Restoring Control. Accelerating Performance. Multiplying Value.
Operational leadership for private-equity backed businesses when performance or cash is at risk.
I’m Gilles Ferrier.
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I step in during high-pressure situation to restore control fast, protect value, and prepare the business for recovery, scale, or exit.
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​My work is execution-led and cash-driven. I isolate the constraints, stabilise operations at pace, and convert operational improvements into cash generation and valuation uplift.​​
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Background
Board-level operator with 25+ years’ experience in PE-backed and industrial businesses across the UK and Europe. I’ve led post-administration recoveries, cross-border carve-outs and integrations, and two PE exits where revenue and EBITDA tripled between entry and exit.
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Private equity sponsors, lenders, and portfolio CEOs bring me in to:
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Stabilise distressed businesses​​
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Execute post-deal integrations and deliver the investment thesis​​
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Remove operational risk and lift performance ahead of exit
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Typical entry situations​
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​Covenants tightening or lender pressure emerging
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Carve-outs or integrations leaking EBITDA due to leadership gaps
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Founder capability becoming the constraint on scale and control
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Exit readiness exposed by weak operations and execution risk
"​​Gilles’s work was instrumental to our value-creation plan and strong exit outcomes. He rapidly diagnosed issues, aligned teams, and executed at pace, resolving underperformance and scaling operations across the UK and Europe. Any PE-backed business facing operational complexity would benefit from his involvement."
— Neil Tilsley - CEO - Technical Fire Safety Group (TFSG)
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How I engage
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Turnaround | Carve-Outs, Integrations & Scaling | Exit Readiness | Interim COO & Operations Leadership
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If pace, grip, or delivery is at risk, early intervention matters.
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Why Work with Me?
I bring global operational expertise across multiple sectors and cultures
I have a track record of delivering complex turnarounds, integrations, and scaling programmes across Europe. My work spans high-precision manufacturing, multi-site industrial services, and asset-heavy operations, where I drive change, align diverse teams, and deliver measurable improvements in performance and value creation.
I deliver value creation in PE-backed environments
I’ve led major transformations across PE portfolios, including post-administration recoveries, cross-border integrations, and complex scaling programmes. My experience includes multiple M&A and exit events — notably two MBOs where revenue and EBITDA tripled between entry and exit.
I deliver fast, impactful results
What sets me apart is my ability to step into challenging situations — in the UK or abroad — and drive rapid, hands-on interventions that restore control and momentum. I’m parachuted into complex or underperforming operations to protect value and steer organisations through critical phases. Execution-driven and focused on outcomes, I move quickly to identify constraints, stabilise operations, align teams, and deliver measurable operational and financial improvement.
