Operations & Commercial Leader · Sydney

I built it.I burned out.I put it down.I'm back.

Eight years founding and running national service businesses, from 300 shift placements a day to a ten-site group worth $15M. Then I stepped away to rebuild myself properly. Now I lead differently: clear standards, strong people, sustainable pace.

See the career Talk on LinkedIn
Adrian Grundy in a navy suit on a balcony, city skyline behind him at dusk
Adrian Grundy · Sydney
$15MAnnual turnover, built from a standing start
1,200+Employees across the group at peak
300+Daily placements on a 10‑minute fill SLA
10Sites in the childcare group
6×EBITDA on three site sales
The story

Three chapters. One operator.

I2015 – 2023

Build

I started The Murdock Group in 2015 with a simple promise to the Early Years sector: the right, fully compliant person on site, fast. Within five years it was a national operation holding Preferred Supplier Agreements with G8 Education, Goodstart, Affinity, Genius, Mission Australia and OSHClub.

Alongside it I grew a ten-site childcare group in Western Australia, turned four underperforming acquisitions into full centres with waitlists inside twelve months each, and sold three sites at 6x EBITDA.

IIThe cost

Burn

I led from the front and I did not stop. Multiple entities, more than a thousand employees, an SLA measured in minutes. I gave the business everything and left nothing for myself.

In 2023 I handed over the businesses and stepped away to deal with my health. It was the hardest decision of my career, and the most important one.

Adrian in a plain tee, looking out a bright window
III2024 – today

Rebuild

I spent the time properly: executive coaching, consulting for small and mid-sized businesses, and a stint as Senior HR Business Partner at Swire Shipping across 2,600 people in 34 countries.

The lesson is simple. High performance that costs the leader their health is not high performance. I now build teams and operations that hold standards without anyone burning out to hold them up. I'm ready to do it inside the right organisation.

Adrian seated on a stool in a bright studio with plants
The reset

Letting go is a skill.

I used to think stopping meant failing. It turned out to be the work that made everything after it possible. Culture, burnout and wellness are now part of how I lead, and part of what I coach.

Culture. Burnout. Wellness.
On camera

Leadership, in my own words.

Straight talk for candidates and clients from my years running The Murdock Group, and a look inside our early education centres.

Why you should think twice before ghosting a recruiterThe Murdock Group
Resigning the right wayThe Murdock Group
Inside our centres, part oneMurdock Early Education
Inside our centres, part twoMurdock Early Education
Inside our centres, part threeMurdock Early Education
Career history

Where the work happened.

Select a role to open it.

Operational and leadership consulting for SME clients, plus executive coaching on leadership, performance and business transition. I help owners build the systems, teams and performance frameworks that let a business scale without leaning on one person.

Executive-level advisory across a globally dispersed, heavily regulated business of 2,600+ employees in 34 countries. Partnered with senior operational leaders on workforce performance, escalation management, compliance, change and operational risk.

Founded and led a group of five businesses that reached more than 1,200 employees at its peak.

Murdock RecruitmentNational staffing

  • Preferred Supplier Agreements with G8 Education, Goodstart, Affinity, Genius, Mission Australia and OSHClub.
  • 300+ daily placements across four states, with a 10-minute fill SLA.
  • A pre-deployment compliance gate: training, qualifications and documentation verified before anyone arrived on site.
  • 280+ staff across four states and $15M annual turnover, built in five years.

Murdock Early Education Schools10-site group, WA

  • Grew a ten-site childcare group from $0 to $15M+ revenue in five years with full P&L ownership.
  • Turned around four underperforming acquisitions to 90–100% occupancy with a waitlist, each within 12 months.
  • Sold three sites at 6x EBITDA.
  • Designed and delivered 12 proprietary operations and L&D programs for managers.

Murdock Management ServicesOutsourced ops

  • Ran payroll, HR administration and operations for client organisations where accuracy and on-time delivery were non-negotiable.

Curated CultureCoaching

  • Executive coaching and leadership development for business leaders and the managers who run customer-facing teams.

Toto Marketing AgencyChildcare PR

  • A specialist PR and marketing agency for the childcare sector, managing brand, content and reputation.

Ran a high-volume, end-to-end staffing desk in WA. Built pipeline, managed a large active portfolio, reported against KPIs and SLAs, and consistently exceeded targets through process discipline and strong client relationships.

EntourageEntrepreneurship Program
HSCOakHill College
The craft

What I bring to a leadership team.

Operations at volume

Service delivery where performance is measured in minutes. SLAs, KPIs, escalation paths and the reporting that shows what is really happening.

P&L and commercial

Full P&L ownership, enterprise partner agreements, and operational systems that created real enterprise value.

Leading leaders

Site and state managers who own their results and hold the standard without being supervised.

Customer operations

Customer experience built into daily operations, with escalations resolved in real time, at scale.

People & talent

Recruitment, onboarding, compliance, performance and capability building across a group that reached 1,200+ employees, with 280+ in recruitment alone, and the HR partnership layer around them.

Culture & wellbeing

Coaching and programs that build resilient teams and leaders. I have lived what happens when you skip this.

Now

Open to the right seat.

I am looking for a senior role where operations, people and results meet. I lead through clear standards and capable teams, and I care how the team feels at the end of the quarter as much as what the numbers say.

Head of OperationsGM OperationsCustomer OperationsCommercialPeople & CultureTalentCoaching & Wellbeing
Let's talk

Build something that lasts.

Reach me by phone, email or LinkedIn. I will come back to you.

Mobile0494 757 686
Emailajgrundy81@gmail.com
BasedSydney, NSW
Message me on LinkedIn