Performance turnaround specialists

We turnaround underperforming businesses. We partner with management and shareholders to achieve significantly higher EBITDA and valuation. We invest our own capital so that our interests are aligned with yours.

Our partnership approach

Our business: Treehouse is a team of Operating Partners who partner with businesses and shareholders to generate significantly higher EBITDA and valuation by improving operational performance.

Businesses we work with: Private equity portfolio companies, privately owned businesses, small public companies.

Our investment partners: We partner with the shareholders of the businesses we work with to achieve higher returns on their invested capital. We also partner with private equity firms, family offices, active fund managers, and superannuation funds to invest in businesses with potential for significant value increase.

Operating partner network: In addition to our team of four founding Operating Partners, we have a network of 10-15 operating partners we utilise as functional specialists where required, in Finance, HR, IT, energy transition and marketing.

Aligned incentives: We co-invest with management and our investment partners. We can co-invest with our own capital, or by capitalising our fees. We typically only work with businesses where management has an investment in the business.

Operational turnaround approach: Our approach to turnaround is operational and hands on. We do not do consulting and slides packs. We change the way the business operates every day. We are there to help your management team increase EBITDA and valuation significantly, and that is what we measure our success on. A successful turnaround usually needs a small Operating Partner team of 2-4 to support the executive leadership team to develop and execute the turnaround plan.

We target significantly higher EBITDA: We work with businesses where we believe EBITDA can be improved >30% over 2 to 4 years with good leadership, in existing markets, with identifiable initiatives, using disciplined turnaround methodology, supported by our Investing Operating Partners. We typically do not work with businesses where recovery requires blue sky growth, new market entry, delivery of major technology or capex, unproven IP, big changes in market dynamics or regulatory environment, or commodity price recovery.

Outsized returns: We work with businesses where current business or asset valuation is typically <3x EBITDA and <25% of 3-year historic high. We target >3x money-on-money returns for shareholders, management team and our Investing Operating Partners.

Meet the Operating Partners

Gus Wells

Managing Operating Partner

Gus partners with investors and management to turnaround underperforming businesses. Over 25 years experience improving performance in industrial and resource businesses in Australia, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the UK.
+61 422 801 411
gus.wells@treehouseoperating.partners
Luke O'Regan

Senior Operating Partner
Luke has over 20 years of experience in operational improvement and senior line management including Operations Manager for a high-hazard industrial complex and Ore Supply Director for nickel laterite business. Luke has worked with businesses in Australia, New Caledonia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, West Africa, Middle East and South Africa.
+61 467 561 046
luke.oregan@treehouseoperating.partners
Sarah Pohlen

Senior Operating Partner
Sarah has over 20 years’ experience in strategy, business improvement and program delivery. She has expertise in delivering large scale technology programs. Sarah previously worked with McKinsey in New York and Partners in Performance in Sydney, and has worked with businesses in Australia, NZ and the US. Sarah is a scientist by training, with a PhD in Physics from Harvard University.
+61 419 340 568
sarah.pohlen@treehouseoperating.partners
Vitaly Dolgov

Operating Partner

Vitaly has over 15 years experience improving profitability in challenging operating environments in construction, mining, transportation, IT, oil & gas, metal processing, and heavy manufacturing businesses. He’s worked with businesses in Australia, Russia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Kazakhstan, the Ukraine, and Sweden.
+61 467 537 177
vitaly.dolgov@treehouseoperating.partners
James Brummer-Taylor

Operating Partner

James has over 15 years experience working with leadership teams improving business performance in manufacturing, agriculture, energy and infrastructure businesses, and in private equity portfolio companies.
+61 430 099 983
james.brummertaylor@treehouseoperating.partners