Steve Coote founded VSC Growth in 2001 to provide consulting services to help businesses overcome challenges and maximize their potential. With over 30 years of operational experience, including senior management roles and involvement in over 30 mergers and acquisitions, Steve understands the demands faced by business leaders. VSC Growth partners with clients to develop strategies, improve organizational performance, and build leadership capabilities in order to grow businesses and deliver sustainable outcomes.

1. adding more potential to your business
www.vscgrowth.com.au

2. overcome
challenges

3. Managing a business presents challenges
daily. Steve Coote, Director of VSC Growth, abo ut us
understands those challenges. With over 30
years operational experience, Steve appreciates
business demands faced by senior executives.
Steve founded VSC Growth Plus Pty Ltd in 2001.
For a number of years Steve contracted his
services almost exclusively to leading professional
Promise
services consultancy Cardno (ASX:CDD). In VSC Growth will partner with you to
his tenure at Cardno, Steve held various senior grow the potential of your business.
management roles, from leading business We offer experience with a more
units and divisions to General Manager, Group personal and practical approach that
Operations of the global group of 3000+ people. delivers enduring value.
Following an association over 30 years with
Cardno, Steve left in 2009 to focus on building
his VSC Growth consultancy.
In his career Steve has participated in the merger
and acquisition of more than 30 companies - from
Vision
identification to due diligence to integration, he
VSC Growth aims to be the preferred
understands the process. Steve also offers direct
trusted advisors to medium and large
experience in business planning and all corporate
businesses in the areas of strategy,
services (such as operational finance
organisational performance and
& budgeting, business systems, IT, marketing, HR
leadership.
and administration) functions. He has experience
managing profitable businesses in good times,
and the not so good.
Steve has a reputation for building strong
professional relationships, analysing businesses
Mission
and improving their performance - by building
We will earn our preferred trusted advisor
teams, setting goals and coaching managers.
status through:
Steve believes the success of VSC Growth will
• Understanding our clients
be judged by the success of its clients. His
commitment to delivering solutions which match • Personal service and
client needs and expectations is his business goal. considered advice
• Developing our network,
experience and approach
• Focusing on creating enduring value

4. better
performance

5. se r vice s
strategy organisational leadership
business performance results
In today’s dynamic business clients The responsibilities and expectations
environment having a well thought of CEO’s and Senior Executives are
out business strategy is essential. Successful organisations enjoy the constantly increasing in a business
Planning and implementing spoils of high performance because environment that is always presenting
a successful strategy for the their teams are aligned, know exactly new challenges.
future mitigates risks and opens what they have to do, and have the
opportunities for growth and necessary skills and resources to Continuously developing the health,
sustainable profits. deliver. They also have the policies, breadth and depth of leadership within
processes, systems and controls that the business is paramount to growth
At VSC Growth we help businesses regularly deliver high quality services and sustainable success.
produce strategies that increase and products to clients.
potential. We help you clarify your VSC Growth can help your key people
goals, engage your key personnel, VSC Growth’s experience in business meet the challenges of today and
assess the current state, explore operations can help you review and transition with the business into
possibilities for the future, and identify optimise your organisational capacity, the future.
boundaries. Our services can help capability, structure, and business
you develop practical implementation practices or, more simply, your We can provide support to all levels
plans that engender the commitment “readiness to achieve”. We establish in your organisation in the form of
of the organisation and lead to performance systems which align practical “sounding board” advice to
improved bottom line results. with your strategy and encourage a question and explore specific issues,
healthy performance culture within through to more structured mentoring
Should Mergers & Acquisitions your teams. programs. Our coaching programs
form part of your growth strategy, include tailored personal growth plans
VSC Growth can assist. We provide In business things don’t always go that align with business objectives.
support services in the areas of M&A to plan and an under performing
strategy, due diligence, and integration business unit or division can decimate It is no surprise that Boards and
that are focused at increasing value. company profits and shareholder Directors are also exposed to
returns. VSC Growth has significant increasing responsibility and
Questions that you might be experience in “turnaround” projects expectation. Access to VSC Growth’s
asking… and will provide fresh insights that operational experience can provide
will make a positive difference. Boards with a valuable resource to
• What will my business look
By developing client relationship contribute to governance and risk
like five years from now?
strategies we can even help you management.
• How will we grow in a turn your high maintenance/low
dynamic economy? profit clients into champions of your Questions that you might be
• What impact will market business. asking…
changes and competition
• How might I approach this
have on my business? Questions that you might be
current issue differently?
asking…
• Which are the most important
• I (or my reports) are not
actions I need to take to • We want to grow, but do I have achieving the expected
implement our strategy? what we need to deliver? results, what can we do?
• Who in our business • How can I get my leaders and • Who will replace me, or
should I engage to help teams working together better? my leaders, in the event
implement the strategy?
• How do I improve quality of a departure?
• How can I be confident that I will and client satisfaction? • How do I help our key
get positive returns from M&A?
• Can I reduce our costs without people and future leaders
impacting on quality or service? grow with the business?
• Why can’t my direct reports • Our CEO says everything is under
sort out their unit’s problems? control but how can I be sure?
• We are working hard but why • How effective are our
aren’t we making more profit? governance procedures?

