Scale exposes weaknesses.
High-consequence decisions require exceptional judgement.
I advise founders, owners and investors making decisions where the consequences are measured in millions or billions of dollars.
If something is going wrong in one of our businesses and we cannot work out where it is, Nathan is the person I call. If he can’t find and solve it, no one can.
Selected experience
Professional Sport
- Newcastle Knights
- Newcastle Jets
- PNG Hunters
- Patinack Farm
Mining
- Aston Resources
- Coal mining
- Billion-dollar projects
Technology
- Early drones
- Reddog Technology
- Salt
- Whouno
International
- 70 countries
- Indonesia
- Papua New Guinea
- Europe
- Asia
Currently
- Advising Salt on global growth and strategy.
- Building Whouno, a relationship intelligence platform.
- Working with selected founders, owners and investors internationally.
- Speaking internationally on judgement, leadership and decision-making.
Over the last three years I have worked in approximately 70 countries, advising organisations, building businesses and developing relationships across mining, technology, manufacturing, finance, tourism and professional sport.
Timeline
- 2002 Early drone development
- 2004 Founded Reddog
- 2010 Public markets — Aston Resources IPO
- 2015 VUID — Web Summit
- 2017 Reddog exit
- 2020 Bronze Betty
- 2024 Salt
- 2026 Whouno
What I've learned
Growth rarely creates problems.
It reveals the ones that already existed.
Technology rarely changes businesses. People do.
Technology simply accelerates what was already happening.
Trust compounds faster than capital.
The best opportunities in my career began years before the transaction.
Every billion-dollar business eventually becomes a people problem.
Markets change. Technology changes.
Leadership determines what happens next.
Most important decisions are made before there is enough information.
Waiting for certainty is often the most expensive decision.
How I work
- I work directly with decision makers.
- I tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
- Most engagements are confidential.
- I prefer long-term relationships over one-off advice.
- I focus on judgement, not reports.
Selected organisations and projects include
Aston Resources · Whitehaven Coal · Newcastle Knights · Newcastle Jets · PNG Hunters · Patinack Farm · Reddog Technology · Laikim PNG · Salt · VUID · Bronze Betty
Many of the organisations and people I advise cannot be named publicly. The examples on this website are those I have permission to discuss or that are already in the public domain.
Trusted by People Making Important Decisions
My work is often confidential. Where clients have given permission, I’ve included a selection of their reflections. Other engagements remain private.
If something is going wrong in one of our businesses and we cannot work out where it is, Nathan is the person I call. If he can’t find and solve it, no one can.
Over the years I’ve worked with thousands of consultants, coaches and advisors. Nathan is one of only three people I’ve seen consistently produce exceptional results.
I hired Nathan because I wanted to build a successful business. What gives me confidence is knowing that when things become difficult, he’s able to solve problems that very few people can.
Working with Nathan, it’s like he can see around corners.
Nathan is the smartest guy I have ever met.
The people I work with don’t hire me because they need more information. They hire me because they need judgement where the cost of being wrong is enormous.
Ideas
How I see the world — essays on judgement, leadership, and decisions under pressure. Not a blog.
Engagements
Engagements are structured around the complexity and importance of the mandate. I work with a small number of clients at any one time.
Every engagement is different. Some involve ongoing advisory relationships, others focus on a specific decision, transaction or period of change.
I accept a limited number of advisory engagements each year. Most begin through referrals or direct introductions.