Fractional CIO | IT Strategy for High-Stakes M&A | Faster M&A, Smoother Exits | De-risking IT & unlocking value | Author

Most technology integrations miss their synergy targets. Not because the technology is wrong, but because the right leadership wasn't in place early enough.

That's where I come in.

I'm an Interim / Fractional CIO specialising in Transformation & Resilience. I work with CEOs and boards of multi-site, acquisition-led businesses, typically PE-backed, 500–10,000 employees, to turn technology from a source of risk into a source of value.

When integration timelines slip, cyber posture is unclear, or the estate has grown faster than the team can manage, I step in to stabilise delivery, simplify complexity, and build a roadmap the board can trust.
Recent engagement:

VetPartners (BC Partners-backed, £1B revenue, 14,000 staff, 9 countries). Built the Group IT Strategy from scratch. Created acquisition integration blueprints. Accelerated new practice onboarding by 30%. Simultaneously ran IT operations for 540 UK practices.

Career outcomes:

£700M+ M&A technology integration across the platform and bolt-on acquisitions
£15M+ annual EBITDA contribution through operational excellence and cost optimisation
Technology leadership across automotive retail, consumer goods, and veterinary services

Clients call me when:

→ Integration is off-track, and synergies are at risk
→ The board wants cyber confidence before exit, audit, or due diligence
→ Technology is a red flag in the data room
→ They need senior leadership fast—without permanent headcount

I also serve as NED (Digital & Technology) at Age UK, and I've published on AI governance, IT leadership, and board-level technology strategy.

Available for select interim and fractional mandates.

Let's talk: DJ@Starkhorn.co.uk

Daniel J. Jacobs

Managing Director @ MU Group | MBA, China Supply Chain Management, committed to exporting Consumer Goods mainly to Retailers in the EU 🇪🇺, USA 🇺🇸, and Mexico 🇲🇽, etc...

With 20+ years of international trade experience, I specialize in helping companies scale their product offerings, optimize sourcing strategies, and accelerate revenue through China’s vast manufacturing landscape. 

From Europe 🇪🇺 to the U.S. 🇺🇸, and to LATAM (Brazil 🇧🇷, Mexico 🇲🇽, Peru 🇵🇪…), I’ve worked alongside distributors, retailers, and brand owners to turn supply chain complexity into competitive advantage by delivering the right products, at the right cost, with speed and reliability.

What You Can Expect

👉 20+ years of hands-on sourcing success in Chinese supply chain

👉 On-the-ground teams in Shanghai & Shantou (Chenghai) for daily supplier oversight

👉 Fluent cross-cultural communication and negotiation on your behalf

👉 Seamless handling of compliance, shipping, and global fulfillment

Based in ShangHai & ShanTou, I lead two results-driven sourcing teams focused on 5 major high-growth categories:

1️⃣ Toys & Games
2️⃣ Home & Garden
3️⃣ Sports & Outdoor
4️⃣ Pet Products
5️⃣ Luggage & Bags

We act as an extension of your team by providing supplier access, quality assurance, and category insights that fuel business expansion. 

Whether you're entering new markets, launching private label lines, or streamlining procurement, we help you move faster and smarter.

Armed with an MBA from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, I lead with both market intelligence and cultural fluency—because great sourcing isn’t just about price; it’s about building partnerships that last.

If you’re serious about scaling your product business with the right sourcing strategy, let’s talk. 🙋🏻‍♂️🙏🥂

Davy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅

Can you "SWALLOW" a train? 😋 🚇 

What? 🤔 

You heard me right.  

Before something becomes successful…
 
It first looks impossible. 🚀✨

I’ve seen this too many times to ignore it.

Creativity isn’t a luxury in business.

It’s survival. 🎯

In sourcing, most people walk into a factory and see machines. 🏭

I try to see what isn’t there yet. 👀

A better version.
A stronger finish.
A product that feels… different.

Some suppliers would shake their heads.

“Too complicated.”
“Too risky.” ❌

But that’s always where the opportunity hides.

Between what exists…

And what could exist. 🌉

If you only build what already exists…

You compete on price. 💰

If you build what others can’t yet see…

You compete on vision. 🚀

So the next time something feels impossible…

Pause.

Look again. 👀

Because before every breakthrough…

Before every brand…
Before every success story…

Someone had to imagine it first. 🌅

And sometimes…

The only difference between “impossible” and “beautiful”…

Is the courage to create it. 🎨✨

Video Credit: TikTok
Content Copyright: Davy Shi

#Creativity #Innovation #Vision #Opportunity #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Growth #Strategy #Breakthrough #Courage

Davy Shi 💡🚀🌎 

Cofounder | CEO | MBA, China Supply Chain Management, dedicated to delivering consumer goods globally, with a strong focus on overseas markets including EU 🇪🇺, USA 🇺🇸, and LATAM.

Solving The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma 🚀
— The Business of Balancing Recruitment and Growth 

At some point, growth stops feeling exciting…and starts feeling risky.

Do you keep doing everything yourself and protect cash?

Or hire ahead of demand and protect momentum?

This isn’t a staffing decision.

It’s a timing decision. ⏳

The Real Risk ⚖️

Hire too late:

 • You burn out
 • Quality drops
 • Trust erodes quietly

Hire too early:

 • Payroll pressure rises
 • Margins tighten
 • Anxiety replaces ambition

The dilemma isn’t operational.

It’s psychological. 🧠

Many founders:

 • Hire to relieve stress
 • Avoid hiring out of pride
 • Confuse busyness with scalability

But intensity is not infrastructure.

