Department for Difficult ProjectsSPECIAL PROJECTS & FRACTIONAL SERVICES
CHRISTCHURCH · NZ

Department 01 / Operational friction

Difficult
projects.
Made workable.

I work where strategy, people and execution collide — bringing clarity to complexity and getting important things moving.

Liz Foxwell-Canning

Fractional CEO / GM | Fractional COO | Strategic Projects | Capital-Ready Operator-in-Residence

DEPARTMENT 02 / WHERE I HELP

SENIOR THINKING.
SLEEVES ROLLED-UP.

01

WHEN THINGS ARE STUCK

Strategic projects, transformation and things that need senior ownership.

02

WHEN GROWTH GETS COMPLICATED

People, processes, systems and decisions that haven't caught up with the business.

03

WHEN THE STRATEGY NEEDS DOING

Turning strategic intent into an executable plan - and making sure someone actually drives it.

04

WHEN THE LEADERSHIP GAP MATTERS

Fractional CEO/GM or COO support when you need experienced leadership without another permanent executive.

05

WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH

Expansion, organisational change, transactions and other situations where getting it wrong is expensive.

06

Capital-ready operator

A trusted operator-in-residence to steer the ship while you schmooze investors.

Department 03 / How I work

Make stuff work.

I am an expert in taking gnarly problems, often in complex or scaling organisations, and finding a way to “make stuff work” so goals are achieved and strategic objectives are met.

I'm the person you call when something important is stuck, complicated, politically awkward, under-resourced or just refusing to work. Call me if you're thinking: “someone needs to figure this out” or “someone needs to actually make it happen”.

Sectors & organisation types

Different sectors. 
Same problem: things get complicated.

  • Professional services
  • Creative industries
  • Tech
  • Education
  • Non-profit
  • SMEs
  • Global corporates

Department 04 / Selected work

Evidence,
not a logo wall.

Make sense of something complicated. Work out what actually matters. Get people aligned. Create a plan → make the thing happen.

Department 05 / What people say

T1
“Liz is profoundly empathetic, ferociously intelligent, with incredible cognitive dexterity.”
Carl DavidsonFounder & Director, The Curiosity Company
T2
“Liz has been instrumental in our average 34% per year business growth. I have found her easy to work with, determined and results focused, and would wholeheartedly substantiate that a large part of our success is a result of Liz's work.”
Byron Dixon OBEFounder & CEO, MicroFresh
T3
“Liz brings a great depth of business acumen and commercial insight to the table. She is proactive, does not let the dust settle, and gets to work identifying issues and solutions quickly with the utmost efficiency.”
Mark HintonCEO, Engenium

Department 06 / Insights

CEO / GM · Definition

What is a fractional CEO / GM?

A senior executive who leads your business part-time — for organisations that need direction without a full-time chief executive.

COO · Definition

What is a fractional COO?

A senior operations leader who works with your business part-time — and leaves it more capable than they found it.

Special projects · Definition

What is a special project?

A discrete, high-stakes piece of work that sits outside business-as-usual — and how to lead it.

Department 07 / Confidential conversation

There’s always time for a good coffee.

If you would like a confidential conversation to find out if I can bring value to you and your organisation, get in touch.

+64 27 886 0016 liz@difficultprojects.com LinkedIn