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Shape Executive · Operating Partner

Embedded alongside
your management team.

An Operating Partner mandate places Scott Foster inside your portfolio business — not advising from the outside, but working alongside the leadership team to execute the value creation plan.

What This Means in Practice

Not a consultant.
An operator.

Consultants deliver reports. Operators deliver results. Scott Foster has run businesses — not advised them. Full P&L accountability from AUD 30M to AUD 110M. Multi-site, multi-currency, multi-entity. PE-backed and publicly listed. Available immediately for CEO or Operating Partner mandates.

An Operating Partner engagement means Scott is in the building — attending the leadership meeting, sitting in the budget review, walking the warehouse floor, and holding the management team accountable to the plan. Not a monthly call. Not a slide deck. An operating presence.

Operating Partner
Value Creation Focus Areas

Where Operating Partners
drive the most value.

01

Revenue Growth & Commercial Excellence

Pricing discipline, customer targeting, channel strategy, and sales management. Scott grew revenue 43% at Polyflor while expanding margin from 3.7% to 10.4% — growth and margin simultaneously.

02

EBITDA Expansion

Operating cost reduction, procurement leverage, manufacturing productivity, and structural margin improvement. 300% EBITDA growth at Polyflor AU. 85% EBIT expansion at Plascorp in 18 months.

03

Working Capital Optimisation

Inventory, debtors, and cash conversion. Improved stock turns from 2.3x to 6.0x at Surface Squared. Reduced inventory by AUD 3.3M at Dotmar. Saved AUD 2.5M annually at Polyflor through stock discipline.

04

Management Team Development

Assessing, developing, and where necessary restructuring the leadership team. Building accountability structures, management reporting, and KPI frameworks that create performance visibility.

05

Bolt-On Acquisition & Integration

Five transactions executed with combined value of AUD 30M+. From target identification and DD through to post-merger integration — hands-on involvement at every stage.

06

Technology & Operational Infrastructure

Microsoft ERP, CRM, and Power BI implementation — designed around business KPIs to surface real-time performance data in complex, multi-entity operating environments.

“Available immediately for CEO or Operating Partner mandates. I bring 25 years of P&L leadership, a track record of value creation across the full investment cycle, and the discipline of eight years in special operations — applied to complex business problems.”Scott Foster — Founder, Shape Executive
Engagement Structure

How an Operating Partner
engagement works.

01

Onboarding & Rapid Assessment (Days 1–30)

Deep dive into the business — financials, operations, team, customers, and competitive position. Validation of the value creation thesis against operational reality. Identification of quick wins and structural priorities.

02

100-Day Plan Execution (Days 30–100)

Focused execution against agreed priorities — working capital improvement, commercial quick wins, management reporting installation, and team alignment. Regular cadence with the PE firm on progress and emerging issues.

03

Value Creation Programme (Months 4–18+)

Sustained operational improvement across revenue, margin, and working capital. Bolt-on M&A support where relevant. Management team development. Building the operating platform that supports the exit thesis.

04

Exit Preparation & Transition

As the hold period matures, focus shifts to exit readiness — management presentations, information memorandum support, and ensuring the business is positioned to command a premium.

AvailableImmediately for Mandates
AUD 30M–110MP&L Experience Range
25yrsOperating Experience
Full CyclePlatform Build Through Exit
Background

The foundation
behind the operator.

Before his commercial career, Scott served eight years in the 4th Commando Regiment — an elite special operations unit within Australia's Special Operations Command. Direct action, counterterrorism, special reconnaissance, and high-value target missions in environments where incomplete information, extreme ambiguity, and high-stakes decisions are the norm.

That experience — decision-making under pressure, leadership in adversity, mission discipline — underpins every commercial leadership role he has held since. It's not a talking point. It's the reason he performs when businesses are under pressure.

Scott Foster
“Scott didn't just set goals — he made sure we understood the 'why' behind them. His leadership was both empowering and inclusive, creating opportunities for strategic thinking and personal growth across the team.”

Alistair Martin

State Manager — Plascorp, Operations & Manufacturing

Reported to Scott directly

Interim & Full-Time CEO

Available for CEO mandates.
Immediately.

Beyond the Operating Partner model, Scott Foster is available for Interim CEO and permanent CEO appointments in industrial distribution, manufacturing, and B2B services businesses across ANZ and APAC.

Whether a business needs stabilisation, a performance turnaround, a PE-backed growth mandate, or a bridge CEO through a transaction — Scott brings the operating credibility, commercial discipline, and leadership presence to step in and drive results from day one.

He is not a career interim. He is an operator who has held full P&L accountability — AUD 30M to AUD 110M — across PE-backed, founder-owned, and publicly listed businesses. He has built management teams, restructured businesses, executed acquisitions, and prepared platforms for exit. That is the experience he brings to a CEO mandate.

Scott Foster
I

Interim CEO

Deployed quickly into businesses requiring immediate leadership — owner exit, unexpected vacancy, PE completion, or performance crisis. Typically 6–18 month engagements. Full executive authority. Board-level accountability.

Best suited for

PE-backed platforms post-acquisition · Founder-owned businesses in transition · Businesses requiring stabilisation before exit

II

Bridge CEO

Engaged for a defined period — typically through a transaction, restructure, or leadership transition. Maintains performance momentum while a permanent appointment is made, and ensures continuity through the critical window.

Best suited for

Pre- and post-M&A transitions · Succession gaps · Businesses between permanent appointments

III

Permanent CEO

Open to the right permanent appointment where the business, sector, and mandate align. Particularly interested in PE-backed industrial businesses with a clear value creation thesis and a defined investment horizon.

Best suited for

PE-backed industrials with growth or exit thesis · Businesses targeting AUD 50M–200M revenue · ANZ and APAC operating environments

What a CEO Mandate Looks Like

The profile.
The track record. The availability.

Sector Depth

Industrial distribution, building materials, industrial manufacturing, commercial surfaces, and B2B services. 25 years operating inside these sectors — not advising them from the outside.

P&L Scale

Full P&L accountability from AUD 30M to AUD 110M. Multi-entity, multi-currency, multi-site. Managed up to 170 staff across 14 branches and 12 countries.

Ownership Structures

Operated inside PE-backed (Crescent Capital), publicly listed (James Halstead PLC), founder-owned, and self-founded businesses. Comfortable with all governance structures and board dynamics.

Geography

Based in Melbourne, Victoria. Available across ANZ and APAC. Has operated businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and 12 APAC countries.

Value Creation Track Record

300% EBITDA expansion at Polyflor Australia. 85% EBIT growth at Plascorp in 18 months. 17x EBIT exit at Dotmar under Crescent Capital. Founded and sold Surface Squared to private equity.

M&A Experience

Five transactions executed with combined value of AUD 30M+. Hands-on involvement from origination through integration. Supported PE sale process alongside PwC and Crescent Capital.

Technology & Systems

Architected and implemented Microsoft ERP, CRM, and Power BI across complex multi-entity environments. Strong data literacy and analytics capability at executive level.

Availability

Available immediately. References and a full executive profile available upon request. Initial conversation confidential.

“I had the privilege of working with Scott Foster at the Dotmar Group of Companies. Scott led our Australian and New Zealand businesses with exceptional skill — driving strong growth, building a high-performing culture, and preparing the business for a successful sale.”

Denis Matulin

Managing Director — Hydraulink Australia

Former direct manager, Dotmar Group 2008–2011

Looking for an Operating Partner
or CEO?

Scott is available immediately for Interim CEO, permanent CEO, or Operating Partner mandates across the industrials space. All initial conversations are confidential.

Get in Touch