About Red Squirrel Consulting

Why I Started RSC

I’m Chip Boster, Founder and Principal Consultant at Red Squirrel Consulting. After more than 25 years leading engineering and product development organizations, I realized something important: the work that energized me most wasn’t tied to any single product — it was the work that made every product better.

Throughout my career, I’ve led cross‑functional teams from concept through launch. I’ve operated at the intersection of product, engineering, operations, quality, sourcing, and leadership — the place where ideas become real and where things often break down. I’ve built teams, strengthened decision‑making, improved collaboration, and created the structure that allows organizations to deliver consistently.

Across every company, I saw the same pattern: Organizations don’t struggle because they lack talented people. They struggle because the system around those people isn’t helping them succeed.

When I had the opportunity to design and deploy product development systems, I saw how transformative the right structure can be — how clarity reduces friction, how alignment accelerates timelines, and how a strong process gives teams the confidence to execute at a higher level. Those were the moments I loved most.

But inside a single company, you only get to build that kind of system every few years. So I built a company that does it every day.

Red Squirrel Consulting exists to help organizations move forward — by understanding what’s getting in the way, building the capability to fix it, and providing the leadership needed to keep the work moving.

Solve. Build. Lead. It’s the work I’m built for — and the work I love.

My Background

For more than two decades, I’ve led engineering and product development organizations responsible for delivering complex products across multiple industries. My work has always centered on understanding how teams operate, building the systems that help them succeed, and providing the leadership needed to move critical work forward.

My experience includes:

• Leading cross‑functional teams from concept through launch

• Building and deploying scalable product development systems and stage‑gate processes

• Strengthening collaboration across product, engineering, operations, quality, and sourcing

• Improving decision‑making, governance, and technical accountability

• Reducing launch risk through structured reviews and early issue identification

• Increasing predictability in timelines, execution, and cross‑functional alignment

• Supporting organizational design, team development, and role clarity

• Enhancing communication, operating rhythm, and execution discipline

I’ve served in roles from hands‑on contributor to director‑level leader, guiding teams through portfolio expansions, regulatory environments, M&A diligence, and operational scaling. I’ve helped organizations improve reliability, reduce rework, increase margins, and deliver products more predictably — not through heroics, but through systems and leadership.

What I Believe

High‑performing engineering and product development organizations aren’t defined by last‑minute saves — they’re defined by systems and leadership.

Systems that:

• create clarity

• align teams

• reduce risk

• support better decisions

• make execution predictable

Leadership that:

• sets direction

• removes obstacles

• builds capability

• strengthens accountability

• keeps the work moving

When teams have a process they trust and leadership they can rely on, they move faster, communicate better, and deliver stronger results.

That’s what I help companies build.

What You Can Expect Working With Me

My approach is grounded in:

• Understanding first — seeing how the work actually happens, not how it’s supposed to happen

• Building capability — creating systems, tools, and structures that teams can use immediately

• Providing leadership — guiding execution, clarifying priorities, and helping teams operate with confidence

I bring cross‑functional alignment, practical engineering and product development leadership, clear communication, operating rigor, and a deep respect for the people doing the work.

I don’t bring theory. I bring systems and leadership that work — because they’re built for how organizations actually operate