Helping consumer and healthcare
brands grow across Asia Pacific
Operator-led commercial consulting, built on 25 years of real-world experience across APAC.
We solve the problems that keep your leadership team awake at night
Operating Model
“We are constantly being asked to do more with less, I only have critical levels of investment left!”
Capability
“I am not sure we have the skillset to win in the future, how can I build the capabilities we need?”
Go to Market
“We are losing share and our GP is static, how can I accelerate top and bottom line without more funding?”
Investment Model
“How do I stop my trade spend from increasing each year, so I can increase investment in my brands?”
Portfolio
“Our portfolio complexity is killing my team and increasing my COGS, what can I do without losing sales?”
Execution
“Why do we continue to lose at the Digital and Physical shelf, how can I get my fair share of offline and online Distribution?”
Do these sound familiar? You’re in the right place.
Why northstr exists
Most consumer and healthcare brands don’t fail because of bad products or weak strategy. They fail because of poor commercial execution, the wrong operating model, or teams that are not built to win in complex markets.
That’s the problem northstr was built to solve.
Founded by Keith Shortall in 2023, northstr is an Asia Pacific growth consultancy that brings genuine, hands-on commercial leadership experience - not theoretical frameworks - to help businesses grow faster, smarter and more sustainably.
Unlike traditional consultancies, we don’t hand you a report and disappear. We get in the trenches with you, work alongside your team, and stay until the job is done and the benefits have been delivered.
Our approach is outside-in and consumer-first, placing the consumer, the category and the customer at the heart of every strategy we build. Just as the North Star has guided travellers safely home for centuries, northstr exists to guide your business toward its goals, with clarity, conviction and accountability.
The Experience behind northstr
When you work with northstr, you work directly with Keith Shortall
I founded northstr after 25 years running commercial operations across Asia Pacific for two of the world's largest consumer health companies, Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive. In that time I have led regions, clusters, countries, functions and been part of senior leadership boards. I have been responsible for up to $3.7bn in revenue across 24 markets, led large functional teams with up to 2,000 commercial professionals, and delivered some of the most significant commercial transformations in the Asia Pacific region.
I founded northstr because I kept seeing the same thing, great businesses with strong brands and ambitious leaders failing to reach their potential. Not because their strategy was wrong. But because the commercial foundations weren't there, the operating model wasn't connected, or they simply didn't have someone who'd been in the trenches before sitting alongside them.
That's what northstr delivers. Not advice. Results.
Experience & Expertise
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Organisation: northstr
From - To: 2023 - Present
Scope of Role: Asia Pacific
Clients: iNova, Synolus Medical (USA), Firebrick Pharma (ASX: FRE), Haleon
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Organisation: Johnson & Johnson / Kenvue
From - To: 2021 - 2023
Scope of Role: 24 Markets APAC
Location: Singapore
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Organisation: Johnson & Johnson
From - To: 2018 - 2021
Scope of Role: North Asia
Location: Singapore
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Organisation: Colgate-Palmolive
From - To: 2015 - 2018
Scope of Role: IndoChina
Location: Thailand
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Organisation: Colgate-Palmolive
From - To: 2013 - 2015
Scope of Role: Asia Pacific
Location: Hong Hong
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Organisation: Colgate-Palmolive
From - To: 2010 - 2013
Scope of Role: Australia
Location: Australia
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Organisation: Colgate-Palmolive
From - To: 2008 - 2010
Scope of Role: Cluster
Location: Fiji
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Organisation: Colgate-Palmolive
From - To: 2000 - 2008
Scope of Role: Australia
Location: Australia
3yrs Supply Chain & Planning Experience
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Merger Acquisition / Joint Venture / NYSE Listing
Strategy, Financial & operational Planning
Organisational Transformation
Global Brand Expansion
Digital & Data Leadership
Integrated Business Planning
Certified Strategic Negotiator
The northstr Growth Model
Most businesses operate in silos. Strategy sits in one room. Commercial execution happens somewhere else. Investment decisions are made in isolation. And the result is a business that works hard but grows slowly.
The northstr growth model connects all of it. It is a proven end-to-end operating system, built from 25 years of running commercial operations at scale across Asia Pacific, that aligns every part of your commercial engine, identifies where value is being left on the table, and creates a self-funding growth cycle that compounds over time.
The result: more sales, more profit, more investment to fuel the next wave of growth. Connected E2E model that connects your operating model, identifies opportunities and creates maximum value
Virtual Funding Cycle: Businesses that apply the northstr growth model consistently achieve
1.5x Revenue Growth
+3-4x Profit Growth
A self funding investment cycle, removing the need to ask for more investment
Strategic Portfolio Management: Design an insight led, future focused portfolio. Prioritising, acquiring, aligning and distorting resources to grow consumption 1.5x faster than the market to maximise organic sales and margin growth.
Equity Building: Elevate the Mental Availability of your brands with consumers to embed your brand in the hearts and minds of consumers. Delivering consistent, sustainable Market Share Growth, building stronger Brand equity and increasing Household Penetration.
Revenue Growth Management: Create an End to End RGM & Pricing culture through data, tools and digitalized real time analytics. Accelerating Market Share, unlocking ~5% value growth through pricing and up to 10% lower costs. Unlocking investment to fuel your operating model.
