Scott Foster

Enterprise Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with more than 20 years’ leadership experience across industrial, manufacturing, and building materials platform businesses throughout Asia Pacific, holding full P&L and balance sheet accountability and working directly with private equity investors, boards, and ownership groups on operational performance, integration, and enterprise value creation. Following two decades leading APAC operations across multiple industrial portfolios, I continue to engage with investors and ownership groups on strengthening operational execution, EBITDA performance, and organisational effectiveness across multi-site and multi-country environments. Current areas of focus include: • Post-acquisition integration and operating model alignment to accelerate EBITDA performance • Commercial optimisation and market expansion across industrial and manufacturing platforms • Working capital discipline, cash flow improvement, and capital efficiency • Organisational alignment, leadership capability development, and executive succession readiness • Performance visibility through disciplined financial and operational cadence My work centres on industrial and manufacturing platform businesses where operational leadership, capital discipline, and execution clarity drive measurable EBITDA growth, stronger cash flow, and sustained enterprise value creation. I continue to engage with private equity investors, boards, and ownership groups on leadership and transformation opportunities across capital-intensive industrial sectors.

Led the strategic turnaround and sustained platform growth of the APAC region for a global listed industrial manufacturing plc, with full P&L accountability across four subsidiaries (Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Malaysia) operating within a multi-site, multi-country structure exceeding AUD110m in revenue. Operated effectively as a regional Platform CEO, allocating capital across entities, overseeing subsidiary governance, and driving performance alignment across diversified building materials manufacturing and distribution businesses. Held end-to-end responsibility for EBITDA growth, capital allocation, balance sheet discipline, working capital optimisation, and CAPEX execution across capital-intensive operations, leading 170+ employees. Delivered 47% revenue growth and 400% EBITDA growth in Australia over ten years, repositioning the business as market leader and materially strengthening earnings quality. Accelerated North and South Asia revenues by 500%+ within six years through disciplined commercial strategy, channel integration, operating model transformation, and decentralised profit-centre accountability. Led M&A evaluation and post-merger integration initiatives, strengthening subsidiary alignment and governance cadence across jurisdictions. Enhanced board reporting transparency, financial visibility, and performance oversight to support listed plc governance requirements. Negotiated national agreements with major retailers including Bunnings, Carpet Court and Woolworths. Delivered AUD2.5M+ in recurring structural savings through supply chain redesign, inventory optimisation, and freight restructuring, materially improving cash flow and return on capital employed. Directed enterprise-wide SaaS ERP, CRM and BI transformation across 12 countries, establishing real-time financial and operational reporting to support multi-country performance management, strategy execution, and scalable platform growth.

Served in a voluntary non-executive Board Director capacity for a national industry association representing the commercial flooring sector across Australia. Contribute independent judgement within a collective governance framework, with fiduciary responsibility for financial oversight, risk management, compliance, and long-term strategic stewardship. As Treasurer, held board-level accountability for budgeting, financial planning, cash flow oversight, audit coordination, regulatory compliance, and structured board reporting. Strengthened financial controls, governance discipline, and transparency to ensure responsible stewardship of member funds and organisational sustainability. Provided strategy oversight through review of executive plans, capital allocation decisions, operating performance, and risk frameworks to assess alignment with agreed objectives and fiduciary duties. Monitor indicators of strategic drift, financial variance, and execution risk, offering constructive challenge to support disciplined decision-making and accountability. Participated in board deliberations on regulatory positioning, industry standards, sustainability initiatives, and policy direction, contributing to structured governance guardrails and sector advocacy. Engaged with government stakeholders, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), and industry leaders to influence workforce policy, compliance alignment, and skills development frameworks. Led alignment of apprenticeship Learning Management System (LMS) milestones across association, RTO, and government stakeholders to strengthen transparency, capability development, and national workforce pipeline outcomes.

