A regional leader who understands ownership and operations
Investors need a leader who understands the investment thesis and can act on the commercial, financial and organisational realities beneath it. I bring experience in turnaround, growth, technology commercialisation, governance and the leadership of complex businesses.
At Open Colleges, I led a private equity-owned business through turnaround and commercial recovery ahead of an exit. In SEEK’s investment and education environment, my contribution included an Operating Partner capacity and transformation across international markets. Through ROI.Partners, I continue to work on investment assessment and portfolio performance.
I have worked with four private equity firms and supported more than ten PE and venture capital firms over my career. My experience includes assignments involving Apollo Global Management, The Vistria Group, Vanta and EQT, spanning investment assessment, operating performance, growth and transformation. My current mandates are Business Operating Partner for Lumens Capital Partners and Operating Partner for Vanta Global.
The bridge between international capital and regional execution
Australia and New Zealand provide a substantial operating base for regional strategies, but APAC is a collection of markets with different customer needs, commercial models and leadership requirements. A global playbook needs informed adaptation.
I work with investors on market prioritisation, regional operating models and the capability needed to deliver. That includes the relationship between headquarters and local leadership, decision rights, management information and a practical view of how value will be created.
For firms establishing or strengthening a regional platform, my background is relevant to Managing Director and Operating Partner responsibilities: connecting investors, boards and management and bringing the value-creation plan into the operating rhythm of the business.
Investment assessment and commercial due diligence
I examine the commercial model, customer economics, management capability and assumptions behind the investment case. The work tests what needs to be true for growth, margin improvement and scale, and identifies the operating risks that deserve attention before capital is committed.
For technology and education businesses, I assess the relationship between product value, adoption, acquisition cost, delivery and retention. I also examine how technology and AI could strengthen the proposition or improve operating performance.
The output is a clear view of the business and the actions ownership would need to take: decision priorities, management requirements and a grounded value-creation agenda alongside the transaction’s financial, legal and tax work.
Portfolio value creation and transformation
I work with owners and leadership teams to establish a focused value-creation plan, translate it into operating priorities and improve visibility of progress. Relevant work includes revenue growth, cost-base improvement, financial management, leadership renewal and operating-model change.
In a turnaround, the immediate questions are cash, customer performance, management alignment and the decisions that restore control. In a growth business, the questions shift towards repeatability, capacity, investment and the strength of the next leadership layer.
My approach combines financial rigour with marketing, digital and organisational expertise. Agile ways of working help teams translate priorities into delivery, learn quickly and surface constraints before they become larger problems.
“Jose is one of those rare executives that can work across a range of specialties and deliver tangible outcomes that drive operations and profits.”
“His tenacity, courage and leadership will drive significant results for businesses that are going through disruption, transformational change or turnaround.”
“He has demonstrated the ability to develop visionary plans gaining buy-in from senior executive and board directors.”
Selected excerpts from LinkedIn recommendations · View my public profile
Transactions, integration and exit preparation
Acquisitions create value when the organisations can operate together. I contribute to the commercial and leadership implications of integration: the customer proposition, management accountabilities, systems, reporting and the capabilities that need to be retained.
During ownership transitions and exit preparation, I help connect the performance narrative with the underlying business: reliable information, clear operating priorities, leadership continuity and a credible account of sustainable performance.
Venture and growth-stage businesses
My listed technology and venture advisory experience is also relevant where a promising product needs a stronger commercial business. Work can cover market validation, business models, route to market, financing requirements, enterprise sales and governance.
The aim is to connect innovation with a business that customers choose, management can operate and investors can understand.
A confidential discussion of the mandate
We begin with the investment, regional or portfolio question and the contribution required. The work may be a defined assessment, a value-creation assignment or a continuing operating and advisory mandate.
The discussion establishes scope, information access, responsibilities and fit with existing commitments. Current client identities and sensitive portfolio information remain within the relevant professional relationship.
Portfolio operating experience at SEEK
My SEEK experience included an Operating Partner deployment to its investment portfolio, particularly IELTS Australia and IDP Education. The mandate connected international growth priorities with digital commerce, customer acquisition, analytics and the operating capability of the businesses.
That work is an important foundation for my regional investor perspective: understand the commercial model, align stakeholders and build the systems and leadership required to execute across different markets.
An investor’s perspective, an operator’s accountability
Alongside my executive responsibilities, I am an angel investor and entrepreneur. My career includes work with four private equity firms and support to more than ten PE/VC firms, giving me an understanding of both investment decisions and the operational work that follows.
For international investors, I bring the perspective of an ANZ and APAC leader who can assess the market, work with management, build commercial capability and take enterprise responsibility. The fit and scope of an engagement are considered alongside my current executive commitments.
I played an instrumental role in strengthening IDP Education’s valuation and the operating foundations for its future IPO. Working across multiple international markets, I connected digital strategy, customer acquisition and commercial execution with investor priorities. This was a contribution during my portfolio assignment to the business’s development ahead of its later listing.