ABOUT US
We build the revenue engines that technology companies deserve.
25+ years of experience building growth through commercialization strategy, partnerships, and channels.
The Brushton Group was founded on a simple belief: that the best technology products deserve the best commercialization and partnership strategies. We bring enterprise-level expertise to companies at every stage of growth, helping them build the channel infrastructure, strategic alliances, monetization structures and GTM motions that drive scalable, repeatable revenue.
HOW WE WORK
How we work
Two- to six-week sprints. One sponsor. Real working sessions. A finished deliverable.
What we do
Most strategy work goes off the rails because the wrong question was being answered. We sit down with you, find the right one, and work through the answer together.
You bring your company, your context, and your data. We bring a structured method and decades of senior commercial experience. By the end of the sprint, you have a plan you can act on.
Recent client questions we have worked through
- “Which partners should we recruit first, and in what order?”
- “Should we enter this market, and if so, with what motion?”
- “Why is our GTM motion not producing pipeline?”
- “Is our channel program worth the investment we are putting into it?”
- “How do we tell the board the partnership story before next quarter?”
What we don’t do
- We don’t go away and return with a 200-page report.
- We work in the room with your team, not at arm’s length.
- We don’t sell software or license a methodology.
- The person you talk to in the kickoff is the person doing the work.
How it works
Intake. We sit down and define the question. What decision needs to be made? Who has to act on it? What has already been tried? Usually shorter than people expect.
Working sessions. This is where the work happens. We pressure-test what already exists and develop what does not. Nine things every strategy needs to handle: clarity, market logic, customer fit, value proposition, commercial readiness, financial logic, execution, risk, and decision readiness.
Recommendation. We write up what we found and what we recommend. Every recommendation states the decision required, the owner, the tradeoff, and the risk. No vague “you might consider doing X.”
Handoff. You get the deliverable, the supporting analysis, and a clean execution plan. Ongoing support if you want it. We go away if you do not.
A recent client
A B2B fintech needed to recruit channel partners but did not have a target list, sequencing logic, or a competitive frame for partner conversations.
Three weeks later: a priority-ordered partner universe across three tiers, a clear differentiator anchor for partner-facing conversations, and a CSSO who could brief the board the next day.
The work was operational, not theoretical. They could act on it.
OUR TEAM
Brendan O'Connor
Founder & Principal
Brendan O'Connor started his career as a mechanical engineer at Westinghouse, moved into venture-backed technology at FreeMarkets and Innovation Works, then spent 18 years at Microsoft building the licensing models, deal structures, and partner ecosystems that became industry standards. Roles at Cisco and Sage followed, each centered on the same problem: how to turn great products into scalable revenue through partnerships. He founded The Brushton Group to bring that operational experience to companies at every stage of growth.
The Brushton Group is led by Brendan O'Connor, Founder & Principal. Every engagement is led personally by Brendan. For engagements requiring deep specialist expertise (hyperscaler alliance negotiation, international channel expansion, partner incentive modeling), Brushton activates an affiliated network of independent senior operators from Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, and Sage on a per-engagement basis.
Full ProfileOUR CULTURE
How we operate is as important as what we deliver.
The culture here comes from the same place the competencies do: 18 years inside a company that expected intellectual honesty, rewarded results over activity, and promoted people who made the team better.
We operate with zero layers between the work and the decision. No committees. No consensus theater. If you have the data and the conviction, you make the call. If you're wrong, you own it, fix it, and move on.
We hire slowly, trust completely, and never micromanage. If you need someone looking over your shoulder, this isn't the place. If you thrive with autonomy, accountability, and the freedom to do your best work, it is.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The values that drive The Brushton Group didn't start in a boardroom. They started generations ago.
“The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way you use them.”
— Matthew O’Connor, Brendan’s great-grandfather
That conviction, that obstacles are simply raw material for progress, has shaped how we work, how we hire, and how we deliver for clients. It’s the same philosophy that built some of the most enduring technology companies in the world.
“We are patient and relentless. We keep working and investing and listening to our customers and improving our products. We never give up on good ideas.”
— Bill Gates
“We’re going to bet on our long term. We don’t do things for the short term. And if we don’t at first succeed, we keep trying. Leaders have to set the tone that says, ‘We’ll be patient.’”
— Steve Ballmer
Patience. Tenacity. A long view. These aren’t slogans. They’re how we operate, how we think about client engagements, and how we expect every member of this team to show up.
HOW WE ENGAGE
How We Engage
Brushton engages with clients in several ways depending on the situation. Some companies need a discrete project. Others need a senior operator embedded in the business for a defined stretch. What follows are the most common ways we work.
Discrete Advisory Engagements
Most Brushton engagements are project-based, scoped to a defined outcome such as a channel model redesign, an incentive program restructure, or a commercial architecture overhaul. Timelines are typically eight to sixteen weeks with clear milestones and executive review cadence.
Fractional Channel Chief or Commercial Officer
For companies that need senior channel, partnership, or commercial leadership without immediately hiring a full-time executive, Brushton provides fractional operating leadership on a retained basis. The engagement pattern suits growth-stage and mid-market companies scaling commercial infrastructure for the first time.
Acting Chief Commercial Officer
Brushton steps into interim CCO roles when a company needs experienced commercial leadership during a period of transition, acceleration, or investor preparation. This is a full-time embedded engagement covering partnerships, GTM, pricing, alliances, and revenue architecture.
Investor Readiness and Series A Narrative
Brushton helps leadership teams articulate a credible commercialization story for investors, including go-to-market logic, partnership leverage, revenue model clarity, and the operating milestones that support scale. This work sits alongside the company's investor counsel and fundraising advisors, not in place of them.
Board and Executive Advisory
Brushton advises boards, CEOs, and commercial leaders on growth strategy, partner ecosystems, monetization, and commercialization decisions that shape enterprise value. The perspective is operator-driven and grounded in direct experience running these programs at scale.
M&A Channel Integration
When companies acquire partner-carrying businesses, Brushton helps leadership teams integrate partner programs, routes to market, and commercial policies. The focus is reducing partner disruption, resolving channel overlap, and capturing revenue synergies faster than default integration timelines allow.