Executive, Interim & Fractional Leadership
Senior operating and commercial leadership for permanent appointments, interim assignments and fractional executive mandates — including Fractional COO work where the need is operational.
Senior Executive | Interim & Fractional Leadership | Strategic Adviser
International Growth.Operational Leadership.Disciplined Execution.
I help South African industrial, engineering, manufacturing and regulated businesses pursue international markets, customers and partners — and help international organisations build credible routes into South Africa and Southern Africa. The work connects commercial opportunity with the quality, certification, capacity, programme discipline and delivery capability required to pursue and execute it.
Available from 1 November 2026UK-based until permanently relocating to South Africa in January 2027Dual British–South African citizen
From the cockpit
to the boardroom.A career built on execution
to the boardroom.A career built on execution
Over two decadesSouth African Air Force: operational flying, instruction, command and defence acquisition
A109 LUHFormal accountability for delivery of the required operational capability and final SAAF sign-off authority for contractual milestone-payment approval; led acceptance of the first three aircraft.
FAA Part 142Led the work to secure FAA Part 142 approval for AgustaWestland’s Sesto Calende Training Academy.
£100m+ pipelineQualified Babcock defence-aviation opportunity pipeline — not booked revenue
What I do
Senior leadership for growth, transition and demanding execution.
Permanent, interim, fractional and advisory mandates — matched to the commercial and operational outcome required.
Cross-Border Growth & Market Entry
Helping South African businesses pursue international customers, primes and partners — and helping international organisations assess and develop opportunities in South Africa and Southern Africa.
Operational Performance & Transformation
Strengthening the quality, certification, capacity, programme control, commercial discipline and leadership routines needed to meet demanding customer and delivery requirements.
Strategic & Commercial Advisory
Commercially grounded support for owners, boards and senior teams navigating international growth, market entry, transition, complex programmes or a difficult execution challenge.
Why Duncan
Credibility earned in demanding environments.
Over two decades in South African military aviation, command and defence acquisition, followed by programme, training-business, commercial and business-development roles with AgustaWestland, the UK Ministry of Defence, QinetiQ and Babcock International — plus first-hand business ownership and work with owners and senior teams.
International opportunity depends on operational credibility.
International customers, primes, partners and regulated organisations buy on more than relationships. They assess quality, certification, programme control, capacity, commercial discipline and delivery confidence. Duncan’s experience spans both the opportunity and execution sides of that equation. Aviation and defence are strong evidence of that experience — not the boundary of the proposition.
A109 acquisition accountability
22 years from operational helicopter pilot and instructor to Chief Flying Instructor, second-in-command and A109 acquisition Project Officer. Represented the SAAF customer and user through development, qualification and acceptance, with formal accountability for delivery of the required operational capability and final SAAF sign-off authority for contractual milestone-payment approval. Led a multidisciplinary team in Italy through acceptance of the first three aircraft.
Certification and regional training business
Led the work to secure FAA Part 142 approval for AgustaWestland’s Sesto Calende Training Academy, then held regional responsibility for the training business across the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa — from customer engagement and solution development through contract placement and implementation.
Chinook programme delivery
Supported the UK MOD Chinook Project Team, then led end-to-end delivery of QinetiQ’s Chinook Independent Technical Evaluation Project, including schedule, financial performance, risk, stakeholders and technical outputs.
Director, Joint Helicopter Command
Appointed to establish a new revenue stream and support business for the UK military helicopter fleet. Created the military-helicopter business-development capability, built a qualified opportunity pipeline above £100m, developed senior relationships across defence and operational stakeholders, and progressed the BATUK opportunity through the RFI stage.
Business ownership and commercial risk
Founded and led Global Helicopter Solutions, an independent aviation consultancy, gaining direct experience of business ownership, pipeline development and commercial risk. Since 2020, has worked with owners, managing directors and senior leadership teams on performance, growth, accountability and organisational execution.
Leadership approach
Clarity, accountability and disciplined execution.
The work is grounded in the commercial result, clear ownership and visible delivery.
Define the commercial result, the real constraints and the few priorities that matter.
Set clear ownership, measures and decision rights around the work.
Build a visible delivery rhythm and intervene early when performance drifts.
Sector focus
Complex businesses where execution counts.
The common thread is not one industry. It is operational complexity, demanding customers, commercial ambition and the need to turn cross-border opportunity into credible delivery.
IndustrialEngineeringManufacturingAviationDefenceRegulated businessesSafety-critical environmentsCross-border growthMarket entry
Let’s talk
Where does opportunity need to become execution?
If the requirement is permanent, interim or fractional executive leadership, cross-border growth, transformation, commercial development or a difficult operational mandate, I’d be pleased to have a direct conversation.
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