Building the capability to take a business international

A founder-led infrastructure company saw opportunities outside its home market, but its people and capital were still concentrated on the core US business. International growth had to be tested without committing to a large permanent build-out before the company knew where the strongest opportunities were.

Working with the CEO, we developed a way to explore and grow international opportunities, committing further only as the case for deeper investment became clear.

The model was deliberately light. Rather than recreate the company in each country, the work relied on the expertise already inside the business and on local partners who brought market knowledge, relationships and operating capability. That allowed opportunities to be developed far enough to judge whether they warranted deeper investment.

There was no single international template.

In Brazil, the route was a joint venture and a long-term supply relationship with a major food producer.

In Chile, it was a local joint venture built around a power project moving toward financial close.

In Europe, it was a multi-party partnership connecting a local developer, an integrated producer and an available grant window.

The counterparties, institutions and economics changed from market to market, so the structure changed with them.

When the work began, the company had no presence in those markets. By the end of my tenure, joint-venture and partnership work was under way in all three, giving the company traction and evidence on which to base its next level of commitment.

The repeatable part was not the structure. It was working out how far to commit, who needed to come with us, and what vehicle could carry the opportunity.