COMMERCIAL operator
Board-level adviser. Straight talker.
30 years of building, scaling, and turning around businesses — from Nestlé to running five markets across Southeast Asia for Henkel.
Terry Irwin has spent his career at the sharp end of international business — building, scaling, and transforming operations across multiple markets for some of the world’s most demanding organisations, including Nestlé and Henkel.
As Regional MD for Southeast Asia, he doubled revenue across five markets in four years, navigating the complexity of emerging economies where strategy and execution have to work in tandem. This wasn’t about frameworks or presentations — it was about delivering sustainable, profitable growth in markets where commercial clarity matters more than polish.
Career timline
Nestlé — where it started
Early career in one of the world’s most disciplined commercial organisations. Grounding in brand management, international markets, and the rigour of FMCG.
Henkel — Regional MD, Southeast Asia
Regional Managing Director for Henkel’s Consumer Adhesives division across five Southeast Asian markets. Doubled revenue. Built the team, the route to market, and the commercial infrastructure from the ground up.
Henkel — Country Manager, Russia
Country Manager for Henkel’s Consumer Adhesive business in Russia during the currency crisis. Led the team to achieve fiscal objectives while maintaining the workforce almost intact. The business came through with a stronger market position and a committed team.
Post-acquisition integration — co-founder
Co-founded a post-acquisition integration consultancy. Built it, grew it, sold it. The experience of founding, operating, and exiting a business informs every board conversation I have today.
Portfolio NED & Board Advisor — today
Portfolio Non-Executive Director and Board Advisor working with PE-backed and growth-focused boards. The sum of everything above, applied at board level.
What I bring to the board
Commercial operator background, not adviser background. The calls being discussed at the board table are the same shape as the calls I have made.
International perspective. Five markets in Southeast Asia, Russia during the currency crisis, Pan-European and global roles at Nestlé and Henkel.
AI-literate at board level. Practical AI literacy applied as a commercial lever, not a technology project.
Straight-talking. If the numbers don’t hold up, I will say so. If the strategy assumes something that won’t survive contact with the market, I will say so.
CASE STUDY
PE-backed services business reset
A PE-backed professional services business stalled 18 months into a 4-year value creation plan. Board-level commercial challenge diagnosed strategy mismatch, reset execution, and launched exit 18 months early.
Read more: PE-backed services business resetCASE STUDY
Founder-led scale-up under investor scrutiny
A £15m ARR Series B-funded business needed to evolve from “founder + friends” to professional governance. Independent NED challenge improved unit economics, supported founder transition, and unlocked Series C at a higher valuation.
Read more: Founder-led scale-up under investor scrutinyCASE STUDY
Professional services bolt-on acquisition
A leadership team was considering a bolt-on acquisition in professional services to accelerate growth, broaden sector reach, and create cross-sell opportunities. On paper, the fit appeared strong, but there was uncertainty around partner alignment, client retention, and whether the revenue synergies being assumed were realistic.
Read more: Professional services bolt-on acquisition