5th Gear
Senior leadership embedded alongside you — until the outcome is real.
How it works
01
Every engagement opens with a 30-minute interview alongside at least two members of the Executive Board. We listen first, and we decide together whether the fit is real.
02
Step one of every engagement is the Accelerator diagnosis and interview — a full read of your current state before a single recommendation is made.
03
Pricing is $250 per hour plus 1–5% equity. We sit on the same side of the table as you, because we only win when the outcome is real.
The Executive Team
Featured
Chief Marketing Officer
Bill McKendry is the founder of Brand Haven and the creative mind behind the creation of multiple billion-dollar campaigns. His work shapes how the world's most ambitious missions are seen and felt — including He Gets Us, one of the most widely recognized brand movements of the decade.
He Gets Us →Chief Strategy Officer
As founder of Shift, I bring dual Master's degrees — an MBA and Human Development — and dual US/New Zealand citizenship to every engagement, having led strategic initiatives across schools, pro sports, large corporations, major cities, nonprofits, and tech start-ups. My approach is faith-driven and built on a single conviction: growth that cannot sustain itself is not growth — so we make growth pay.
Chair in reserve
Chief Technology Officer
We are in conversation with proven technology leaders who have scaled platforms and teams through real growth.
Chair in reserve
Chief Financial Officer
Reserved for an operator who makes the numbers tell the truth and makes growth pay for itself.
Chair in reserve
Chief Operating Officer
Held for a builder of repeatable systems — the kind that run without depending on the founder.
Chair in reserve
Chief People Officer
For a leader who builds the teams and roles that let an organization outgrow its founder.
Chair in reserve
Executive Coach
Reserved for a coach who keeps leaders resilient, clear, and moving differently under real pressure.
Chair in reserve
Reverend in Residence
Held for the voice that anchors the work in faith, so the growth we build reflects what our clients value.
The board is filling deliberately. Each remaining chair is held for a leader whose record speaks before they do.
If your business is ready for senior leadership at the table — let’s talk.