While leading a team of project managers at Lightspeed Research, I was given a major opportunity when our company was invited to pitch for a high-value contract worth over £3 million annually. Given my background in project and operations management—and my strong relationship with the client—I was asked to join the pitch team alongside the global CEO.

My role was to design and present an operational model that would guarantee high-quality, on-time delivery while staying within budget. A key challenge was that the client expected us to scale up delivery capacity to handle six times our current project volume—within just three months. The model had to be efficient, scalable, and instil confidence in our ability to deliver.

I began by working closely with the pitch team to thoroughly review the client brief. We developed a set of follow-up questions to clarify expectations and ensure we fully understood their needs—not just in terms of volume, but also quality, communication, and flexibility. I then led a call with the client to gather those insights, which proved invaluable in shaping our approach. Listening carefully and asking the right questions helped us uncover some unspoken concerns and tailor our proposal accordingly.

Using that input, I built a draft operational model that leveraged our existing team’s strengths while identifying the need for additional offshore contractor support. I negotiated directly with the leadership of our existing contracting partner to secure the right resources at a cost that aligned with our budget goals.

To further strengthen the model, I introduced a second contracting partner—new to the client but offering better rates and broader time zone coverage. This gave us the flexibility to scale quickly and reduced delivery risk. I also mapped out a phased onboarding plan to ensure quality and consistency as we ramped up.
Once the model was finalised and approved internally, I presented it during the client pitch. I focused on demonstrating how we would maintain quality, manage costs, and scale delivery without compromising service.

The pitch was a success—we won the contract in a highly competitive field. The client was particularly impressed by the clarity of the model, the level of planning, and our ability to listen, adapt, and present a credible plan for scaling up delivery.

This experience reinforced the importance of truly listening to the client—not just responding to the brief, but digging deeper to understand their concerns and priorities. It also taught me that taking ownership means being willing to step into ambiguity, build something from scratch, and bring others along with you. Scaling a team 6x in three months is no small feat, but with the right planning, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement, it’s achievable. Most importantly, I learned that innovation isn’t always about technology—it’s often about how you structure, communicate, and deliver value under pressure.