The Challenge
By late 2013, Voipro had a strong product, a loyal Dutch customer base, and an ambition to expand internationally. What it didn't have was the operating model to support that ambition. Customer support was running at 15 FTE — a structure designed for a high-touch, hardware-era product, not a software-led cloud platform. Almost all of the revenue was Netherlands-domiciled, even though the UK, Belgium and the US were live opportunities. The board needed a senior operator who could simultaneously cut cost, drive growth and build the international footprint — without the 6–9 month lead time of a permanent CEO search.
On 8 November 2013, Voipro's board appointed Andrew Collins of Grant & Graham as Interim CEO of Voipro International BV — a remit that subsequently extended to Interim CEO & CCO of Voipro US Inc. when the US market entry launched in San Diego in May 2015.
The Solution
Grant & Graham deployed under a single mandate: scale Voipro internationally while resetting the operating model that supported it. The work ran across four parallel workstreams. Support function transformation. The 15-FTE customer support model was redesigned end-to-end. Self-service support — a structured knowledge base, customer-facing diagnostic tooling, and tier-zero deflection — was introduced to absorb the high-volume, low-complexity ticket flow. In parallel, the product itself was hardened, eliminating recurring ticket categories at source rather than throwing more agents at them.
The result: a 2-FTE support team handling materially the same customer base, with service standards maintained. EMEA expansion. With cost out, attention turned to top-line. The EMEA commercial function was restructured, direct presence was established in the UK and Belgium, and the partner programme was rebuilt — driving regional revenue up 25% and signing five new strategic partnerships inside the engagement window. US market entry. In May 2015, Voipro US Inc. was incorporated in San Diego County, California, with Andrew appointed CEO & CCO of the US entity. Voipro USA was positioned as a specialist cloud telecommunications provider serving the North American mid-market — a disciplined US start without the multi-million-dollar burn typical of European-led US expansion. Global brand visibility.
Voipro presented at Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWCS15), placing the business on a global cloud-comms stage and opening Asian channel conversations. "The 15-to-2 support reduction was never about cutting people. It was about fixing the product, automating the basics, and letting a small team handle the work that actually needed humans. Get that right and the cost takes care of itself." — Andrew Collins, CEO & Founder, Grant & Graham
From 15 FTE to 2 FTE. From one country to four. From a Dutch hosted voice specialist to an international cloud communications business — all inside the same engagement window.
The Results
Across the engagement period — November 2013 to August 2017, spanning the EMEA and US entities — Voipro was transformed from a single-country hosted voice provider into a multi-country cloud communications business. Customer support cost was reduced 87%, from 15 FTE to 2 FTE, with service standards held. EMEA regional revenue grew 25% under fractional senior leadership, and five new strategic partnerships were established across the channel.
Voipro US Inc. went live in San Diego with +20% market share and +15% customer satisfaction over the first 18 months. The international team expanded across four countries — Netherlands, UK, Belgium and the USA — and the business was handed back to permanent leadership in a materially stronger position than the one inherited. For Voipro — strong product, single-country revenue base, ambitious international thesis — the interim CEO model unlocked three years of value that a permanent CEO search could not have delivered in the same window.
