The background
An operator, not a consultant
I started as an apprentice fabricator. Not as a graduate engineer, not in a management trainee programme — on the shop floor, learning how engineering work actually gets done. That foundation has shaped everything that followed.
Over 25 years I moved through every level of engineering operations. Technical roles. Project management. Programme leadership. And eventually General Manager with full P&L accountability, responsible for operations, commercial performance, people, and delivery.
That progression is not incidental. It means I understand how a fabrication shop runs, how a fixed-price job gets quoted, where scope change enters the picture, and what happens to margin when the handover between sales and engineering is not tight. I have been in those conversations at every level — as the person doing the work, managing the programme, and ultimately accountable for the commercial result.
My work has included projects and programmes connected to Rolls-Royce, National Grid, Nissan, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, and Balfour Beatty — across automation, fabrication, and materials handling.
Career progression
Early career
Apprentice Fabricator
Started on the shop floor. Learned fabrication from the ground up — how steel moves, how tolerances work, how a job gets built.
Technical progression
Engineering & Technical Roles
Moved through technical and engineering positions. Developed a working understanding of design intent, manufacturing process, and the gap between the two.
Project leadership
Project & Programme Management
Led complex bespoke and fixed-price engineering projects. Managed scope, commercial risk, programme delivery, and client relationships across automation, fabrication, and materials handling.
Senior leadership
General Manager — Full P&L
Took full P&L accountability as General Manager. Responsible for operations, commercial performance, people, and delivery across multi-disciplinary engineering businesses.
"Having worked with and for Matthew, he has the drive and tenacity to foresee, where possible, the challenges and resolutions required to meet what a project or contract throws up, and ensure they become minor issues rather than major ones. He supports and develops any team to the level required."
John Hale, ILS Engineer and Documentation Engineer
Why it matters
The difference between an operator and a consultant
I understand the work
Having started on the shop floor and moved through every level, I understand what is actually happening in an engineering business — not just what the numbers say.
I can read the live position quickly
I have been in enough engineering businesses to know where to look first. I can assess the commercial position, the programme risk, and the operational gaps within days.
I lead from day one
There is no runway. No discovery phase. No report before action. I walk in, understand the situation, and start leading. That is what interim capacity means.
I have P&L accountability in my background
I have been accountable for the commercial result — not just the delivery. That means I think about margin, not just programme milestones.
I have managed disputes and recovered money
Variation claims, final account disputes, scope separation under client pressure. I have been on the commercial side of difficult conversations and know what is recoverable and what is not.
I have built teams as well as led them
I have recruited, developed, and structured engineering departments from the ground up. That means I understand what capability exists, what needs developing, and what needs replacing.
Sectors & disciplines
Where I have worked
Interim & Contract
Need direct operational capacity?
Call or email directly. No contact form, no waiting.
Advisory
Losing margin on bespoke or fixed-price work?
Book a free 30-minute diagnostic call. No pitch. Just a direct conversation about where the problem is.