Built From Experience
853 Holdings was formed around a simple idea: business development works best when it is grounded in real operational experience. The group is built on years of hands-on work across hospitality, technology, engineering and commercial operations — not theory or consultancy frameworks.
Founder Background
The foundations of 853 Holdings come from direct, frontline experience in running and supporting real businesses. Starting in hospitality at a young age, Rob developed a practical understanding of how venues operate day-to-day — from customer experience and staff workflows to margins, compliance and systems that either help or hinder performance.
That operational grounding expanded into technology and engineering, working extensively with IT systems, networking, automation, security infrastructure and bespoke software. This crossover between physical operations and digital systems shaped an approach focused on reliability, visibility and control — not just aesthetics or features.
Over time, this led to supporting multiple businesses in an advisory and delivery capacity — improving systems, rebuilding brands, implementing technology, and helping owners scale without losing oversight. Rather than acting as a traditional consultant, the work was hands-on: designing, building, installing, fixing and optimising.
853 Holdings was created to bring that experience together under a single group — allowing business development, technical delivery, creative work and operational support to sit side by side. The result is a group that can not only advise, but also execute.
What That Experience Shaped
- Systems must work during peak trading, not just in ideal conditions.
- Design and branding are commercial tools, not decoration.
- Owners need visibility, reporting and control at all times.
- Scalability depends on standards, documentation and repeatability.
- Technology should simplify operations, not add complexity.
