As more and more businesses discover the value of flexible, outsourced financial support and advice – finance expertise on tap but out-of-house, as it were – EFM’s Associate Network is growing, and today we’re delighted to welcome our newest member, Richard Preston, into the fold!
About Richard
Experienced and enterprising FD and CEO, Richard brings considerable expertise to our Network, thanks to his diverse background in retail financial services, fintech, professional services SMEs, and more, spanning well over 30 years.
During this time, he has shouldered every imaginable financial responsibility – from financial strategy, reporting and operational change, to managing businesses through corporate transaction cycles, including M&A and fundraising. He has delivered significant value to companies of every size, from startups to multinational corporations, and in both permanent and interim roles.
Richard combines the dual strengths of a standout background in financial consultancy and advisory services (including international sales and marketing strategy review, investment market opportunities, regulatory counsel and strategic partnerships) with a proven track record in actually delivering day-to-day financial and operational management that improves performance, surpasses objectives, and “moves the needle”.
In his most recent CFO position, he was instrumental in transforming a nascent wealth management offering into a market-leading, award-winning platform with a global reach from South America to the Far East
What Richard will help EFM to do
EFM Finance Directors are not ‘just accountants’. They provide excellent, incisive information on a more timely basis to reorganise your business and aid your decision-making process – and Richard is no exception.
His work has seen him, for example, totally reengineer a company’s Management Information (MI) processes and systems, as well as restructure its finance team, to give the Board not only greater clarity on growth and objectives, but greater visibility of the positive contribution the finance function makes to the overall fortunes of the business.
EFM associates like Richard also implement plans to enhance profit margins, provide strategic support and assist with business plans, as well as to maximise funding opportunities and other key areas that affect your profitability and cash flow. (Richard’s story of how he took one underfunded financial platform business from angel investor disengagement to trade sale success and beyond, for instance, is well worth a read!)
In short, Richard is joining a dedicated and diverse team of EFM professionals who have a track record of exploring and challenging business processes – from pricing to distribution strategy, marketing plans to remuneration – to ensure best fit with a business plan and direction that is financially viable.
No business deserves to be without a Finance Director, and our own business model ensures that access to high-calibre practitioners like Richard is – in contrast to the cost of employing an expert like him full-time – economical and efficient for businesses like yours.
In his own words
Richard says: “I’m excited to be joining the EFM Network and to be working with enterprising CEOs and business owners of growth SME clients. EFM share my passion for delivering FD leadership and insight, focusing on building value and navigating through the stages of funding, growth and M&A. It is an experience I have lived and breathed, but know is best delivered as part of the EFM Network, as clients will benefit from the team’s depth and breadth of expertise and experience.”
Join Us