I install hiring, GTM, and AI workflowsacross venture portfolios.
Most portfolio companies plateau not because the technology fails - but because the operating systems do. The breakthrough is rarely the bottleneck. The infrastructure is. I build the systems that remove that ceiling.
Hiring Infrastructure
Deploy the right talent, fast. Standardise sourcing, assessment, and onboarding. Remove founder time from hiring ops. The right people in 11 days, not eleven weeks.
4,500 applicants screened to 34 hires · 11-day median hire · 87% 12-month retention
GTM Systems
Install qualification criteria where there are none. Build pipeline conversion systems where conversion is broken. Deploy repeatable workflows across BDM, SDR, and AE functions.
8% → 22% client lead-to-meeting · ~A$47K pipeline on ~A$3K/month
AI Workflows
Remove low-leverage manual tasks. Build automation inside hiring and revenue workflows. Deploy more output from the same headcount.
160,000+ applicants screened by AI without founder involvement · Reporting automated from manual to live dashboard
“Will brought a unique ability to distill complex concepts and large data sets into clear ideas, with veritable business value — a skill that was highly sought after but scarcely seen in the B2B renewables space at Shell… He clearly has the rare ability to understand information at any level, yet present it at exactly the required level to the desired audience.”
“It's a great recipe for success to combine Will's clear communication, thorough analysis, innovation and delivery management. With a sharp focus on value, Will efficiently worked with multiple teams of stakeholders to manage the design and delivery of the Offer Management and Live Pricing solutions for our energy retail business. These solutions help us to scale our customer offering in valuable market areas.”
“I had an excellent experience working with Hire with Reef for our recent accounting recruitment. Will, who spearheaded the process, was outstanding throughout - professional, responsive, and solutions-focused. Despite managing multiple commitments, he always provided timely updates and clear communication. They quickly understood our needs and connected us with talented staff on the first try, which speaks volumes about their ability to match the right people with the right roles. I’m more than happy with the service provided and will gladly refer Hire with Reef to others. I also look forward to continuing to work with them in the future. Highly recommended!”
“Hiring through Reef was hands down one of the smoothest recruitment experiences I’ve had. As a social impact media agency, finding someone who’s both technically skilled and values-aligned was crucial – and Reef absolutely delivered. Big shout out to Rob and Will – they’re legends who just got it from day one. Clear communication, flexibility across time zones, and a process that felt thoughtful and human from start to finish. I’ve now successfully hired a highly skilled senior web developer and designer who’s already adding incredible value to our team. Can’t recommend them enough.”
“We used Reef to source a Web Designer for our design agency, and the experience has been freakin' awesome. Having recruited myself in the past – sifting through thousands of average portfolios – this process felt incredibly efficient. I was referred just two high-quality candidates, interviewed one, and we’ve now placed them in the role. The talent level has been excellent, communication throughout was seamless, and the entire process saved me a huge amount of time and frustration. Highly recommend for anyone in the creative or digital industry looking for quality over quantity.”
What portfolio operations actually means in practice.
What does a portfolio operator actually do for a climate VC fund?
A portfolio operator builds the operating infrastructure that lets portfolio companies scale without being bottlenecked by founder capacity. In practice: hiring systems that reduce time-to-hire from 10–14 weeks to under two, GTM systems that improve pipeline conversion, and AI workflows that remove low-leverage founder tasks. At Reef, this meant an 11-day median time-to-hire, 87% 12-month retention, and a lead-to-meeting improvement from 8% to 22%. The goal is not to consult — it is to install systems that run without ongoing external involvement.
How does portfolio operations differ from a consulting engagement?
Consulting solves a problem once, inside one company. Portfolio operations solves it once and redeploys the solution across the fund. Every system installed is designed from the start to be handed over — documented, running without external involvement, and packageable as a playbook for the next company at the same stage. The leverage is not in the individual engagement. It is in the compounding: the fifth company gets a faster, more reliable installation than the first.
What kinds of climate portfolio companies benefit most from a portfolio operator?
Post-seed to Series B companies going through the transition from founder-led everything to needing repeatable systems. The trigger is usually one of three: a headcount plan that requires 8–12 hires in twelve months; a commercial pipeline that exists but isn't converting; or a founding team whose time is consumed by internal operations that should be automated or delegated. Deep-tech and hard-tech companies — industrial biotech, grid-scale storage, energy hardware — face additional constraints because the talent pool is specialised and the commercial cycles are long.
Book a portfoliostrategy session.
Bring 2–3 portfolio companies. I'll show you where I'd create leverage first.