WELCOME TO IDL

Innovative Directions is boutique consumer / industrial turn-around firm.   By partnering with financial investors and next-generation owners that run operating companies that had a solid past, but lost their profitability, cash strength, and our market position, we lead recovery and exit. In addition, we offer advisory support and help build and lead corporate board through hands-on leadership and day-to-day management support.

Rather than hire a team of advisors or recruit a new C-Suite, our unique value is assuming key leadership roles, developing a holistic look on the business situation, and, depending on the owner’s goals, re-positioning the business back to profitable and growing or to a stress-free profitable exit. Additionally, we offer ‘pure’ advisory where we serve on boards, work as “shadow CEOs” and help fix specific business issues. Philosophically, we pursue a hybrid model of employees and trusted contractors wherein our client may contract for one of us, however, gets the support from the broader team and the choice to contract with our partners. In all cases, our goal is to align our interests with our sponsors by charging a nominal retainer and creating an earn-out wherein we all share in success.

Our core value has always been giving our clients a clean exit from problematic businesses while ensuring their employees, customers,
vendors and the communities they work in can enjoy continued growth in a respected manner. We treat our client’s business as if it is our own.

In parallel, we directly invest 30% of our profits into social impact for-profit businesses in Southeast Asia and India that help lift people out of poverty.

Our goal is to create for our clients the option to grow or to exit.

Our clients include family business, private equity portfolio business, and debt laden companies with cash deficits and negative returns that need a fix-it strategy and execution.

Our history starts in 1995 when, as a US Army infantry officer, our founder Phil began helping and advising businesses in Colorado Springs, USA. For the next 20 years, Phil continued to apply his ‘infantry’ and consulting skills to turning around businesses. He took successive executive leadership roles both within GE’s chemical businesses and eventually for various multinational and private equity firms. Nearly all of his roles were direct P&L leadership and chief executive of under-performing businesses.   As demand for his turn-around skills grew, Phil re-started Innovative Directions in North Carolina in 2012. By 2015, his focus and work demand concentrated on East Asia, and, as a result, he also opened Innovative Directions Limited, Hong Kong.

Veteran Owned CompanySAM.GOV Contracting Code

How WE Work

Bring Unbiased Experienced to Difficult or Un‐resourced Chronic Business Problems

Rather than hire a team of advisors or recruit a new C-Suite, our unique value is assuming key leadership roles, developing a holistic look on the business situation, and, depending on the owner’s goals, re-positioning the business back to profitable and growing or to a stress-free profitable exit. Additionally, we offer ‘pure’ advisory where we serve on boards, work as “shadow CEOs “and help fix specific business issues. Philosophically, we pursue a hybrid model of employees and trusted contractors wherein our client may contract for one of us, however, gets the support from the broader team and the choice to contract with our partners. In all cases, our goal is to align our interests with our sponsors by charging a nominal retainer and creating an earn-out wherein we all share in success.

“Unstick” Businesses with Poor Results or No Exit Plans with Results Ownership

Our timeline often starts with advisory due diligence (commercial, operational, and HR), to develop the strategy and planning followed by execution.

By using our turn-around skills, we align our interests to owner profitability both in client and invested companies.

Minimize Client Risk

Having worked as ‘traditional’ CEOs and Regional General Managers, we have learned that being the boss is often lonely and lacks support. Our client contract frames a win-win mandate and our employee/advisor team keeps client costs down and success incentives aligned.   Between the financial and product support our analysts give and the deep functional experience our advisors offer, our CEOs can work through complex issues efficiently. Second, our senior advisors, in turn, not only support the CEO, but can be made available to our clients if complex legal, accounting, human resource, or technology situations emerge.

Who We Best Serve

Privately owned / private equity Asia-Focussed businesses

  • where the ultimate beneficiaries are either looking to exit (sell) the business or drive transformational change.
    • Manufacturers of finished goods or component parts
    • Product distribution
    • Consumer retailers

Businesses that have chronically fallen short of expectation

or where there is a key leadership gap and help is needed and wanted.

Businesses where the ownership structure and goals are clear:

  • Western owned businesses with operations in Asia
  • Family owned Asia businesses with an uncertain exit strategy
  • Privately equity / privately held companies that are falling short of profit or / key metrics
  • Related businesses needing due diligence or advisory that could lead to long term support