When I come into play
Typical situations in which business owners, boards and investors bring in experienced leadership or a clear outside judgment.
The form follows the situation: a time-limited role, a permanent role or board work are equally valid paths.
SITUATIONS
When am I called?
Growth & Software Economics
Revenue is growing, but margin, NRR or CAC payback are not keeping pace. Someone has to put the economics behind the growth in order before the next funding round or the board does.
- · Pricing redesign as Chief Commercial Officer of an energy trading platform with more than 400 customers, 2.5× revenue uplift, 2021 to 2022
- · Mandate at a PE portfolio company: MQL up 40 percent within 60 days
Financing & Transaction
A funding round, a sale or an acquisition is coming up. Equity story and numbers have to match, and management needs someone who knows both sides of the deal table.
- · Four funding rounds as founder and as a member of the management team, VC, PE and Fortune 500 investors, every due diligence passed
Sale & Exit Readiness
The exit is two to three years away. This is when it is decided whether numbers, processes and story will stand up to due diligence, or whether buyers negotiate the discount.
- · Built a price-data company as founder and sold it to a listed information group within four years
Post-Merger Integration
The deal is done. Two organizations with two tech stacks and two cultures won't grow together without operational leadership.
- · Four acquisitions integrated in 24 months as VP Technology & Innovation of the acquirer, more than 200 engineers on three continents
Leadership Vacancy & Turnaround
The CEO or COO is gone, or the numbers no longer match the plan. The business needs direction, transparency and decisions within weeks.
- · COO of a PE-backed software services company with around 300 employees across seven locations
- · Sales restructuring as a mandate: two closed deals within 30 days of the rebuild
Delivery & AI in Operation
The roadmap isn't moving. Nearshore teams are underdelivering. AI is on the board agenda, but operationally not much is happening. Whoever leads here needs to understand technology.
- · Led more than 200 engineers on three continents; lectures Global Software Management and Applied AI Systems at the University of Zurich
THE FORM
Three ways, equally valid
Operating role
CEO, COO or CCO
Time-limited or permanent, with full accountability for numbers, team and outcome. The form follows the situation, the duration is agreed up front.
Advisory and board
Advisory board, supervisory board, board seat
Regular, without operating responsibility: judgment on growth, technology and transactions, backed by a Diploma in Corporate Governance.
Through Convios
Analysis and implementation in steps
Scaling audit, 90-day lever, ongoing support: bounded steps with a written result, without filling a role.
30 minutes in the calendar, or by email to gausmann@convios.com.
For operational analysis and implementation without filling a role: Convios.