Operator · Advisor · Melbourne
I find where organisations are broken before it gets expensive — and build what comes next. Commercial operator. Scale-up leader. Founder.
A sharp instinct for company structure, and how organisations actually function day to day — not just how they look on a slide.
— Tom Blackshire, VoyAbout
I've spent 15 years across every seat at the table. I've been a founder — I co-founded an AI recruitment business in 2018, ahead of the curve, and had it acquired within 18 months. I've been an operator — joining Perlego at employee #10 and staying through £100K ARR to £28M ARR and a $50M Series B as COO. And I've been an advisor — leading accelerator programmes at Founders Factory and now as a Venture Partner at Antler, working intimately with over 50 founders on the challenges they face day in and day out.
What that means in practice: I don't just talk playbooks. I've lived them. I get to the crux of a problem fast, and I have a bias for action. I've sat on both sides of the hard conversations — the restructure, the lost term sheet, the hire that shouldn't have happened. I know the difference between a structural problem dressed up as a people problem and the reverse.
I sit at the intersection of commercial and people. I understand the key drivers of a business, but I also understand the nuance of building a living organisation — because real people are at the centre of everything, and they're the thing that either makes change stick or kills it.
On AI right now
Here's what I tell them: don't derail your whole organisation by throwing everyone in at once. Every business goes through transformations. AI is real and the pace is accelerating — but panic is not a strategy.
Use first-principles thinking to understand where AI can add true leverage in your specific business. The goal is performance, not transformation theatre. I can diagnose where the opportunities and friction points actually are, and apply AI in a way that solves the real problem — one that sticks, rather than one that gets rolled back in six months.
Work with me
Both require a founder or exec with time to partner, and a real problem to solve. I take on a small number of engagements at a time so I can go deep.
01 — Operational Advisory
You're the bottleneck and you know it.
You built the business. Now every decision runs through you. Things that should have been resolved six weeks ago still aren't. You don't need a process consultant. You need someone who can see what you can't see from inside it, and knows how to fix it without burning down what you've built.
You'll recognise this if
02 — Fractional Transformation
You know where you need to go. You don't have bandwidth to get there.
Sometimes the company is growing but the operating model isn't. Sometimes there's a transformation on the table and no one to own it properly. I work alongside your team on a defined challenge with a defined outcome: a new commercial motion, an org redesign, a move to AI-native operations. An actual change in how you run — not a framework.
You'll recognise this if
How I work
The problem stays constant. The solution flexes. I find where friction is hurting your performance, then apply the right fix — whether that's technology, a stronger operating system, or working directly with you as a founder.
I start by understanding the real problem — not the stated one. I look at your operating system, your people, your commercial model, and where decisions are getting stuck. I ask the questions most people are too polite to ask.
I turn what I find into a clear, direct set of actions. Not a 40-page deck. Specific, prioritised, honest about what will be hard. I tell you what I'd do if it were my business.
I don't hand over a plan and disappear. I work alongside your team to turn recommendations into reality, build feedback loops, and make sure change actually sticks — not just on paper.
Running alongside everything else: direct, honest, founder-to-founder thinking. If you need a sounding board, an accountability partner, or someone who'll tell you what you need to hear — I'm here for that too.
What people say
All from direct colleagues and founders — people who saw the work up close.
Ash is a decision-making powerhouse.
Chief Revenue Officer, Consultant
Her ability to translate complex strategic discussions into clear, actionable plans that drive momentum across the organisation stood out. She was a trusted voice during periods of change.
VP Finance, Perlego (direct report)
Where others fixated on what wasn't working, she focused on what would — calmly, pragmatically, and without drama. In more than a few moments when tensions ran high, she was unmistakably the real leader in the room.
Organic Growth, Voy (Perlego colleague)
Ash brought structure and calm without slowing us down. She helped us scale from a 20-person team to over 100. She always had the right balance between high standards and genuine care — we were all humans to her, not just another resource.
Product Growth, Perlego (direct report)
Her most obvious strength is being able to rapidly understand detailed context, distill it effectively to various stakeholders, build a plan to impact quickly, and start making stuff happen. She demonstrated this skill dozens of times across internal and external domains.
Product & Commercial, B2B SaaS / EdTech (Perlego colleague)
Ash leads with clarity, direction, and an unwavering sense of calm — nothing ever seemed to faze her. She is a role model for asking the tough questions, making data-led decisions, and balancing business needs with thoughtful, strategic people plans.
Head of People, YLD (direct report at Perlego)
Contact
I take on a small number of engagements at a time so I can go deep. If the problem is real and you're ready to work on it, reach out directly. No booking calls. Just a direct conversation.
Based in Melbourne. Available from May 2026. Global experience across UK, ANZ, and Europe.