Construction Sector · Melbourne, Australia · Available nationally and remotely

Brian
Sands

Trusted to grow, improve and maximise the value of construction sector businesses.

Embedded or retained. The accountability is the same.

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Brian Sands
Master of Enterprise, University of Melbourne Melbourne Business School INSEAD AICD Graduate Registered Building Practitioner Certified Advisory Board Chair

I take a seat and own the outcome.

A Registered Builder who started building houses, scaled a 9-figure commercial construction business without external capital, then negotiated a $200M joint venture with Australia's largest contractor at the time.

Thirty years leading businesses and projects across the full spectrum of the built environment.

For owners, executives and boards who want the operator's thinking without the full seat, I work with a small number on a retained basis. Either way, you get the operator, not the observer.

Growth
Building the capability and systems to scale without breaking
Turnaround
Fast diagnosis, rapid stabilisation, a clear path forward
Transformation
Restructuring for profit, accountability and operational clarity
Risk
Commercial and contractual exposure identified and resolved
Scale
Infrastructure and leadership built to grow at pace
Exit
Structured transactions that protect stakeholder reputation and value
Outcomes delivered

Went into the GFC having built a $100M construction business. Came out of it with a $200M joint venture.

Growth
$34M to $110M in four years
25% YOY revenue growth. Profit 20% YOY. Retained earnings 8x. Enterprise value 7x. No external capital.
Turnaround
$5.4M loss to $2.1M profit in nine months
Through a $30M revenue decline and two supplier insolvencies. Sixty people exited, only one redundancy.
Joint Venture
$200M JV with Australia's largest contractor
Every capital barrier removed: working capital, bank guarantees, tier-1 people and systems.
Risk & Recovery
$10M in cost recovery
Forensic, commercial and contractual intervention across $120M in projects. No litigation.
Exit
$9M turnaround of a public company
Carrying $20M in accumulated losses. FUM 8x. Investment margins up 150%. Solvent wind-up. Capital returned to 5,000+ shareholders.
Governance
$14M in concealed losses uncovered
Structured wind-down over nine months. All projects completed without industrial action or supplier default despite eleven legal disputes. No litigation.
How it works
Fractional Operator

Embedded in the business

10–12 days per month. A full mandate across growth, turnaround, transformation, scale or exit — with full accountability for the outcome. One engagement at a time.

Retained Advisor

The operator in your corner

Monthly retainer. For owners, executives and boards who want experienced operator thinking without the full seat. Sessions, workshops, direct access. The standard doesn't change.

Advisory, coaching and mentoring also available for senior leaders and teams.

What people say

"A strategic thinker who knows what success needs to look like — responds with analysis and structure, and delivers through continuous energy and pragmatism from start to finish."

Marc Stigter
Global Strategy Advisor

"Brian's combination of experience, instinct, intellect and practical commercial nous is rare. He sees the critical issues, the risks and the opportunities — and makes informed decisions to deliver."

St John Frawley
Construction & Infrastructure Partner, Thomson Geer

"Strong leader with great people and relationship skills. A sound grasp of both risk management and financials — successfully led through turnaround and growth."

Greg Diamond
Consultant, Former Partner at PwC

Start with a conversation.

A confidential conversation about your business is where it starts. No form, no process, no obligation.