in a global economic crisis, the best job to hold for guaranteed employment would be as a policeman. Always a need to keep order he said. He was thinking of the Great Depression I think. I learned later that poor Ron suffered from a paranoia which explained this unusual comment, but I never forgot it. Researching the Great Depression I learned that the people who faired best were those who had no debt and owned their house with some property for a vegetable garden. Now I know that the best business to survive through any catastrophe is the food business. People always have to eat. At school we all learned that an apple a day kept the doctor away, and again in my further examination of the truth of that, I learned that the one food source you can actually live on is not apples but beans. Not a perfect diet of course, better if a grain such as rice is added, but possible to live on because of all the vitamins and minerals and especially the nine essential amino acids that your body cannot make itself. Perhaps Mr Bean was onto something?
My interest in agriculture and its importance has never waned, here in Thailand and Egypt for instance.
NEWS November 2025
IT WAS INTERESTING TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A FILM CREW
While staying at Novotel Hotel in Bang Na, a suburb of Bangkok in Thailand, I was surprised to arrive back late at night to a hubbub of action and what looked like chaos in the lobby. A television film crew had commandeered the front of the hotel for a movie sequence. Cheaper to rent the lobby for an evening than to build a set. And extra income for the hotel. All guests were chaperoned around the actors and cameras including me. but being who I am I sat among them and watched everything. What appeared to be chaos turned out to be well choreographed professionalism, everyone very clear as to their part of the project, often sitting and waiting for their role, some catching up on sleep. I’ve heard that movie making is mostly hours of boredom and I certainly witnessed that. Was all very insightful and exciting. Interesting to see the real hotel receptionist moved out of her position and an actor moved in to be filmed registering other actors. I never did see the final product on TV. I’ve worked on two movie projects in the past, both in Hollywood, “Rescuers Down Under” and “Oomskas”, but this was fascinating just watching everyone..
NEWS October 2025
ON TWO OCCASSIONS COMPANIES I’VE TURNED AROUND HAVE COLLAPSED YEARS LATER.
It’s disappointing when I learn of that because it makes me wonder why they did not contact me again, especially since I saved the company for them back then. The fact that it is years later is important, since otherwise it would suggest my work was not sustainable. Not the case with those two. One was an AI company in Boston, the other was a feature animation company in Hollywood. Perhaps they have been too embarrassed. More likely there have been a couple of changes of leadership since my involvement and the new management are unaware of their own company’s history.
Just now I am involved again with a very exciting company that is struggling, that indeed has come back to me almost a decade after I turned them around. New management has taken over. Well done.
NEWS September 2025
ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES of helping a company in crisis to recover is the lack of accurate and rapid decision making by the incumbent leadership.
The most common problem encountered is the constant misguided view that their company needs an industry expert to turn it around. I am forever advising that what is needed is a company expert, a transitional manger expert, not an industry expert. The penny drops when I point out that it was an industry expert leading them up till now that got them into trouble. Companies are typically filled with industry experts in their production, marketing and service teams, so that is not the skill needed in their next CEO.
What is needed is a special type of leader who can make the best of all the industry expertise within the company.
NEWS August 2025
Succession planning in private or family businesses is sensitive and can be traumatic.
Unlike engagements in public companies where professional leadership is the norm, the aspirations, legacy, commitment and personalities of the founders or family members must be taken into consideration. Afterall, you are coming in as a stranger to take over all aspects of leading their dream into the future.
More than anywhere else, it is vital to listen and learn from the family. ITS A RELATIONSHIP THING.
At Thai Stair Company in Bangkok, with a host of very exciting companies including designing and manufacturing building materials, adding value to agricultural produce, formulation of specialty consumer beauty and food and health supplements, it also necessitates a broad understanding of portfolio management. Of particular prominence for me has been the roll out of the modular housing company to address house shortages and costs with rapid to assemble, high quality innovative design at low cost.
NEWS July 2025
One of the joys of being a free agent is I hold positions on boards of charities. Since 2011 I have been a non-executive director of TRAVEL WITH A CAUSE, Australia’s only not for profit travel agency, donating its profits to worthwhile community causes. For 3 years during Covid, when travel agencies were collapsing because of the bans on travel, I changed to be the (pro bono) CEO/MD and managed with my team to not only survive the pandemic but to thrive. In 2022 we were awarded the MOST SUSTAINABALE TORUISM OPERATOR IN THE WORLD by peak international industry body Skal and this year we have been awarded the best travel agency in Hobart, FOR THE 7TH YEAR RUNNING!
NEWS June 2025
Between projects can be fun. Just spent the evening at the fabulous Asiatic tourist site beside the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, dined on traditional Thai cuisine (pad thai for me with tofu and sprouts), saw my first carousel for many years, and watched the colourful river cruisers streaming in to load their guests. Last time I was here was 6 years ago for Loy Krathong, the solemn Thai festival respecting the water goddess, sending flowers and candles out on small lotus shaped paper rafts.
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