Brought in when it's unclear, complex, and growth has stalled.
Twenty-five years driving growth and rescuing businesses in the UK, US, Europe and worldwide, across multiple sectors including media, retail, marketplaces, software, data and healthcare. I launched The Guardian in America, added $618m of enterprise value at Scout24, and rebuilt how Marks & Spencer sold online. I build the value inside the business and leave it growing without me.
Where I'm brought in
Take the executive seat. Step in as CEO or transformation lead to steady the business while building the plan.
Get growth moving again. Find and remove the blockers stalling the business.
Reset the strategy for growth. Focus the priorities, then realign the proposition, go-to-market and operating models.
Turn round what's failing. Take control through losses, covenant breaches and restructuring.
Prepare for the transaction. Maximise enterprise value, position for exit, fundraise or acquisition, and run the process.
Chair and counsel the board. Steady the leadership team through change, remove the barriers to success, and give the unfiltered view.
On AI, without the hype
Early, not late. Designed customer personalisation for a major US retailer years before generative AI, selecting recommendations and supply chain as the highest impact. $750m case, board approved.
Live in the portfolio. Chair of Kompas Health, building AI to support physician diagnosis. Previously chaired MediMusic, where generative AI fingerprints music and adapts each patient's playlist to their response.
Through the regulator. Advises the chief executive of a UK AI legal platform, now taking the product through SRA approval.
Across sectors. Generative AI in entertainment storytelling and in marketing intelligence, on top of retail, healthcare and legal.
Business-led, not technology-led. Comes at AI from the customer, the product and the P&L. Advises leaders on where to invest, what to leave alone, and what to ask of management.
Selected outcomes
Scout24. Swiss online marketplace group, around $330m revenue, private equity owned. Added $618m (CHF 550m) of enterprise value in 18 months, a 3x return, on double-digit growth.
Major US retailer. National chain, name withheld under NDA. Engaged to design an AI personalisation programme and build the business case. Delivered a $750m case, board approved.
Marks & Spencer. One of Britain's largest retailers. Created a new operating model that lifted online revenue 39%, worth $154m (£116m), in six months.
Bupa. Global health insurance group. Rebuilt the online platform, lifting traffic 20% and doubling conversion.
Future Thinking. UK market research and insights group, around $30m revenue. Took the leadership through covenant breach and turned a $3.2m (£2.4m) loss to profit in eight months, then raised $2.6m (£2m) to fund growth.
It starts with a conversation
A brief conversation, then, if it's useful, a short piece of work to establish what is actually going on.
Start the conversation here
Contact
Jim Stevenson, Founder, Bletchley Group
Chair, Kompas Health | Partner, Spark International Collective.
jimstevenson.co | linkedin.com/in/jimstevenson
Thought Leadership, Speeking and Writing
Speaks and writes on leadership, strategy, transformation and AI adoption. Forbes Business Council contributor. Writes at BrkThruLeadership.substack.com