My professional qualifications include a degree in Business Law and I am an FCA. I spent a number of years in an international firm of accountants, which gave me a good grounding in business matters and financial disciplines.
My first business experience was with a group of engineering businesses which subsequently became listed as GW Thornton Holdings plc. I became the Financial Director and had the prime responsibility for taking the group through the IPO process. The business was very successful and we delivered a doubling of shareholder value in the five years following flotation, when we sold the business to another listed company. This success was very much based on a platform of 10 years organic growth, complemented by the creation of a US subsidiary, and with further value generated by a series of successful acquisitions and disposals.
I then set up my consultancy business in 1993, and initially the work comprised a mix of short term projects and medium term part-time roles, including roles as non-executive director appointed by venture capital firms. As the business progressed I became more engaged in full-time projects for a smaller number of clients. These included:
I am now actively engaged in supporting growing new businesses, which include: