We recently had the privilege of interviewing Tony Rutherford, Co-founder and Managing Partner at CopperFox. A seasoned business leader and strategic advisor with a passion for driving growth and innovation, Tony holds a diverse experience spanning finance, procurement, and supply chain management, Tony brings a unique perspective to the table.
As the Co-Founder of CopperFox, he helps businesses navigate disruption and stay ahead of the curve through commercial intelligence and predictive insights. In this insightful session, Tony shares his expertise on technology, strategy, and leadership, offering valuable insights for entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals seeking to thrive in today’s fast-paced business landscape.
The Beginning
We started the interview by asking, “Can you walk us through your professional journey and how it led to where you are today?”
“Following a conventional career path, I achieved CFO status in my early 40s. Seeking to share my expertise with a broader audience, I pioneered New Zealand’s first outsourced CFO business, which I successfully led for seven years. However, I soon envisioned a more expansive impact. Teaming up with Rob Erskine, we co-founded CopperFox two and a half years ago. Leveraging our combined expertise, CopperFox delivers commercial intelligence to businesses, empowering better decision-making through innovative solutions.”
Overcoming Major Adversities
Challenges are a part of every business path. To learn how Tony Rutherford overcame the same, we asked, “Reflecting on your career, what have been some of the most significant challenges you’ve faced, and how did you overcome them?”
Tony Rutherford shared, “NZ’s small business-dominated economy limits traditional employment opportunities in large corporations. Embracing consulting, I’ve found success by specializing in procurement and supply chain expertise, paired with industry sector focus. This niche approach enables me to differentiate myself and remain competitive in a crowded market.”
Striking A Perfect Balance
We were curious to learn how Tony ensures to maintain balance between visions and goals of the business. So, we asked, “How do you balance long-term vision with short-term operational needs?”
“I’m highly focussed on creating enterprise value in whatever I do. So, I tend to scope out what that might resemble for my clients and get them to buy into the end game or vision. Then it’s a case of working out tactically how to deliver it both personally and from my team if I’m
leading one. Progress is seldom linear and the approach these days requires an agile mindset and approach.” Tony replied.
Plans We Asked Tony Rutherford
We further asked, “Tell us more about your services and if you are planning to add something new in the future.”
Tony Rutherford added, “Essentially, we lead commercial change for our clients. We do have a digital transformation offering, and recently created a PowerBI solution which we called ‘Simple Numbers,’ both of which are topical in the current business environment. We’ve also developed a business health check platform called ‘Pulse’ which helps identify and target areas for improvement.
But at the core of what we do it’s working with our clients and their people to bridge the gap between where they currently are and where they want to be in a manner that’s attractive, future proof, affordable and importantly fun. Of possible interest to your international readers, is that if they desire to set up operations in New Zealand we could facilitate that for them.”
Assessing The Market Trends
To learn more about the approaches adopted by Tony Rutherford to assess the market trends, we asked, “What methods do you use to analyze market trends, and how have these influenced your business decisions?”
“Amidst the global data deluge, we tap into existing insights. As an organization, we at CopperFox are fascinated by disruption’s impact on business. To stay ahead, companies must be nimble, pivoting swiftly in response to change. We build agility into our business model and client solutions, allowing organizations to scale with ease and confidence, no matter the market conditions.” He responded.
Staying Ahead Of The Curve
Fast-paced digital transformation is redefining the way businesses perform. So, we asked, “How has digital transformation affected your business model?”
Tony Rutherford replied, “We live and breathe digital; it’s in our DNA so we will automate and streamline business operations with our clients where it’s appropriate to do so. We start with understanding their business and how an embedded digital solution will deliver what is required by way of
strategic outcomes. Often starting with the customer experience and going from there, ‘Value for money’ has to be delivered along the way of course and prioritized based on where we can deliver the most impact initially.”
Impact Of Emerging Technology
We asked, “What emerging technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on your industry in the next five years?
Tony Rutherford replied, “While AI dominates current conversations, I remain optimistic about its implications. Replicating human intelligence in a commercially viable way is still a distant goal, and I don’t foresee AI rendering us redundant anytime soon. Instead, I’m excited about emerging technologies that enhance predictive capabilities, enabling businesses to proactively navigate disruption. Innovative solutions providing a ‘single source of truth’ – offering real-time, comprehensive, and affordable metrics – will revolutionize decision-making for many organizations, empowering them to stay agile and responsive in an ever-changing landscape.”
Empowering The Team
Ensuring employee satisfaction is another major factor for the success of any business. So, we asked, “What strategies do you implement to maintain high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction?”
He added, “The NZ business environment is challenging at the moment. If I’m honest I’m not sure we have been as good as we could have at keeping the team engaged and happy. We need something for us to work on.”
Crafting A Strong Legacy
We ended the interview by asking, “How do you want your business to be remembered, and what steps are you taking to secure that legacy?”
“I’d like CopperFox to be remembered as a business that is led by its values and that lives and breathes them on the job. We are very selective about the consultants we work with and the clients we take on and thereby embedding our culture with people that get us in a real and tactical way.” Tony concluded.
Follow Tony Rutherford on LinkedIn.
Find CopperFox on LinkedIn and visit their website www.copperfox.org
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