About me

John McConnell listening to a client in a meeting, with plants in the foreground.

Meet John McConnell

As your Growth Partner, I work with founders and CEOs scaling sustainable, purposeful businesses. My experience spans over 30 years in finance, construction, property development, governance, and deep family business expertise, uniquely positioning me to help your business navigate growth and transition with strategic clarity.

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My Background

I've spent three decades helping New Zealand businesses scale sustainably. My most notable achievement was serving on the board of Hawkins Construction, where we transformed a tier-4 regional builder into a market-leading national construction company. Over 17 years, we achieved 7× revenue growth and 15× increase in enterprise value while maintaining family ownership.

This hands-on experience in scaling a business from regional player to market leader gives me unique insights into the real challenges and opportunities that come with sustainable growth.

My approach to supporting your business

My approach is personalised, practical, and results-focused.

Using the Scaling Up™ framework as a flexible guide, I work closely with leadership teams to embed strategic clarity, clear alignment, effective operating rhythms, and strong financial management.
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I don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Every business is unique, which is why I tailor the proven Scaling Up™ methodology specifically to your industry, culture, and objectives.

John McConnell sitting at a desk in an office building.
John McConnell presenting to people with a screen behind him.

Family Business & Succession Expertise

I specialize in helping family businesses balance legacy and growth, manage leadership succession, and establish robust governance systems for enduring success. Having worked extensively with family-owned enterprises, I understand the unique dynamics, opportunities, and challenges they face.

My Methodology: The Four Cs

Clarity

Define a crystal-clear strategy, actionable goals, and strategic alignment that everyone understands.

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Confidence

Build leadership strength, team cohesion, and ensure effective strategy execution.

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Control

Embed clear priorities, robust operating rhythms, accountability, and key metrics to stay on track.

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Cashflow

Optimise financial management to reliably fund your strategic growth initiatives.

Ready to scale up your business?

Get in touch

Success stories

Hawkins Construction

From local projects to national presence: a growth story built on strategy, execution, and confidence.

View case study
Construction on a commerial building

Guardians of Gold

See how a fast-scaling bullion retailer improved margins, accelerated deliveries, and built the structure to grow with confidence.

View case study
The gold exterior of a skyscraper building.

Cannabis Clinic

See how Cannabis Clinic cut wait times by 40%, reduced no-shows, and unlocked faster cashflow with a smarter approach to scaling.

View case study
Cannabis growing facility

What my clients say

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Name Surname
Position, Company name

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Name Surname
Position, Company name

My business and I have benefitted hugely from John’s expertise and structured approach to growth. While running a growing company puts pressure on multiple aspects of the business at once, John’s approach has helped to define the priorities, and clarify the message and direction for our staff.

Jamie McGregor
Director, Lunds Joinery

John's approach is exactly what we were looking for at Civil+Build. He brought together and aligned the leadership team behind a clear strategy and provided us with the tools to execute it with focus. I would strongly recommend the John to all growth-minded businesses; his guidance has been a game-changer!

Liam O’Keeffe
Founder & CEO

After a year of working with John, my team is more aligned than any I’ve led before. We have a clear strategy, with the processes and execution to support it. He brings board chair skills to our growing company as we rapidly scale up to reach maturity. We couldn't have done this without the mentorship of John and the Scaling Up methodology.

Andrew Hollis
Founder of Guardians of Gold

Ready to take your business to the next level?

Let’s get started and explore how my coaching can drive your success.

Get in touch