Where I’ve created operating leverage.
Three contexts. One consistent method: diagnose the bottleneck, install the system, measure the output, transfer the playbook.
Built a full-stack hiring and revenue operations engine from zero. Scaled it. Sold it in 12 months.
Founders with product-market fit plateau when sales capacity breaks before demand does. Local hiring is slow, expensive, and founder-dependent. Reef was built specifically to solve this.
The system reduces hiring friction, increases sales capacity, lowers founder operational load, and can be decomposed into playbooks and redeployed across a portfolio. Already proven transferable after sale.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Customer acquisition cost | ~A$410 (12-month avg) |
| ROAS within 30 days | ~8.5x |
| Median time-to-hire | 11 days |
| Retention at 12 months | 87% |
| Average hires per client (6 months) | 2.3 |
| Lead → meeting, client-side rate jump | 8% → 22% |
| Business lifecycle | Built, scaled, sold in 12 months |
| Post-sale outcome | Integrated into buyer's portfolio systems |
Data and AI systems tied to €760M in commercial contracts across EU, US, and Australia.
Three years building and shipping data products in Shell’s Renewables & Energy Solutions business — across energy trading, asset simulation, power market automation, and retail energy. Work that sat inside one of the most complex operating environments in the energy transition: commercialising renewables at enterprise scale.
Adjudicated and mentored pre-seed/seed climate tech startups through Shell Startup Engine — business model, product strategy, scalability.
- ·€760M I&C energy supply contracts managed via portfolio management system
- ·Algorithmic CAISO battery-storage power trading — 2% charging efficiency improvement
- ·Trading UI for Italian spot electricity market — live renewable generation + price data
- ·German power retail SaaS — KYC, live pricing, offer management, invoicing
- ·Enterprise data warehouse across multiple EU business units
- ·AI strategy across EU, US, Australia — use cases, delivery coordination, education
A cost-competitive build engine: offshore talent, AI, and product management shipped into tools that actually move numbers.
A curated offshore talent network — sourced, assessed, and retained over years — gives access to specialist skill sets at a fraction of onshore rates. Combined with product management discipline and AI strategy, it becomes a repeatable build engine: identify the constraint, spec the tool, ship it with the right person for the role.
Portfolio companies rarely need a full engineering team — they need one well-scoped tool shipped in weeks, not months. This model delivers that: low cost, right skill set, PM-led so delivery is tied to business outcomes. Each tool is designed to transfer and redeploy across portfolio companies.
Client nurturing automation reduced acquisition cost by systematising multi-touch outreach across email, SMS, and LinkedIn.
AI applicant assessment + video interviewing tool cuts time-to-shortlist with automations — candidates assessed on communication clarity and fit.
Sales playbooks and training tools built from real discovery and setting calls — used to ramp both founders and hired sales reps from day one.
How I work across a portfolio.
A repeatable intervention model — not talented improvisation. Every engagement follows the same five-phase structure.
Diagnose
Map recurring bottlenecks across hiring, GTM, and workflow execution. Identify where founder time is being consumed by systems that should be automated or delegated.
Prioritise
Choose interventions with the highest leverage and fastest time-to-value. Not everything matters equally. Start where output improves fastest.
Install
Deploy systems, tooling, reporting cadences, and operating rhythm. Build to be handed over — not to create dependency.
Train
Transfer ownership into the company. The system keeps working without me. Playbooks, documentation, and direct coaching are the deliverables.
Measure
Track output: hire rate, pipeline conversion, founder time released, retention, revenue per headcount. Numbers are how you know it worked.
From people who have worked with Will.
“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.”
Book a portfoliostrategy session.
Bring 2–3 portfolio companies. I'll show you where I'd create leverage first.