6. guaranteed
results

7. m etho do lo g y
At VSC Growth we pride
ourselves on successful
strategies and proven
methodologies. We thrive
on challenge and draw
upon our skills to help
clients grow their business
in line with long term
objectives, leveraging
perform = growth
Initial Conversation
opportunities while
effectively managing risks. Each engagement starts with an initial conversation. We
want to get to know you and your business and begin
Change can be seen as to explore how we might be able to help. We find that
a challenge for many when we collaborate with clients, we can jointly develop a
leaders, the true challenge strategy to solve your problem. If VSC Growth can’t help,
however, is not simply we will try and connect you with people who can.
managing change, but
successfully motivating
and leading others. Proposal
VSC Growth offers tailored After the initial conversation, and once we have agreed
consulting solutions that to an overall approach, we will provide you with a formal
help you to think, plan, proposal. The proposal will detail the goals, service
perform and achieve type(s), delivery method, program and fees. We will
results that deliver growth. discuss the proposal with you to ensure that it meets your
plan
requirements.
Engagement
VSC Growth will usually adopt the following methodology
think
for an engagement:
Deeper Understanding - We have a natural instinct for
engaging, questioning and investigating.
Open Collaboration - We respect experience and
facilitate shared thinking and evaluation of solutions
and risks.
Practical Action Plans - We plan actions,
responsibilities, time frames and budgets to fit your
requirements and participants’ capacities.
Effective Implementation - We coach and mentor
participants, remove road blocks, and encourage
timely and effective action.
Monitoring & Review - We report on progress and
agree with you any adjustments needed to achieve
your goals.
Evaluation
Ultimately, achieving tangible results for you, on time and
within budget, is our objective. We will review the success
of the engagement with you. If something needs to be
done to complete the engagement we will work with you to
address you concerns. Our guarantee is that if we haven’t
delivered on our promises we don’t expect you to pay us.

8. sustainable
outcomes
“Steve Coote worked
for Cardno over a
period of 30 years.”
- Managing Director Cardno Limited
(ASX:CDD)
I worked with Steve from 1997 when I joined
Cardno as Managing Director, and was
involved with his progression from being
a senior engineer, through a business unit
manager, division manager, to General
Manager of Group Operations.
Steve’s approach to management was at all
times thoughtful, consultative, and strategic.
Steve was heavily involved in assisting me
to develop Cardno’s Strategic Plan for 2005
to 2010 including midterm updates and was
a key participant in our merger & acquisition
integrations.
Steve also contributed to specific areas
of the Cardno group that required change
including increasing the service focus
and financial performance of parts of the
business.
He was a highly trusted advisor to me
as Managing Director, and also showed
a great skill in pulling teams together
including teams from new merger partner’s
organisations.
Overall Steve Coote made a strong
contribution to Cardno over a long period
of time and was highly regarded in our
company.
Andrew Buckley
Managing Director
Cardno Limited (ASX:CDD)

