Career highlights

Deloitte (1987 – 2000)

After graduating from Oxford University, I started my professional career at Touche Ross. Two year later, they merged with Deloitte, where I was the first employee of their new Milton Keynes office. I spent the next thirteen years specialising in audits, forensic accounting, and providing strategic advice to some of the world’s best-known brands and governmental organisations including the National Audit Office and the EU. I was part of the team investigating BCCI, and I worked in places such as Abu Dhabi, Macedonia, Madrid and Monaco, and spent a year on secondment to Merrill Lynch. During my time at Deloitte, I set up three internal units that eventually formed the seeds of Deloitte’s globe-spanning analytics services.

Entrepreneurship (2000 – 2013)

I then decided to go into business for myself and founded a video games company, Black Cactus, with investment from Eidos, the company behind Tomb Raider. If you remember that really annoying mobile phone game Crazy Frog back in 2003 – that was us. Our flagship title, Warrior Kings, went to #1 in the budget charts, which was great. Unfortunately, it did so right after we were forced to close the company. That was a painful, but very valuable lesson in entrepreneurship. 

A series of C-level roles in tech and media start-ups followed, with varying degrees of success. These included a games company in India, a VC funded animation software company in Cambridge, a Russian power generation and trading company, a Hollywood motion picture company, and lastly a very successful turnaround of a personnel and payroll company. Through those, I built up a large network in the UK tech media circuit, as well as numerous connections in the USA, Russia, California, India and Scandinavia.

Consultancy (2013 – present)

For the last ten years or so, I’ve focused on providing consultancy services to clients. I’ve found that I’m much happier getting involved as a problem-solver and working on specific projects, rather than committing myself to working for a single company. 

I’ve worked with small start-ups and major international companies, some of which are listed below. I’ve assisted with raising finance, restructuring, growth, and turnarounds. I’ve often found myself in an interim CFO role, but I’ve also worked as a researcher, expert advisor, and researcher. 

Other roles (2000 – present)

I’ve also been involved with numerous advisory bodies, including the Board of South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (with roles including Chair of Inward Investment Committee, member Finance Risks and Advisory Committee, member Luton Airport Parkway Enterprise Zone, and member Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone), and I’ve been a Governor of Northampton College.

You can read all about me and my company on LinkedIn. 

Selected clients

Gate Gourmet –

World’s largest airline catering company £500m+

Role: Interim FC

The SAP system was inadequate with over three million supplier payments across 3,000 accounts unreconciled. After a financial crisis the payments team urgently required direction.

Cleared the way for forward planning and growth. At the same time, negotiated sharply reduced contract prices at airports around the world by: –

• Delivering a clear and reliable basis for shared understanding of the problem
• Updating and reconciling the SAP purchase system
• Recovered £1m in utilities costs

Eicorn SA

Swedish innovation consultancy

Role: Innovation expert

The company wished to pivot to online training during the pandemic. We identified a need for training and courses in innovation management (ISO 56000). Project was achieved by 

• Designing online systems for paid course
• Writing 150,000 words and recording 18 hours of video in 4 months
• Creating the online management and marketing
• Becoming the #1 rated online course for innovation within 6 months

Undisclosed Family Office

UHNWI, multi country, £0.3bn approx.

Role: Project Researcher

The family wished to dramatically increase ROI over multiple decades with a focussed innovation and investment strategy. Led a specific project reporting to the CFO and head of family, Work was done in UK, Middle East, and Channel Islands.  Project was achieved by 

• Creating links to top Universities, the UK Military, Innovation Networks, and 
• Selecting areas of focus for substantial and 
• Making dominating investments:

Unitum Umbrella Group

Payroll services, £82m turnover, £12m in finance

Role: Consulting Interim CFO

The company sought a complete restructuring investment to realise growth potential but faced critical solvency risks. Created the team, systems, and financial support required to turnaround, then grow revenue from £0 to £82m and turn from losses to positive EBITDA, by:

• Drove selection & implementation of a unified finance platform, reduced finance team from 12 to 7
• Identified & dealt with solvency risks, £6m in debts and £108k of monthly costs during a pre-pack.
• Using new investment to acquire and integrate two competitors and drive-up revenue and margin

Seven Arts Pictures PLC

AIM and Nasdaq dual listed motion picture financing and production company with £180m turnover., over £25m in distressed loans.

Role: Interim CFO

The business suffered from weak financial reporting processes and controls resulting in significant internal control failures, failed tax compliance, creditor pressure, and poor auditor relations. Achieved $10 million positive cash flow in 6 months, reduced interest burden by 50%, achieved SOX compliance, reported issues to FBI and HMRC and improved auditor relations, by:

• Developing & instituting SARB-OX accounting system – strengthening financial reporting and internal controls
• Identifying salient US tax breaks
• Transitioning from UK GAAP to IFRS.

Scaent Power

Pan-European Energy group, £100m+, £200m in external finance

Role: Interim UK CFO

An ambitious and fast-growing company required a tax efficient structure and profitable strategic plan to realise potential growth. Cleared a path to enable the business to establish in 13 countries and acquire major utility assets in three countries, by: –

• Delivering a coherent and viable strategic plan with a tax efficient structure
• Clearing UK due diligence with PwC
• Building confidence among stakeholders in a new management team

Valhalla Private Client Services

Providing finance and funding for EIS and SEIS companies in technology, motion pictures and property. £4m fee revenue, £140m asset base.

Role: Interim Executive

Growing business had outgrown its finance system, processes, and controls. It urgently needed the structures to realise promising opportunities. Rapidly established sturdy and flexible structures to realise growth opportunities, by: –

• Installing new IT platform and cloud-based CRM
• Creating SEIS and EIS offers and crafted Investment Memoranda
• Supervising five property deals each over £12m

Magheramorne Park

Contested recovery of large quarry site with complex planning issues against hostile stakeholders, Land value £3m, GDV £42m

Role: Advisory and Forensic Accountant

Business was being contested by multiple stakeholders, Client was “underwater” by £2m, but armed with superior strategy, were able to recover £2m net. Created stakeholder buy-in and recovery strategy by: –

• Enabling a High Court led insolvency under rarely used rules
• Providing advanced calculations of interest and penalty interest recoverable on a dynamic model
• Obtaining forensic evidence to support recovery

See more of the clients I’ve worked with on my Success Stories page.