Michael Milward

“Michael is a brilliant captain with the ability to turn big ships around.”

“I have known Mike for nearly 10 years. In this time, I have found him to be diligent, professional and extremely commercial. He is a well-seasoned turnaround operator with experience in a wide range of industries and business sizes. He has a unique ability to get through the fluff and get to the real issues. He has a no-nonsense approach to getting things done and is an extremely gifted negotiator. I have no hesitation in recommending Mike and look forward to our next project together. ”

“I had the pleasure of working with Michael Milward for a number of years in my capacity of HR Manager for Lyreco Australia. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Michael as the learnings I gained under his leadership were invaluable. It is refreshing to work with a sharp leader who is quick to decipher the root cause issues and challenges. As a HR Manager; support from the Managing Director is crucial to the successful execution of a People and Culture Strategy. Michael understands the value of culture and people. He understands the value of Human Resources as a function and the success to the organisation. He was a strong advocate for the function of Human Resources and insisted that the function have a seat at the Executive table. Opinions of all leaders in his team were solicited and valued regardless of area of expertise – this allowed me to grow professionally gaining a competitive advantage in understanding the entire business operations. Michael was a strong advocate for women in leadership; empowering me to develop my commercial acumen, taking on additional responsibilities, drive the local strategy whilst raising small children. His support, mentoring and advice has shaped my leadership capabilities which has allowed me to move on into further senior roles successfully. ”

“I have known Mike for over 10 years and have worked with him on a number of occasions. Mike assisted me by mentoring a client through a difficult situation, where legal advice alone was not enough. Mike genuinely cares about people and applies enthusiasm, energy and considerable experience to every task he faces. I have no hesitation in endorsing Mike. ”

“Out of the many people I was associated with during my working life Mike stands out more than anyone else for his ability to quickly cut through what is unimportant or irrelevant to get to the heart of the issue so that it can be resolved free of distractions. This is a rare and enormously valuable skill”

“As the ex-Finance Director of Lyreco Australia, I had the utmost privilege working with Mike Milward in his capacity as the Managing Director of Lyreco Australia. During my tenure at Lyreco, Mike was instrumental in the turnaround our Sales performance and Gross Margins across all channels and product portfolio. Mike commenced his leadership role in an environment of fierce industry competition, declining sales and margins, general low staff morale and significant shareholder pressure. Mike leveraged his years of in depth turnaround experience in a systematic and creative way to re-build the Sales & Marketing functions to drive top-line growth, followed by the implementation of strategic sourcing and procurement processes with suppliers, led the digital transformation strategies, and overhauled the entire logistics supply chain to achieve cost efficiencies. Mike was quick to understand both the cultural and financial challenges on hand and without delay, implemented many strategic initiatives that delivered value rather than a pure cost down approach to ensure sustainable growth. Mike was hands-on in many of the contract negotiations with both suppliers and customers, which subsequently defined a more outcome focused model for third party engagement. Mike delivered these strategic outcomes without leaving a “train wreck” behind, which speaks volume about his integrity, change management abilities and leadership style. We faced significant headwinds at Lyreco and being Mike’s right-hand was one of the highlights of my career. ”

“Michael is a rare breed - a genuine "operations/ business strategy" turnaround practitioner who understands that fixing a company is more art than science. His skills include quickly deciphering where the real issues are operationally and strategically. He does so with an eye to culture, sales, etc and I have known him to take on roles in a wider range of industries successfully acting internally as mentor and leader and externally as negotiator, stakeholder manager and extracting the best from other key turnaround participants including accountants and lawyers. He has a real passion for rolling up his sleeves to get the best outcomes - in small companies through to internationally held businesses where he has acted as CEO through turnaround and divestment. A thorough professional with a great "bedside manner" - and a pleasure to recommend. ”

“Working with Mike was a pleasure, he understands the importance of trust and displays integrity in business and life, he is a natural mentor who takes genuine pleasure in helping others. He is logical and strategic in his thinking and was a great asset to my clients in helping them make decisions. ”

“Michael understands the value of culture as a mechanism to unlock success in organisations and he is quick to decipher where the real issues are. Michael provides you with clarity on the options available and works alongside you to bring about the best possible outcome”

“Mike has an ability to get to the real issues quickly and then understand where they fit In terms of the business, that gives him an ability to make the right decisions quickly based on these priority issues he’s identified. ”

“Mike is very knowledgable figure in the franchising sector. he has demonstrated the ability to relate well to prospective franchisees and franchisors. I would recommend his services without hesitation.”