When Is It Actually Time to Hire? 📊

Ask yourself:

 ✅ Is demand repeatable (not just spiky)?
 ✅ Does this role protect or generate revenue?
 ✅ Do I have 6–12 months runway?
 ✅ Are processes documented and measurable?
 ✅ Is hiring truly the best solution?

If most answers are unclear — wait.

If they’re data-backed — move.

Sequence Determines Survival 🧭

Entrepreneurship isn’t about avoiding risk.

It’s about choosing the right risk at the right time.

Numbers bring discipline.

Experience brings discernment.

The founders who endure don’t grow the fastest.

They grow deliberately.

#Entrepreneurship #FounderLife #StartupGrowth #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #HiringStrategy #ScaleSmart #RiskManagement #Recruitment #FounderMindset

View newsletter: Beyond Titles: Real Leadership

Solving The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma At some point in the life of every entrepreneur, there comes a moment when growth no longer feels exciting and inst

Open article: The Entrepreneur's Dilemma: The Business of Balancing Recruitment and Growth  by Davy Shi 💡🚀🌎 • 5 min read

The Entrepreneur's Dilemma: The Business of Balancing Recruitment and Growth

A gentle reminder for anyone doomscrolling… 🌿

Be happy for other people. 👏

Celebrate their wins. 🎉

Clap loudly when doors open for someone else. 🚪✨

It feels like the world is more closed off and competitive as ever…

But it’s not really. 

Because it’s full of kind people… 
(Even with so-called competitors.)

In international trade, you see competitors grow fast. 🚀

You see others land accounts you wanted. 🤝

You see headlines that make you question your own pace. ⏳

But here’s what experience has taught me…

Someone else’s breakthrough doesn’t delay yours. 🌅

When you genuinely celebrate others, something shifts inside you. 💫

You move from scarcity to abundance. 🌊

From pressure to peace. 🕊️

Gratitude multiplies what comparison tries to shrink. ✨

There’s room for ALL of us. 🌍

More than enough opportunity.

More than enough success.

So, if someone around you is winning today…

Send the message. 📩
Give them a call. ☎️
Leave them a comment. 💬

Be the person who applauds loudly. 👏👏

Because kindness builds a reputation no title ever could. 🧭

And character compounds longer than any short-term victory. 🏗️

And Keep showing up… especially on the quiet days. 🌤️

What’s meant for you will find you.

And when it does…

You’ll want people clapping for you too. 🙌✨

#Gratitude #Kindness #Abundance #Leadership #Success #Character #Growth #Generosity #Mindset #Opportunity

Want to know why most entrepreneurs stay stuck?

They think in months… not decades. 🧱⏳

And no one tells them the cost of that mistake.

Most people build a business for the next quarter.

The best build for the next generation. 🌱
(Think Amazon, Microsoft, Disney.)

Early in my career, I chased short-term wins. 🚀

Every deal felt like a victory. 📈

Every spike in revenue felt like progress.

But I was building speed… not strength. 🧊

And speed without strength eventually cracks.

After 20+ years in international trade, I’ve seen the pattern clearly. 🌍

When you think in months, you squeeze. 📉
When you think in decades, you invest. 🏗️

I’ve seen companies save 2%…

And lose 200% in trust. 💸

I’ve seen buyers jump factories for pennies…

Then spend years fixing quality disasters. ⚠️

Short-term thinking asks:

“How much can I extract?”

Long-term thinking asks:

“How much can we build?”

When I walk factory floors in Shanghai or Shantou 👣

I’m not impressed by today’s output. 🏭

Instead, I ask:

Will they still stand in five years?
Will we still trust each other in ten? 🔍

Because thinking in decades changes you. 🧭

So let me ask you…

Are you building something impressive for now…

Or something unshakable for later? 💪

That’s the difference.

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Strategy #Growth #Business #Trust #Sustainability #Innovation #Vision

The real test never happens during the first month. 🙋🏻‍♂️ 

It happens when something goes wrong. 💥

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Shantou lately. 🇨🇳

We’re strengthening our Toys team… 

And I’m looking for right people to hire. 🧸

After interviewing and hiring probably hundreds of people in my career, you’d think this part becomes routine.

It doesn’t. 🤔

Because, as you know…

Hiring is one of the most (if not THE most) important decisions a leader can make.

And I’ve learned…

Hiring isn’t about how someone performs when things are good.

It’s about how they react when a shipment is delayed. 🚢

When a sample fails testing. 🧪

When a client pushes back hard on quality. 🌍

So when I sit across from a candidate, I’m not just thinking:
“Can you do the job?”

I’m thinking:

Do you stay calm under pressure? 🌊
Do you take ownership when things break? 🔧
Or do you wait for someone else to step in? ⏳

In toys, small issues become global problems very quickly. 📦🌎

Building a team is long-term thinking. 🌱

You don’t hire for today’s orders.

You hire for tomorrow’s storms. 🌧️

And the right three hires can shape the next three years.

So let me ask you…

Are you hiring for performance in the interview…

Or performance in the crisis? 🤔

#Leadership #Hiring #TalentStrategy #TeamBuilding #CrisisManagement #Operations #SupplyChain #Ownership #BusinessGrowth #Manufacturing

taplio

The Battle

Daniel J. Jacobs

Davy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreDavy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅'s LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Daniel J. Jacobs

Davy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Davy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅'s LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreDavy Shi, 💡🌎 ✅'s LinkedIn Performance