Services and CS organisations that scale — without losing margin or sponsorship.
Designing and running the operating model behind enterprise services: capacity, utilisation, governance, customer health, and the handoffs between presales, delivery, and Customer Success, so growth does not erode margin, quality, or executive trust.
The services operating model, viewed as a system.
Four axes that determine whether a services organisation scales healthily or quietly burns out the people who built it.
| Axis | What good looks like | What I install | What I measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Roles, geographies and seniority match demand. | Capacity model with utilisation targets per role. | Utilisation · bench · forecast accuracy. | Margin and predictability. |
| Governance | Steering cadence and decision rights are explicit. | Programme + portfolio governance model. | Steering attendance · decision velocity. | Escalation works before crisis. |
| Customer health | Early signal of churn or escalation risk. | Health framework + early-warning routes. | Health score · NRR · executive engagement. | Retention and expansion. |
| Sales handoff | Presales, SOW, and delivery sing from one sheet. | SOW templates · solution review gates. | SOW change rate · margin variance. | Profitable, deliverable contracts. |
What I work on.
The practical surface of a CS / PS leadership mandate — the operating levers I inspect, stabilise, and improve from week one.
Delivery economics
Margin, utilisation, mix, blended rate, and the unit economics of every engagement type.
Capacity & utilisation
Demand curve, role mix, bench policy, geography strategy, and forecast discipline.
Governance cadence
Programme, portfolio, and customer steering. Decision rights and accountable owners.
Customer health
Health framework, executive engagement, renewal risk, referenceability, and NRR signal.
Escalation models
Tiered escalation paths, executive sponsorship, and red-programme recovery playbooks.
Presales / SOW alignment
Solution review gates, SOW templates, deliverability checks, and risk sign-off.
Renewals & expansion
How CS and PS jointly create the conditions for renewal and selective expansion.
Scaling without chaos
Org design that absorbs growth without breaking governance, margin, or culture.
Three ways to create impact.
Same set of strengths — applied at the cadence that fits the business.
VP / Head of CS or PS
Permanent leadership of the services or Customer Success organisation. Own the operating model, customer relationships, and AI-enabled transformation.
3 — 12 month operating-model rebuild
Step in as interim CS or PS executive while a permanent hire is sourced, or use the mandate to redesign capacity, governance, and customer health.
Services operating-model audit
A 4–6 week diagnostic of the services operating model, with a board-ready report and a prioritised intervention plan.