The Situation

Warning Signs

A Belgian manufacturing company — 120 employees, €40M in revenue — found itself stuck.

Revenue growth had plateaued
Profitability was slipping
And tensions between the Board and the CEO were growing

They had solid products, a capable team… but no clear path forward. 

Sounds familiar?

Red ocean related problems
The Turning Point

One Bold Step, Three Phases of Impact

They brought the Board, CEO, and Senior Leadership Team together for a 1-day strategic workshop.

🎯 The goal? Realign leadership, refocus the product portfolio, and reignite growth.

But that was just the beginning. This workshop kicked off a structured journey — from strategy alignment, to AI-enhanced innovation sprints, to building lasting sales and innovation capabilities.

The 3-Phase Growth Intervention

Phase 1: Strategic Alignment Workshop

Portfolio analysis: what to divest vs renovate
Renovated the value proposition of a key product using Design Thinking
Mapped Horizon 2 and 3 growth opportunities
Identified internal capability gaps blocking execution

Outcome: Full alignment between Board and Executive Team. Clear growth direction. Renewed momentum.

Strategy Workshop
Innovation Sprint
The 3-Phase Growth Intervention

Phase 2: AI-Accelerated Design Sprint

AI-enhanced customer and market insights
Rapid prototyping of product, CX, and business model
Lean Startup-style experiments to reduce go-to-market risk

Outcome: Validated prototype. Improved customer journey. Re-energized, skilled team.

The 3-Phase Growth Intervention

Phase 3: Sales & Innovation Enablement

Upskilled sales & business development with GenAI tools
Introduced value-based selling and feedback loops into product
Coached internal teams to drive ongoing innovation

Outcome: Sales confidence increased. Execution accelerated. Internal innovation capability sustained.

Sales and Innovation Enablement
The Result

From Stuck to Scaling Again

+14% revenue growth in 12 months
Full leadership alignment
A more motivated, innovation-capable organization
A sharper product–market fit with clearer value delivery

Could This Work for You?

If you’re a CEO or Board member of an SME and this story feels familiar — let’s talk.

Whether you’re exploring your next strategy off-site or looking to break through a growth ceiling, I’d be happy to share what we’ve seen work.

Deloitte Deloitte
DGA DGA
Heineken Heineken
Eurocontrol Eurocontrol
Novartis Novartis
ORANGE ORANGE
Client Testimonials

How Clients Recommend Us

"The experience with Six Paths, led by Ioan Carpus, has been a real catalyst for us to envisage a way forward for MCG Industries Rigids Division. I would strongly recommend this to any manufacturers or businesses stuck in a similar position, looking for ways to innovate and enter new marketplaces.?
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Selwyn Grimsley

CEO, MCG Industries / South Africa
"The Blue Ocean Strategy workshop by Six Paths Consulting was a real eye-opener for our sales team. It helped us break out of the usual competitive mindset and start spotting fresh opportunities. The sessions were practical, engaging, and left the team feeling energized and more creative. We've already noticed a positive shift in how they approach clients. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to rethink their strategy."
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Yasser Hammoudah

CEO, PERI Saudi Arabia LTD.
“Our initial engagement with Six Paths provided valuable insight into the opportunities within our existing markets and helped establish a clear framework for future market expansion. Since completing the project, we’ve continued to reference the tools and approaches as our business needs have evolved.”
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Ben Hartley

Co-founder, Carterwood / United Kingdom
“Our Blue Ocean Strategy project with Six Paths resulted in internalising new tools and ways of thinking, followed by successfully launching innovative products targeted at under-addressed customer groups. I was in particular impressed by the depth and thoroughness of their approach to the subject matter, creating tangible added value for us as their clients. It made a difference for us and we warmly recommend their work.”
testimonial-avatar-1

Paul Markovits

Marketing Director, Heineken / Romania
"Our work in the government sector implies that we strive towards better quality of services for the people. This necessitates a strategy that would help in paving a clear path towards the assessment and development of governmental services. "
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Abdulrahman Alharbi

Real Estate General Authority / Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
“Continuum of innovation is key in a startup. The lean startup process is always at the verge of new products development. Fast prototyping and validation of concepts must become a religion. Hence, when in the field, it is good to get someone with an external point of view who can take one step behind before you make the big jump. This is what Six Paths is all about. Supporting growth and helping you staying the course are the main assets they will bring to you.”
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Georges Caron

CEO, Keemotion / Belgium
"Maintaining a high level of creative and innovative research in plant breeding is essential for the Dutch biotechnology company KeyGene N.V. The two-day Creative Thinking and Innovation Workshop gave us new concepts and tools to assist management and employees in their creative and innovative thinking and also in improving our own works council daily work.”
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Dr. Diana Rigola

Scientist, KEYGENE N.V. / The Netherlands
"At Transelectrica we were confronted with a legacy mindset in a heavy infrastructure engineering environment. With the help of the facilitated Blue Ocean Session led by Ioan and SixPath Consulting we managed to open our eyes towards innovation and unexpected pockets of growth that we could leverage in the future."
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Andrei Benghea Malaies

CEO, Transelectrica / Romania
"We hope to use [the Blue Ocean Strategy methodology] in building an innovative strategy that would allow the public health sector to provide services and products that guarantee health and longevity for the population. ”
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Muhammad Alhassan

Ministry of Health / Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Working with us

Why CEOs Choose Us

ioan carpus

Ioan Carpus

Innovation Expert and Blue Ocean Strategy Certified
Meet Ioan Carpus

Your Trusted Advisor

I’m the founder of Six Paths Consulting and the person you’ll meet if you book a call. For 15+ years, I’ve been helping CEOs and leadership teams rethink growth — from Belgian manufacturing SMEs to global companies like Heineken, Novartis, Bridgestone, and Orange.

🎓 I earned my MBA at INSEAD and completed the IN-BOARD Programme to deepen my expertise in Board dynamics.

  • My passion is helping leaders escape the pressure of “competing harder” and instead create space for new revenue, alignment, and innovation.
  • I’d love to start with a conversation.

👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn or book a call — let’s explore how we can create measurable growth for your business.

Act Now

Most CEOs know the warning signs: stalled growth, slipping margins, tense board meetings. Few take bold action early. The ones who do create lasting competitive advantage.

What our clients say

More client testimonials

"The experience with Six Paths, led by Ioan Carpus, has been a real catalyst for us to envisage a way forward for MCG Industries Rigids Division. I would strongly recommend this to any manufacturers or businesses stuck in a similar position, looking for ways to innovate and enter new marketplaces."
testimonial-avatar-1

Selwyn Grimsley

CEO, MCG Industries / South Africa
“Our Blue Ocean Strategy project with Six Paths resulted in internalising new tools and ways of thinking, followed by successfully launching innovative products targeted at under-addressed customer groups. I was in particular impressed by the depth and thoroughness of their approach to the subject matter, creating tangible added value for us as their clients. It made a difference for us and we warmly recommend their work.”
testimonial-avatar-1

Paul Markovits

Marketing Director, Heineken
"Our work in the government sector implies that we strive towards better quality of services for the people. This necessitates a strategy that would help in paving a clear path towards the assessment and development of governmental services. "
testimonial-avatar-1

Abdulrahman Alharbi

Real Estate General Authority / Kingdom of Saudi Arabia