General Manager \/ Director - TIDE Training, Somerton
January 2010 - March 2019
In this role, I acted as the primary architect for TIDE Training’s evolution from a single-person operation into a multi-state enterprise. I spearheaded a total digital and operational transformation, growing annual revenue from $80k to $4.2M. My focus was on bridging the gap between rigorous regulatory compliance and the need for a scalable, cloud-first business model that could thrive in a price-sensitive market.
Highlights
Strategic Business Scaling: Orchestrated the growth of a single-person operation into a multi-state enterprise, leading a revenue increase from $80k to $4.2M annually by identifying market gaps and guiding working groups through expansion risks.
Empowerment through Automation: Championed the automation of over 3,500 mundane tasks per week, specifically designed to liberate staff from repetitive labor and empower them to focus on high-impact client service and professional development.
Workforce Mentoring & Upskilling: Restructured the organizational workforce into a highly versatile, multi-skilled team by personally rewriting work instructions and training staff on new operational software and processes.
Change Management Leadership: Guided the entire organization through a critical digital transformation, transitioning from paper-based legacy systems to cloud-based operations (G-Suite and Microsoft 365) while maintaining business continuity.
Performance Coaching & Quality Excellence: Mentored teams to achieve a drastic reduction in data error rates (from 30% to less than 1%) by implementing KPI reporting systems and training the sales team in CRM tools to optimize their effectiveness.
Skills
Business / Transformation Coaching, Digital Transformation Strategy, Change Management & Implementation, Strategic Planning, Workflow Automation, CRM Administration & Sales Funnels, Data Quality & KPI Reporting, Microsoft 365 & Cloud Ecosystems, Strategic Budget Management, Operational Process Engineering, Business Development
Key Strategic Pillars & Impact
1. Strategic Business Scaling & Market Expansion
The Transformation: I orchestrated the growth of the business from a local startup to a multi-state enterprise with 4 sites across Victoria and South Australia.
The Strategy: I led working groups to identify market gaps and evaluate regional demand in areas like Shepparton, Geelong, and Mount Gambier.
The Result: Successfully scaled the business to a $4.2M annual turnover while managing expansion risks and identifying the most sustainable product-market fits.
2. Empowerment through Automation
The Transformation: I championed the move from manual, paper-based workflows to an automated, exception-based reporting system.
The Strategy: By implementing a student management software that defined business rules, we automated high-volume tasks that previously required manual oversight.
The Result: We automated over 3,500 mundane tasks per week, liberating staff from repetitive labor and allowing them to focus on high-impact client service.
3. Change Management & Infrastructure Resilience
The Transformation: I guided the entire organization through a critical digital transformation, transitioning from Windows NT/Exchange legacy systems to cloud-based operations.
The Strategy: I led the migration to G-Suite and Microsoft 365 while introducing a document management portal that allowed teams to collaborate simultaneously across different locations.
The Result: Maintained business continuity during major infrastructure shifts and reduced the turnaround time for final documentation from months to weeks.
4. Performance Coaching & Quality Excellence
The Transformation: I focused on "upskilling" the workforce to transition from time-poor individuals into a highly versatile, multi-skilled team.
The Strategy: I personally rewrote work instructions to integrate new software tools and mentored the sales team on using CRM suites to track leads and improve customer reporting.
The Result: We achieved a drastic reduction in data error rates from 30% to less than 1% and reduced annual business costs by approximately $300,000 through workforce restructuring.
Lesson Learned
The growth from a single person to a multi-state team taught me that compliance is not a barrier to growth, but a foundation for it. By building systems that automate the "mundane," you empower your people to deliver the "exceptional."
Skills Expanded
Strategic & Business Coaching
These skills validate my abilities to lead and consult at an executive level:
Digital Transformation: Leading the transition from paper-based legacy systems to cloud-first operations (G-Suite/M365).
Market Expansion: Identifying market gaps and managing the risks of scaling into new geographic regions.
Change Management: Restructuring a workforce to be multi-skilled and adaptable to new operational software.
Automation & Technical
These are the "hard skills" that prove how I achieve the results mentioned above:
Workflow Automation: Designing systems to handle 3.5k tasks per week.
CRM Implementation: Leading the introduction of CRM suites to optimize lead tracking and sales effectiveness.
System Architecture: Implementing student management systems with integrated KPI reporting.
Financial & Growth
These skills link my technical work to the "bottom line," which is essential for business consulting and coaching:
Revenue Growth: Scaling annual turnover from $80k to $4.2M.
Cost Optimization: Reducing annual business costs by $300k through automation and restructuring.
Operational Excellence: Maintaining 99%+ data accuracy in a high-compliance government reporting environment.
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