About SIO
Experience that connects the boardroom with the factory floor
Founder-led and hands-on
Senior experience without the large-consultancy overhead
SIO was founded by Matthew Rust to give manufacturers access to practical commercial and operational leadership that stays close to the work.
Matthew brings more than 20 years of experience across manufacturing, engineering and commercial leadership in the UK and Middle East, including over 15 years leading an international industrial automation business.
His experience spans full P&L responsibility, sales growth, operational improvement, supply-chain change, automation, service development and team leadership. During that time, he helped quadruple UK sales, modernised international supply chains and consistently delivered EBITDA margins above 30% without borrowing.
“Time on the shop floor is as relevant as time in the boardroom if you genuinely want to understand the problem and improve the result.”
What clients can expect
Clear thinking, honest challenge and practical delivery
- A senior, hands-on partner from the first conversation to implementation.
- Commercial thinking grounded in operational reality.
- Honest challenge, clear priorities and practical recommendations.
- Direct engagement with leadership teams and the people doing the work.
- A focus on capability transfer so improvement continues after the engagement.
The SIO network
Specialist knowledge matched to the challenge
SIO brings together a trusted network of consultants and technical specialists across sales, finance, electromechanical systems, electrical and mechanical engineering, industrial automation, manufacturing, process improvement and organisational change.
This gives customers one accountable point of contact supported by the right combination of commercial, operational and technical expertise.