Go To Market Excellence: Strategy to Shelf, an externally focused Go to Market plan, connecting your market, brand and channel priorities. Distorting your resources to accelerate O2O physical availability.
Retail Execution: A Field Sales Coverage and Execution plan that connects Brand x Customer choices and facilitates market leading execution standards across channels at optimal investment. Increasing +10% distribution, +5% in Online & Offline execution scores at lower cost.
Growth That Compounds Into Exit Value
The northstr growth model doesn't just grow revenue, it compounds into enterprise value.
We don't just make your P&L look better this year. We build the kind of commercial foundation that makes your business worth more when you sell it.
Case-studies : Real Results. Real Businesses. Real Impact
Here is what happens when the northstr model is applied
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![North Star]()
The Power of the Northstr Growth Model
CONSUMER HEALTH / ASIA PACIFIC : 16 QTR’S OF CONSECUTIVE GROWTH
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![Portfolio]()
Portfolio Transformation
CONSUMER GOODS / ASIA PACIFIC / +45% GROSS PROFIT VALUE
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![Equity Building]()
Equity Building: Prioritisation, investment and Brand re-building
CONSUMER HEALTH / ASIA PACIFIC / MOST RECOMMENDED DERMATOLOGY BRAND
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E2E RGM : Unlocking 5% value growth
CONSUMER HEALTH / ASIA PACIFIC / +80% INCREASE IN E2E RGM VALUE
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Go to Market: Winning in Winners
CONSUMER BRANDS / ASIA PACIFIC / MARKET LEADERSHIP WITH PRIORITY BRANDS
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Retail Execution: Resource Distortion unleashing value
CONSUMER HEALTH / ASIA PACIFIC / MAKING EXECUTION A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
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Retail Execution: Customer Engagement - From Good to Great
CONSUMER BRANDS / ASIA PACIFIC / NO 1 IN THE ADVANTAGE TRADE SURVEY
What leaders say about working with Keith
Chloe Kwok, CEO BSH Home Appliances North Asia
“Keith is an exceptional leader with an unparalleled expertise in Commercial Strategy and Execution. He fosters a professional and authentic environment where individuals thrive and grow.”
Sacha Ernst, President EMEA, iNova
“Keith combines strong commercial judgement with a practical, hands-on approach. He helped our team sharpen our priorities across markets and define a clear path toward sustainable, profitable growth.”
Sawan Malik, Global Executive Leader
“What I have seen Keith demonstrate multiple times is his clear, succinct thinking and strong execution orientation. He is also a very strong leader of people and is able to get work done collaboratively even in a highly matrixed environment."
Manish Anandani, President Kenvue India
"I have had the privilege of working with Keith for almost 15 years. Over this time, Keith has consistently demonstrated a growth mindset. Keith’s exceptional leadership skills and ability to inspire others has been a consistent enabler of exceptional results. Keith is a strong business leader with robust commercial acumen and an eye for driving holistic business impact. His leadership impact is long-lasting and he will be an asset for any organisation and team that he works with."
Cherie Beach, CFO Tetratherix (ASX : TTX)
“I had the pleasure of working with Keith at Johnson & Johnson Asia Pacific. Keith is an astute commercial leader with a growth mindset. Keith is able to proactively manage risks and identify opportunities to deliver business results. Keith is comfortable with ambiguity and empowers his teams to drive experimentation. He is an inclusive leader who has deep experience bringing out the best of diverse teams.”
General Manager, Consumer Health SEA
“Keith challenged our thinking on pricing, portfolio and Go to Market in a way that was both rigorous and practical. He builds capability in the team as he goes.”
| Large Consultancy | Interim Executive | northstr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Junior teams, partner oversight | One person, full-time | Keith directly, every engagement |
| Speed to value | Slow, long diagnostic phase | Slow, ramp-up time | Fast, weeks not quarters |
| Scope | Broad, generalist | Narrow, role-specific | Focused on commercial growth levers |
| Data and AI | Bolt-on, often theoretical | Depends on the individual | Built into the growth model |
| Accountability | Report and recommend | Operate, but temporary | Stay until results are delivered |
| Cost | High day rates, large teams | Full-time executive cost | Flexible, fractional, outcome-linked |
| What stays behind | A report | Depends on handover | Capability that lasts in your team |
Commercial Value Diagnostic
- Rapid view of where value is being left on the table
- Prioritised set of commercial levers
- A clear business case for next steps
Strategic Clarity & Direction
- Outside-in strategic advisory
- Board and leadership-level input
- Keeps strategy and execution connected
Value Creation Partner
- Hands-on delivery across priority levers
- Fractional commercial leadership
- Embedded with your team
Commercial Acceleration
- Full-scale, multi-lever transformation
- Deepest level of hands-on involvement
- Built for complex, multi-market businesses
Lets have a conversation
No pitch. No pressure. Just a straightforward 30-minute conversation about where your business is, where you want it to go, and whether northstr can help you get there.
We work with a select number of clients at any one time to ensure every engagement gets Keith's full attention. If you're serious about growth, let's talk.
Prefer to reach out directly?
📩 keithshortall@northstr.com.au 📞 +61 403 922 139‍ www.linkedin.com/in/keith-shortall