Untangle

Growth creates friction.
We remove it.

Untangle helps growing organisations find the clarity, control, and momentum they need to scale without breaking.

Get in touch What we do
The problem

Most growing organisations are losing money they don't know they're losing. Not because of bad decisions at the top — but because growth itself creates friction, and friction is invisible until it's already costing you.

It shows up as a payroll that grows faster than revenue. A leadership team that's busy but not productive. A technology stack that costs a fortune and delivers nothing. A founder who knows something is wrong but can't see exactly where.

Left unchecked, it doesn't kill organisations. It traps them. Teams that work hard but can't seem to get ahead. Leaders who feel overloaded but can't locate the source.

The difference between an organisation that scales and one that stalls is rarely strategy. It's almost always operational.


Most organisations aren't broken. They're constrained.

What we do

One playbook. Three tracks.

We work across three types of organisation, applying the same diagnostic methodology with language and packaging that fits each context.

Track 1
Known Entities
Schools, diocesan bodies, public sector organisations
Mission-driven organisations managing limited resources, complex governance, and community accountability. We help leaders build the clarity and operating discipline to lead effectively and steward their institutions responsibly.
Track 2
Small & Medium Businesses
Owner-operated businesses up to $5M revenue
Commercially motivated organisations that have outgrown their original systems. We find what's leaking, quantify what it costs, and build the operational foundation that lets the business scale beyond its founder.
Track 3
Startups & Growth-Stage Companies
VC-backed, PE-backed, and founder-led scaling companies
Sophisticated organisations under investor pressure to grow efficiently. We embed operational rigour, governance frameworks, and AI-enabled leverage — turning a busy company into a scaling one.
Our methodology

The Operational Health Score

Every engagement begins with a structured diagnostic across six dimensions. The result is a scored, benchmarked view of where your organisation stands — and a prioritised roadmap for what to do about it.

Financial rigour
Controls, visibility, spend governance, and unit economics. Cost leakage is often invisible until it's catastrophic.
People operations
Hiring patterns, onboarding, retention, and ramp efficiency. Labour is 60–80% of operating expense in most organisations.
Technology & tools
SaaS stack, tool sprawl, integration gaps, and AI maturity. 20–30% of software spend is typically wasted or redundant.
Organisational design
Structure, spans, role clarity, and accountability frameworks. Coordination cost grows non-linearly with every management layer.
Operating cadence
Meetings, decision-making, and reporting rhythms. Execution speed is a function of operating discipline.
Governance & controls
Policies, approvals, compliance exposure, and risk register. Risk events are low frequency but high severity.
Services

Four core offerings

Fixed scope. Clear deliverables. Defined outcomes. We don't do open-ended engagements.

Operational Diagnostic
A structured 3–4 week assessment delivering an Organisational Health Score and a prioritised 90-day intervention roadmap.
Entry point · converts to retainer
Operating Architecture Retainer
Ongoing embedded advisory covering operating model design, org structure, AI-enabled workflows, and governance.
6–12 month engagements
Scale Readiness Review
A fast 2-week diagnostic for pre-raise, pre-hire, or pre-M&A situations. Delivers a Scale Readiness Score and risk register.
High repeatability · VC channel product
AI Operational Leverage
A 6–10 week programme for companies wanting to adopt AI systemically — not just tactically in individual workflows.
Growth-stage companies · Series B+
The team

Two lenses. One firm.

Most operational advisors bring one perspective — either enterprise rigour or startup realism. We bring both.

Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly
AI & Engineering Strategy Executive · Co-founder
Currently leading AI Operations for Search Platforms at Google, where he has designed a global AI evaluation framework delivering $20M+ in annualised efficiency impact. Previously at Accenture as Trust & Safety Technology Practice Lead and at Deloitte growing their TMT Engineering Services practice. Earlier in his career, Stephen founded and exited two companies. Board Director at the Friends of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland Foundation.
Google Accenture Deloitte AI Operations Startup founder Board Director
LinkedIn →
Khurram Khan
Khurram Khan
People Operations & Founding Operator · Co-founder
As Head of Operations at Herewith for 3.5 years, Khurram led the people and operational infrastructure of a fast-growing startup through its critical scaling phase. Earlier as HR Business Partner and Chief of Staff at Artworks Foundry, and in people operations roles at the Argentine Embassy. Currently Senior People Ops Consultant at BTG. Educated at UC Berkeley. SHRM Certified Professional.
People Operations Startup scaling Org design UC Berkeley SHRM-CP Founding operator
LinkedIn →
Why together
Stephen brings enterprise operational rigour — the pattern recognition that comes from running operations at the scale of Google, Accenture, and Deloitte. Khurram brings the founder and people operator lens — the lived experience of building org structures, hiring disciplines, and operational systems inside a scaling startup. Together we can diagnose the same problem from two angles simultaneously, speak credibly to founders and investors in the same conversation, and deliver recommendations that are both operationally sound and practically executable in a resource-constrained environment.
Why together

Most operational advisors bring one lens — either enterprise rigour or startup realism. Stephen brings the pattern recognition from running operations at Google, Accenture, and Deloitte. Khurram brings the lived experience of building org structures and people systems inside a scaling startup. Together we diagnose the same problem from two angles simultaneously — and deliver recommendations that are both operationally sound and actually executable.

Ready to remove the friction?

Tell us about your organisation and what's getting in the way. We'll respond within 24 hours.

hello@untngl.ai
Stephen Donnelly · Khurram Khan