9. testi mo nials
“Steve was able to “Steve is armed with a “Steve helped us
establish personal vision of what can be quickly negotiate a
relationships with achieved. He provides 35% price increase
the owners and a path for successful with our major
gain a thorough and sustainable client, and this has
understanding of TBE’s outcomes” immediately increased
people and processes - Brown Consulting our overall profitability
for his cultural and Steve Coote commenced working with
by a third”
technical assessment.” Brown Consulting to undertake a high - Sandra Nanka
- President Cardno USA (ASX:CDD) level project design role in configuring
a prospective Enterprise System to suit
current and/or desired business processes, My partner and I engaged the services
Steve and I enjoyed working closely
which included (among other things) a of Steve Coote from VSC Growth to help
together on strategy, M&A, and business
detailed project implementation strategy. improve our business performance. We were
operations over a seven year period with
Early in the project it became apparent that in a business that we loved, but we were
ASX Listed Cardno. In my current capacity
Steve could offer much more to the project working too hard and not getting the returns
as President of Cardno USA, I have been
and the scope was extended to consider we were looking for.
charged with the challenge of growing and
managing Cardno’s entry into the North the strategic aspects of future project
and business performance management. After our initial interview, Steve undertook
America market.
Through a series of high level meetings a complete audit of our current business
and workshops, Steve firstly gained a operations and financial performance. We
To assist me with this expansion, Steve
solid understanding of the nature of Brown were hesitant of being told what we were
provided M&A due diligence, M&A
Consulting’s current environment and plans doing wrong, we knew our business and we
integration, and business operations
for the future, then reviewed the systems also knew our profits were not great. But
assistance. As a member of Cardno’s due
and processes currently in place. From that Steve’s approach was a pleasant surprise!
diligence team for the acquisition of the
Florida headquartered, 450 person firm he determined the resources and capacity
gaps in implementing prospective changes While the audit identified things that needed
TBE, Steve was able to establish personal
in the context of the internal and external to be fixed, Steve had undertaken some
relationships with the owners and gain a
risks that may have an impact. additional market research. He showed
thorough understanding of TBE’s people
us the high value of our brand as a leader
and processes for his cultural and technical
Steve’s knowledge provided a valuable in the marketplace and he encouraged
assessment. Steve also oversaw the
insight and contribution in preparing and us to recognise the level of skills already
Cardno corporate inputs into all of our North
planning for the risks of such a major available in our organisation that we were
American M&A implementations and chaired
organisational change initiative. His underselling.
the integration committees for merger
partners EMG, WRG, and TBE. experience in mergers and acquisitions
and the challenges facing the effective Over the following months we jointly
use and integration of systems to achieve reviewed our business strategy including
While over-seeing transition and change
a competitive advantage were vital in new opportunities and agreed on an
programs, Steve demonstrated a capacity
establishing a robust business case. Steve implementation plan. Initially we had a lot
for engendering trust and respect from our
can work at all levels in the organisation to do, but during our monthly meetings
new partners. Steve in his capacity as GM
and gained the respect of both board Steve has helped us focus on actions that
Group Operations, helped with monitoring
members and line managers throughout would have the greatest impact first. In fact,
the ongoing health and performance of all
his involvement. His professional approach Steve helped us quickly negotiate a 35%
our business operations in North America
encourages open discussion, constructive price increase with our major client, and
and UAE.
debate and a high level of commitment this has immediately increased our overall
and participation. He has perhaps seen the profitability by a third.
When required to question or challenge
our approach, Steve did so with a healthy best and worse of enterprise systems in
his diverse roles and armed with a vision of We have more to do but thanks to Steve's
balance of support, diplomacy, and tenacity
what can be achieved, he provides a path positive coaching approach, and continued
- with the aim of helping us deliver positive
for successful and sustainable outcomes. support through follow up meetings, we feel
and sustainable commercial outcomes.
more confident about our ability to control
I would be pleased to recommend Steve the direction of our business going forward.
Michael Renshaw for any similar or related project where
President Cardno USA (ASX:CDD) his senior leadership capabilities together
with his extensive operational experience Sandra Nanka
and practical approach would ensure a Partner, Mudbrick Cottage Herb Farm
successful outcome
Shane Fracchia
Chief Operating Officer, Brown Consulting

11. Not sure where to start?
Call us for a confidential no obligation discussion
and see how we can help maximise your potential.
Steve Coote, Director
Phone +61 412 148 428
info@vscgrowth.com.au
maximise
your potential

12. info@vscgrowth.com.au
www.vscgrowth.com.au