Robert Fernandez 🌐

Founder @ Optimise

About

In 2026, I help UK SMEs and e-commerce brands build full-time embedded offshore teams in Nairobi, Kenya.The teams work UK hours and support different departments.Before Optimise, I built Rattan Direct into a £10m+ e-commerce business serving 150,000+ customers. Covid led us to test Nairobi-based support which became Optimise.Optimise acts as employer of record in Kenya, managing recruitment, employment, onboarding, payroll and local compliance to reduce risk for UK companies.𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲𝐬𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨Oct '24 → Dec '24 → May '26Customer Experience Executive → Ecommerce Executive → Senior Sales Analyst𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: support across departments, with £𝟐𝟐𝟒𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: stronger capacity, faster support and focus on quality.𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬Nov '25 → Mar '26 → Apr '26Customer Experience Executive and Ecommerce Executive → Accounts Payable Executive → Purchase Order Processor𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: support across departments, with £𝟏𝟐𝟎𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: easier workload management, steadier service levels and smoother growth.Other client journeys:𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥Mar '26 → 'May 26 → 'Jun 26Graphic Designer & Digital Content Executive → Customer Experience Executive → Ecommerce & Copywriting Executive and Buying Assistant𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: wider support, with £𝟏𝟐𝟏𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: broader capacity across customer and product work.𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬Feb '26 → Apr '26Service Coordinator → Customer Experience Executive𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: service coordination and customer experience support, with £𝟓𝟖𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: more reliable service handling and communication.𝐈𝐓 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭Mar '26Bookkeeper / Accounts Assistant𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: finance admin support, with £𝟔𝟔𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: more structure around recurring finance tasks.𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬Apr '26Operations & Inventory Administrator𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭: operations and inventory support, with £𝟑𝟎𝐤 𝐩.𝐚. saving vs UK role costs.𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: better support around stock control and daily operations.Customers start with main roles, then expand once they see the model works. Some are happy to speak about the results and outcomes delivered.See more detailed customer stories in the Featured section.For queries📞07861 406 798 ✉️robert.fernandez@optimiseoutsourcing.co.uk

Country

United Kingdom

City

Manchester

Industry

Outsourcing/Offshoring

Skill

Recruiting, Customer Service, Off-shore Teams, Business Consulting, Administrative Assistance, P&L Management, Scaling Businesses, Business Transformation, Cost Reduction Management, Offshoring, Talent Sourcing, Outsourcing, Leadership, International Business, Global Talent Acquisition, Product Development, Sourcing, Import Logistics, Operations Management, Marketing Strategy

Experience

Founder

Optimise

2020-10 - Present · 6 yrs

Manchester

Optimise helps UK SMEs and e-commerce brands build full-time embedded offshore teams in Nairobi, Kenya. • Recruit, employ, onboard and support Kenya-based staff who work UK hours and operate as part of the client’s daily team. • Act as the employer of record in Kenya, helping reduce HR, payroll, employment and compliance risk for UK companies. • Build offshore teams across customer service, live chat, admin support, operations, finance support, recruitment support, purchases, e-commerce support, order processing, supplier coordination and CRM work. • Work with UK founders and leadership teams to identify where extra support is needed, which roles can work offshore and how the team should be structured. • Support recruitment, onboarding and integration so offshore staff become part of the client’s daily operation rather than sitting outside the business. • Focus on building reliable, full-time support capacity that helps the business run better and gives UK teams the support they need as demand grows.

Founder and Managing Director

The Home of RD

2006-9 - 2025-11 · 19 yrs 3 mos

Bolton

Built and led a £10m+ UK importing and e-commerce furniture business over nearly 20 years, sourcing directly from Asia and selling direct to the end customer. • Started the business with a £15k family loan and a single 40ft container. • Grew Rattan Direct into a national e-commerce business serving 150,000+ customers. • Imported around 300 containers per year at peak. • Built the business to a team of up to 60 people. • Led the full operation across marketing, sales, finance, customer service, HR, supply chain, logistics, warehousing, delivery and returns. • Worked with suppliers across China and Southeast Asia, as well as multiple warehouses and 3PL partners. • Managed the operational pressure that came with growth, including higher customer service volume, more admin, more finance work, more supplier coordination and more payroll pressure. • Led restructuring and cost reduction after Covid when demand fell sharply. • Built first-hand experience of how growing businesses need staffing models that support growth without creating unnecessary fixed cost. Why this matters today • This experience shapes the way I work with clients at Optimise.