For over 20 years, Julian has been enabling owner-managed entrepreneurial businesses across many different sectors to achieve optimum bottom-line outcomes, combining deep engagement with the operational side of the business with expert leadership of banking relationships, a management buy-out (MBO), and company sale and acquisition. 

From property development to construction, import, export and distribution, warehousing and fulfillment to leisure, Julian has stayed true to his mantra that “you can’t do all of Finance from behind a desk.” He has engaged with the beating heart of each business, on site and within its teams, to identify challenges and opportunities that Finance can turn into bottom-line wins. 

At the same time, the “top table” holds no mystery for Julian; he is totally accustomed to communicating closely with company boards and senior management teams to advise on decisions and forecast impacts and outcomes. 

And through it all, Julian retains a light management touch. Effective financial oversight, he maintains, works best when an FD builds and nurtures a team, gives them ownership, guidance, and the tools to do the job, and trusts them to get on with it.

Construction projects – initiated from scratch and completed on budget – to business refinancing and turnaround, and major transactions such as an MBO, acquisitions. 

Operationally, he has also led the deployment of systems, processes, and reporting to improve cashflow forecasting, impact modelling, and overall financial transparency and disciplines, and put in place effective measures to minimise costs and maximise profitability. 

Integral to Julian’s successful track record is his absolute focus on “seeing change and progress”, and his determination to take businesses of whatever level of maturity to, and through, the next stage in their journey – and beyond. 

Over more than 20 years, Julian’s successes include: 

• Creating, growing, and integrating businesses– Negotiating funding for building projects, and managing the financial aspects of building new offices and 14 residential apartments, as well as integrating the UK Finance function with its US parent and setting up an office in France. 

• Strengthening the bottom line– Developing and executing cost reduction plans to drive down merchant services fees, insurance, and payroll costs, and hone the effectiveness of marketing spend; setting up and managing a profitable, multi-million-pound foreign exchange facility. 

• Increasing transparency, reducing risk – Introducing improved procedures, including cash flow modelling and integrated financial forecasting, to foretell risk and put in place preventive measures. 

• Rescue and recovery – Leading an MBO and other activity to refinance a company hit by banking collapse, including arranging a £3 million invoice discounting facility and a £500,000 export loan facility.

• Business plans and forecasting
• Cashflow forecasts and working capital management
• Cost analysis and reduction
• Cloud accounting
• Finalisation and review of financial statements and board reporting
• Systems review
• Finance applications
• Business sales/ Acquisitions
• Management reporting
• KPIs 

1. Property Development and Construction
2. Import
3. Export and Wholesale Distribution
4. Warehousing and fulfillment
5. Retail including online
6. Leisure and Hospitality
7. Alcoholic Beverages