Turnaround Operators Ecosystem

We often hire permanent roles for temporary situations.

But some business moments don’t need a role.

They need someone who can step in, orient quickly, and create movement.

This becomes especially visible in periods like:

• IPO preparation 
• M&A activity 
• rapid revenue growth 
• restructuring or turnaround phases 

These are environments where:

• pressure is high 
• clarity is limited 
• and outcomes matter quickly 

And the default approach — opening a permanent role — often slows things down instead of solving the problem.

Sometimes, what’s needed is:

an operator who can enter the situation, understand what’s actually happening, and move things forward — fast.
 

👉This is where I work.

I focus on identifying specific business situations where a traditional hire is not the best solution,
and connecting them with experienced operators who are designed to work in these conditions.

📍For Companies 

When hiring feels heavier than it should, it’s often not a talent issue — it’s a situation mismatch.

You may notice:

• roles open for too long without the right fit 
• strong candidates not landing or leaving early 
• unclear problem definition behind the hire 
• pressure to “fix it” through a full-time role 

Often, this happens in high-stakes phases like growth, transition, or restructuring —
where the problem is evolving faster than the role can be defined.

In these cases, we step back and look at:

• what is actually happening in the business 
• whether this is a permanent role or a temporary situation 
• what kind of operator is needed (if any) 

From there:

• I help define the situation clearly 
• identify the type of operator required 
• connect you with people who can step in and create movement 
• stay close to the process to ensure the match works in reality 

📍For Turnaround Operators (and those moving in that direction)

Some professionals don’t want to operate inside fixed roles.

Or they’ve outgrown them.

They prefer:

• complexity over routine 
• movement over maintenance 
• short-term impact over long-term positioning 

Or they feel capable of this — but don’t yet have access to the right environments.

This ecosystem is also for you.

You may be:

• already working in turnaround, transformation, or high-growth environments 
• an experienced leader wanting to move into more dynamic, high-stakes assignments 
• a high-potential professional ready to step beyond role-based work 

This is not about “finding a job”.

It’s about:

understanding where you operate best — and getting access to situations where that actually matters
 

Through this work:

• we identify the types of environments where you create the most impact 
• refine how you position yourself beyond job titles 
• connect you to relevant opportunities and conversations 
• build a network of operators working at a similar level 

💫The Ecosystem 

This is not a one-off service.

It’s a growing system built around:

• companies navigating complex or unclear situations 
• operators who know how to step into them 
• and the process of connecting the two effectively 

It includes:

• targeted hiring for specific high-stakes situations 
• a curated network of operators 
• ongoing conversations and small-group sessions 
• ZestLab tracks for those developing into this way of working 

🙌How we engage

Sometimes it starts with a role that isn’t landing.

Sometimes with a sense that something isn’t working.

Sometimes with an operator looking for the right next situation.

If you’re in any of these —

we can start with a conversation and take it from there.