CREDENTIALS
Biography
STUART SMITH
Founder and Principal
Stuart Smith is the Founder and Principal of Solferino Advisory; a firm that specialises in Strategy Planning, Turnaround and Restructuring, and Organisation Design, and advises clients in a wide range of industries and situations.
Prior to founding Solferino Advisory, Stuart held executive leadership roles in general management, marketing and sales. The organisations were as diverse as global, regional and local family owned businesses, were retailers and/or manufacturers, distributed branded and/or bulk goods via multiple channels and multiple countries.
Stuart has international market experience, gained when living and working in Australasia, Europe and Africa, and through the creation of international market expansion strategies and models, and in the development of international markets using collaborative partnerships.
Stuart built a reputation for delivering results consistently, often in challenging circumstances. Results were mainly driven by significant improvement in performance, and were based on a diversity of well-considered plans that were meticulously implemented.
Stuart acquired governance and stakeholder management experience as a Non-Executive Director of boards of private medium-sized businesses and as a graduate of the AICD. Stuart is currently a director and chairman of a large 3rd generation family owned and managed company and chairs the advisory boards of two other family owned and managed companies.
Stuart holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Natal South Africa, majoring in Marketing and Finance.
Endorsements
4 Pines
Brewing Company
'To sum it all up, Stuart has a way of making the complex world, suddenly seem very simple.
Stuart and I met when Stuart joined our board many years ago. We have subsequently trade sold the business and that board has been disbanded, however we have kept in close contact. I’ve since referred Stuart to 4 or 5 of my friends who are fellow owner / founder / CEO’s and everyone of them has been blown away! Seriously blown away, every time.
But as for me… Stuart originally sat on our board. I was mystified with Stuart’s repeated ability to respectfully get to the bottom of and understand the detail in what seemed like an instant. Whilst simultaneously keeping his eyeline high to pin point and interpreting what the real genesis of the problem was. Many get bogged down in the detail or can’t see the big picture. Stuart always seems to strike this delicate balance perfectly.
As time went on, Stuart would dig in and get his hands dirty on bespoke projects on a needs basis. The crème de la crème of course, the intense 4-6 month M&A process of our trade sale.
Again, I wouldn’t be writing a testimonial, or referring Stuart to my friends, if he didn’t get a 10/10. If you are even reading this testimonial and have gotten this far, you’re not tire kicking, you need a guy like Stuart. Don’t look any further.’
— Jaron Mitchell, Co-Founder and Chief of Beer Chiefs, Lover of Beer
Water Filters
Australia
‘The scale and complexity of the changes required to achieve our business objectives, was not something WFA had done before. The Board of Directors identified Stuart’s credentials to be well suited to the assignment, and his ability to develop the strategy plan and also guide and support us through the implementation phase, provided us with an end to end solution.
Stuart challenged our thinking in a respectful and collaborative way and brought fresh perspectives, which inspired us to be bolder in our thinking and to trust his judgement. Stuart’s rare combination of operational and advisory experience meant he was able to provide an insightful assessment of complex situations and quickly develop and articulate simple yet effective solutions. Stuart’s breadth of expertise in customer engagement, organisation design and commercial outcomes, ensured interdependencies were well understood and plans for each aligned well to reduce risk and secured benefits quickly.
It has been a pleasure working alongside him, and our company and Board highly respects the work Stuart has done and the value he adds. It is with great confidence that I endorse his services.’
— Craig Hannam, Director, Water Filters Australia
Rexel
Electrical Supplies
Pty Ltd
‘I engaged Stuart to review our supply chain model from both a strategic and operational perspective to determine the best path forward to improved performance and competitive positioning.
The assignment involved an extensive assessment of the existing operations and market dynamics and led to the development of a set of pragmatic recommendations. Stuart also took responsibility for project managing the implementation of the recommendations with great success.
The outcomes of the assignment included a dramatic simplification of the old model, and led to significant cost reductions, working capital improvement, improved customer service levels, and better supplier terms and conditions.
Drawing on his extensive ‘hands-on’ executive experience, Stuart was able to bring a unique combination of strategic insight, commercial pragmatism and stakeholder ‘buy-in’ to the assignment.
I would not hesitate to endorse Stuart to help executive teams interrogate what they know; create fresh strategic options; develop highly effective, commercially beneficial and sustainable plans; and gain traction in the implementation phase – all with great integrity, collaboration and respect.’
— Rob McLeod, Managing Director, Rexel Electrical Supplies Pty Ltd
RMJ Evans
Pty Ltd
‘Our family business was in Retail Hardware and had been trading for 39 years, we had 10 sites and dealt with the DIY and trade markets and also had 2 manufacturing businesses. We faced the external challenges of strong competition and the internal challenges of lower returns and shareholders seeking different outcomes.
We engaged Stuart initially to provide a review of the business and shareholders with possible options. We then decided to sell the business and Stuart was engaged to guide the transaction through to completion.
We succeeded in selling the business and achieving the critical outcomes that the family shareholders expected. Stuart was essential in achieving this result and for these key reasons:
Stuart was able to grasp the complexities of our business and the market we operated in. He took the time to understand the position and desires of each shareholder and then align to a common outcome.
Stuart understood the crucial details and time lines of the transactions for both sides and we used this to make sure we kept the momentum moving forward. Time can kill transactions and Stuart always took the opportunity to lead the agenda and hold everyone to their commitments.
There are many details in every transaction, Stuart understood what was crucial and what we could give up. To look at everything from the opposition's point of view, how can we help them win while still getting what we need.
Many times, during the transaction I would become frustrated due to some late change or dead-line missed, Stuart was a rock, always calmly listening and talking me down, always looking to the positive or how we could turn the latest development to an advantage. But always bringing me back to the overall strategy and that it is about winning the war, not every battle.’
— Matthew Evins, Director, RMJ Evins Pty Ltd
Ochre
Health
‘Ochre Health has been engaged with Stuart for over 7 years now. As a maturing business, Stuart’s initial work was to help us define a framework for strategic planning and thereafter design our initial business plan in 2018. The framework and management team facilitation in that first year was a real groundbreaking exercise of developing a clear purpose, vision and strategy with related objectives, measures and accountabilities.
With a strong foundation from the first year, the strategic planning for subsequent years took the same approach and has definitely helped Ochre achieve year-on-year earnings growth in excess of 20%.
Throughout the years, Stuart has built an in-depth understanding of the business, has been a strong mentor to myself and has built strong and trusting relationships with the core management team.
I can definitely say that Stuart has made an incredible contribution and positive difference to Ochre’s performance and culture.’
— Dermot Roche, CEO, Ochre Health
