The business is capable of more
Performance and profitability are below expectations, but the reasons – and the right priorities – are not yet clear.
Mid-market businesses · Change · Delivery
When the business has to change.
I work with owner-managed and mid-market businesses facing financial, operational or organisational change – from getting a critical function back on track to restructuring the company as a whole.
My approach combines rigorous analysis and commercial judgement with more than 30 years of executive experience. I stay involved from the first diagnosis through to delivery.
No snap judgements.
A P&L tells you that something is wrong. It rarely tells you why. Before recommending action, I look at the operational, commercial and organisational reality behind the figures.
Restructuring starts with the work – not a headcount target.
The first question is not “How many jobs must go?” It is what work is required, at what volume and capacity, with which processes and resources. Only then is there a sound basis for decisions.
Performance has more than one lever.
Costs matter, but so do processes, pricing, organisation, customers, suppliers and everyday ways of working. Looking at the whole system often reveals options that an across-the-board cost programme would miss.
Firm decisions. No theatrics.
Change can be difficult, and necessary decisions should not be avoided. But job losses are never a measure of success. Responsible restructuring also means limiting personal hardship wherever the business situation allows.
Advice only matters when it is put into practice.
A polished presentation is not the result. The result is what improves in the business.
How I work
Understand.
Distil.
Deliver.
I do not arrive with a standard answer. I start by understanding how the business really works – commercially, operationally and organisationally.
The numbers are part of that picture, but so are processes, responsibilities, customer and supplier relationships, and the points where day-to-day work begins to break down. The aim of the first few days is a clear, rounded view of the situation.
This is not analysis for its own sake. It starts creating value immediately: assumptions are challenged, connections become visible and priorities sharpen. From there, I agree the necessary action with those responsible and help carry it through.
1UnderstandEstablish the facts
2DistilIdentify causes and priorities
3DeliverTurn decisions into measurable progress
When to involve WaGe-Control
When performance or stability is at stake.
From a profitable business falling short of its potential to a company facing acute financial or operational pressure.
Management is flying partly blind
The available information does not reveal emerging issues early enough or provide a reliable basis for decisions.
The organisation no longer fits the business
Responsibilities, structures or processes have failed to keep pace with what the company now needs.
Pressure is mounting
Earnings, cash, operations or customer relationships are deteriorating and decisive intervention is required.
Core expertise
Where I add value.
No pre-packaged consulting products. Four areas that frequently come together in real assignments.
Restructuring & stabilisation
Get to the root of financial and operational problems, set priorities, restore control and deliver the changes the situation demands.
Performance visibility & control
Put in place the information and management disciplines needed to steer profitability, cash and operational performance.
Costing & commercial decisions
Create dependable cost and margin transparency for pricing, bids, projects, investment choices and other commercial decisions.
Negotiation & implementation
Prepare and lead difficult negotiations with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders – and translate agreements into workable outcomes.
Selected assignments
A record of taking responsibility.
Company names are deliberately omitted. The relevant facts are the situation, the role I took on and what changed as a result.
USD −3.7m → +3.7m
Turning around a US manufacturing site
A recently established plant was struggling with serious quality, delivery and organisational problems. I took full responsibility as President/CEO.
Outcome The site returned to profit in the first year and later grew to approximately USD 20 million in revenue.
USD 1.3m → >10m
Rebuilding after the loss of the largest customer
Almost the entire existing revenue base disappeared. I stabilised the operation, developed a new customer portfolio and built strategic key-account relationships.
Outcome The business was repositioned and revenue grew to more than USD 10 million.
A new commercial standard
Building a reliable costing and quotation process
I developed a robust costing method for complex assemblies and made the underlying cost structures transparent for strategic customer negotiations.
Outcome The method became the company-wide sales standard and supported the successful award of numerous major programmes.
550 employees · 3 sites
Restructuring through German self-administration proceedings
I led the operational coordination of an industrial business with approximately EUR 80 million in revenue throughout the insolvency process.
Outcome The business was stabilised and an investor secured without customer losses or redundancies.
EUR 1m → >7m
Rebuilding after an investor takeover
As CEO, I reshaped the organisation, processes, financial control and management systems following the acquisition out of insolvency.
Outcome Available cash increased from approximately EUR 1 million to more than EUR 7 million within one year.
>200 products · several competitors
Closing a UK manufacturing plant without disrupting supply
When it became clear that sufficient new business could not be secured, I prepared and commercially managed the closure. More than 200 live products and the associated equipment were transferred to several competitors while deliveries continued.
Outcome The plant closed to plan, with all relevant products transferred and no interruption to customer supply or resulting claims.
Walter Gebert
I spent most of my career running businesses, not advising from the sidelines.
I have served as Sales Director, President/CEO, Commercial Director, CRO and Managing Director. I know what difficult change looks like when you are personally accountable for the outcome.
That experience still defines WaGe-Control: understand the full problem, ground decisions in evidence and stay with the work beyond the recommendation.
View my experience →Beyond the business
Sometimes clarity begins with distance.
Periods of intense responsibility need a counterweight. I found mine in long-distance walking on the Via de la Plata – and turned what I learned into a comprehensive, free route information and planning app.
Contact
Let’s talk
If you would like to explore whether I can help with your situation, email me or call me directly.