Digital Marketing / Cross-Cultural Leadership
Leadership Consulting — CEO Mentoring & Operational Transformation
Retained as a leadership consultant for 18 months by the agency that acquired David's six-month-exit business. Mentored two successive CEOs, ran leadership workshops in Thailand, and led operational transformation across 4 countries.
- Client
- International digital marketing agency (post-acquisition)
- Industry
- Digital Marketing / Cross-Cultural Leadership
- Headline result
- Reduced operational costs by 20%+ while improving team output by 35% — across teams in Slovakia and the Philippines, through two CEO transitions.
The Challenge
A fast-growing international agency with teams across Europe (Slovakia) and the Philippines had just acquired a smaller company. They needed experienced leadership to professionalise operations, reduce cost without losing quality, and steady the business through two successive CEO transitions.
The team was young, cross-cultural, and had no prior corporate leadership exposure. Morale and continuity through change were as much the problem as cost.
The Approach
Retained for 18 months post-acquisition. Mentored both CEOs hands-on, ran multi-day leadership training workshops at a company retreat in Thailand, and built performance frameworks, cost analysis reporting, and a staff certification pathway.
Took direct ownership of operational cost reduction while protecting output quality. Made the tough calls on underperformers and promoted high-potential team members into leadership roles.
The Results
- 20%+ reduction in operational costs.
- 35% improvement in team output.
- Successful navigation of two CEO transitions with team morale and operational continuity intact across 4 countries.
- First formal leadership development for a team of early-20s professionals.
Key takeaway
“Operational transformation is rarely a spreadsheet problem — it's a leadership problem. Get the people right and the numbers follow.”
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