Recruited by the owners to lead the strategic repositioning and accelerated growth of this private, diversified industrial manufacturing business. Held full P&L, strategic, and operational accountability for this AUD 60M private manufacturer and distributor of PVC pipe, mine ventilation, industrial ducting, and fabricated steel reinforcement. Led a team of 105 across manufacturing, sales, logistics, and finance, serving the construction, mining, and petrochemical sectors. Key Achievements: · Top-Line Turnaround & Growth: Accelerated revenue by over 50% in 18 months, driving organic sales from $30M to $47M through strategic market expansion, new product development, and productivity-focused manufacturing initiatives. · P&L Transformation & Value Creation: Restructured cost base, delivering annualised savings of AUD 400K while shifting cost structures to fund growth and de-risk dependency on a narrow customer base. Implemented robust sales reporting and product profitability systems for granular financial control. · Strategic Commercial & Channel Leadership: Managed and grew key blue-chip accounts (BHP, Glencore, Byrnecut) while building and overseeing a strategic distributor network across Australia (Reece, Tradelink) and key export markets (NZ, Middle East, South Asia). · Supply Chain & Operating Model Evolution: Led a strategic pivot in the supply chain, initiating critical international supplier partnerships (Europe, Asia, US) and managing a partial transition from local manufacturing to an import/distribution model to enhance flexibility and margin. · Corporate Transformation: Spearheaded a company-wide rebranding and market repositioning campaign to elevate commercial presence and align the organisation for its next phase of growth.

Acquired, led the full strategic turnaround, and executed the successful exit of this private importer of commercial-grade laminates and premium architectural surfaces. Held complete P&L, commercial, and operational accountability, leading a team of 15 targeting the high-specification segment with architects, shopfitters, and designers. Key Achievements: · Full-Cycle Value Creation & Exit: Transformed the business from acquisition through to a successful sale to a private equity firm. Orchestrated the entire exit process, including pitching, negotiation, and transaction execution, delivering a significant return on investment. · Turnaround Growth & Market Repositioning: Executed a focused specification strategy against major competitors (Laminex, Polytec), driving organic market share growth by 50% in two years. Increased revenue from $8M to $12M and executed a complete corporate rebrand to "Surface Squared" to capture the premium commercial segment. · Operational & Financial Transformation: Acquired and seamlessly merged two independent state distributors into the national entity, consolidating market presence. Dramatically improved inventory turnover from 2.3 to 6.0 within 18 months, unlocking substantial working capital and cash flow. · Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Overhaul: Negotiated and secured key strategic supplier partnerships in Germany, the Czech Republic, and India, diversifying and elevating the product portfolio. Implemented a full cloud-based tech stack (Saasu, Zoho CRM) to modernize financial and commercial operations. · Team & Commercial Leadership: Built and directed a high-performing commercial team focused on key specification channels and major projects, aligning all activities with the strategic turnaround and exit objectives.

Senior executive within a private equity-backed engineering plastics group, responsible for multi-branch operations across Australia, New Zealand, and India. Oversaw revenue growth, operational restructuring, acquisition integration, and enterprise value enhancement initiatives. Key Contributions to Enterprise Value Revenue & Market Expansion: Scaled annual turnover from AUD38M to AUD93M over nine years, achieving dominant market share across ANZ and expanding export capability into India, South Korea, and Taiwan. Acquisition & Integration Leadership: Played a key leadership role in the acquisition and integration of Engineering Plastics NZ (EPL), Malco and Universal Plastics NZ (AUD30M total acquisition value), aligning operating models, consolidating procurement, and driving post-merger synergies. Cost Base & Margin Improvement: Reduced operating costs by AUD2.2M through structural restructuring initiatives, procurement consolidation, and operating efficiency improvements. Working Capital & Inventory Optimisation: Reduced inventory from AUD12.6M to AUD9.3M within 12 months through optimal mix strategy, improved stock turns, and enhanced order fill rate — materially improving cash flow and capital efficiency. Strategic Product & Market Diversification: Launched new high-margin product lines and secured major commercial supply agreements (Qantas, Austal Ships, Kenworth), strengthening revenue quality and sector diversification. Exit & Capital Market Readiness: Supported engagement with private equity suitors including ABN Amro, Next Capital and Blackfriars Group, working alongside PwC and Crescent Capital during capital event preparation.