Mark Brown

Summary

Mark is a continuous improvement-focused Finance Director (FD), with over 20 years’ cross-sector experience of helping both start-ups and established SMEs forecast, plan, and execute business objectives effectively, in order to optimise business growth and commercial outcomes.

Mark thrives on game-changing technology, and smart working, but also on mentoring individuals and teams across functions to ensure they are fully invested in Finance’s role in their business’s success.

Mark prides himself on his ability to communicate complex financial data and scenarios in simple, visual language, to engage both Finance and non-Finance audiences in his commitment to financial discipline.

Experience

Mark has well over 20 years’ experience managing and leading the financial teams in businesses across a number of sectors, including property, recruitment, technology, and membership organisations, amongst others.

Accustomed to working closely with banks and financial providers to fund business projects and growth, and with a track-record of successfully managing costs and budgets to deliver on time and on target, Mark has successfully brought his focus on financial discipline to everything from property purchases and sales, to major software projects, company reorganisations, mergers and demergers, outsourced payroll, pensions, and accounting provision.

He has a history of using financial data to identify opportunities for revenue upside, and to support the wider business in its commercial aims and objectives.

Over the course of his career, his experience has included, amongst many other activities:

  • Large capital projects – Management of finances for building projects, including monitoring of actual costs versus budget, and managing grant claims submitted to government agencies.
  • Entrepreneurship and diversification – Establishing systems, business plans and accounts for entrepreneurial ventures in areas as diverse as an on-site café, events, and a start-up recruitment agency.
  • Property transactions – Managing property purchases and sales transactions including putting finance in place, liaising with legal and surveyor contacts along with due diligence if the property was the transfer of a going concern or included TUPE staff transfers
  • Systems transformation – Introduction of a specialised SaaS software system to streamline existing processes and connect the accounts system with the front-end sales process, to improve efficiency and company reporting capabilities.
  • Automation and efficiency gain – Introduction of automated invoicing, implementing a direct debit payment collection system,  scheduled debt-chasing reminders direct from the accounting system, and rationalisation of sales invoicing, to maximise efficiencies.
  • Forecasting and reporting, including preparation of Board packs and cash-flow projections for existing operations, project feasibility studies, and potential joint ventures

Testimonial

“Mark acting as consultant Finance Director was an essential part of setting up the accounting function for Futureheads in the early days, as we moved from being a newly formed start-up to an established business- Having financial discipline instilled in the company from day one enabled us to grow and adapt quickly, with financial systems, processes and procedures that were scalable by design.”

Founder of Futureheads Recruitment

 

Case Study

Profiting from Financial Discipline from Day One: Recruitment Start-Up

At a glance

  • London-based Futureheads Recruitment faced the issue many start-ups do: it had no Finance systems, processes, or team in place
  • The lack of Financial expertise made it impossible to accurately measureperformance, opportunity, and risk, and was a barrier to the company’s growth potential
  • Futureheads chose EFM Associate Mark Brown to act as their consultant Finance Director
  • Mark put in place systems, processes, and training to bring financial discipline and reporting rigour to the business, and prime it for future growth
Read More Here