£1m to £4.5m turnover
As co-owner and Operations Director of Unico, helped grow turnover from £1m to £4.5m over 18 months, securing frameworks and developing the operation.
STARCOZ | Commercial Operating Partner
Senior commercial judgement when the demands outgrow your capacity.
I’m Brendan Mullan. I work alongside owners, directors and existing teams in construction and specialist trade businesses, providing experienced commercial and operational support on an agreed fractional basis.
20+ years in construction, commercial management, operational leadership and business ownership.
Commercial Operating Partner
Brendan Mullan
Who this helps
For construction businesses whose commercial demands have outgrown capacity.
This partnership is for owner-led main contractors and specialist trade businesses with live projects, existing teams and a need for experienced commercial support.
- 01
You are still reconciling reports and chasing commercial updates yourself.
- 02
Your commercial or project staff need experienced support and clearer direction.
- 03
Changes, commitments, applications and costs are not being reviewed consistently.
- 04
You need focused senior input alongside your existing team.
Experience and documented results
Experience built in the industry. Results achieved in practice.
Over twenty years, I’ve worked across quantity surveying, commercial management, operational leadership and construction business ownership. That experience includes building my own contracting business and helping other owners strengthen commercial performance.
Own business experience
Client results
€250k Q1 loss to €60k profit
Helped a client turn a €250,000 first-quarter loss into a €60,000 profit within 12 months through performance tracking, commercial skills development and stronger leadership.
300% revenue and profit growth
Work with another client delivered 300% revenue and profit growth within 16 months through operational restructuring and securing multiple framework contracts.
19% rate increase
Secured a 19% rate increase for a specialist subcontractor, generating €36,887 in additional revenue from one intervention.
Experience also includes introducing digital cost-management and financial systems across client businesses.
These examples relate to different businesses and engagements. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Having owned a contracting business, I understand the responsibility of making payroll, protecting margins and delivering projects while building a sustainable business. My role is to bring experienced judgement and practical support alongside the people already carrying that responsibility.
More time leading your business
When commercial demands outgrow capacity, the gap falls to you.
When commercial capacity hasn’t kept pace with the demands of the business, you become the person reconciling figures, chasing updates and making decisions without a clear picture. I bring experienced commercial judgement, stronger reporting routines and AI-supported delivery alongside your existing team, helping turn scattered information into clear priorities and practical action.
What Brendan brings
Experienced support alongside your existing team.
Experience
20+ years across quantity surveying, commercial management, operational leadership and construction business ownership.
Mentality first
Understand the behaviours, assumptions and ownership behind decisions; help people take responsibility and act with greater clarity.
Commercial judgement
Challenge the figures, recognise what matters and agree practical priorities around costs, cash flow, contracts and project performance.
AI-supported delivery
Use AI to accelerate information review, analysis and drafting, with commercial calculations checked and Brendan’s judgement guiding the work.
Mentality first. Strategy second. Systems third.
What the partnership puts in place
A clearer commercial position. Practical action.
We agree a limited set of priorities around the decisions you need to make, adapted to your existing records, people and systems.
Commercial control board
An agreed view of live-project performance, commercial exposure, information gaps and priorities.
Defined decision rhythm
Focused reviews that turn the available information into decisions and next steps.
Action register
Clear actions with named owners, deadlines and follow-through.
Reporting routines
Consistent information and practical routines that your existing team can maintain.
Agreed hands-on support can include payment claims, contract administration, commercial negotiations and the reporting needed to support management decisions. The precise work and outputs are agreed around your business’s priorities.
The aim is earlier visibility of issues, clearer team ownership and less time spent reconstructing the commercial position.
How the engagement works
Establish. Act. Embed.
An initial three-month commitment gives us a defined period to work through agreed priorities and strengthen the routines behind delivery.
Month 1 | Establish
Review the agreed commercial position, identify information gaps and agree priorities.
Month 2 | Act
Work through the agreed priorities with your team, applying commercial judgement and hands-on support.
Month 3 | Embed
Strengthen reporting routines, review progress and agree the next stage.
The sequence is adapted to your live priorities; urgent agreed work can begin while the wider position is being established.
Working arrangement
Senior input on an agreed fractional basis.
The model gives your business access to senior commercial judgement on a defined fractional basis, without immediately committing to the cost and permanence of a full-time executive appointment.
- An initial three-month commitment.
- Typically up to four focused days per month.
- Agreed scope, priorities and working rhythm.
- Primarily remote delivery, with site visits where useful.
- Fees agreed before work starts.
- Rolling monthly continuation by mutual agreement.
Scope and responsibilities
My responsibility
Provide experienced commercial assessment, practical recommendations and agreed hands-on support; work alongside your people to strengthen reporting, decisions and follow-through.
Your responsibility
Provide timely access to relevant records and people, maintain agreed internal actions and retain responsibility for day-to-day project delivery and final business decisions.
Focused fractional leadership and agreed hands-on support, including payment claims, contract administration and commercial negotiations within the agreed scope. Legal advice and legal representation are excluded.
Senior support around your existing people and systems. Day-to-day project delivery and final business decisions remain with your team.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is this partnership for?
Owner-led construction contractors and specialist trade businesses with live projects and a need for experienced commercial and operational support. The first conversation establishes whether the scope and working arrangement suit your business.
Can you work alongside our existing commercial team?
Yes. I work alongside owners, directors, commercial staff and project teams. The role combines senior judgement with agreed hands-on support and helps strengthen the capability already within your business.
What happens during the first conversation?
We discuss your current projects, commercial priorities and team setup, then establish where support could be useful. If there is a good fit, we agree the next step towards a defined scope.
Do we need to change our software?
We start with your existing records, spreadsheets and systems. Changes are recommended where they would make the work more dependable or efficient.
How are scope, capacity and fees agreed?
We agree the priorities, deliverables, working rhythm and fee before work starts. The arrangement reflects the level of support required, project volume and any travel requirements.
What happens after the initial three months?
We review progress and decide together whether continued support would be useful. Any continuation is agreed on a rolling monthly basis.
Start the conversation
Where does your business need more commercial support than your current team has capacity to provide?
Let’s discuss your current priorities and whether focused support from STARCOZ would be useful.