Hands-on, and comfortable communicating with stakeholders at all levels, he’s often to be seen, as he puts it “out and about” within the business, understanding challenges and opportunities in the places where they happen, and working out how best to address them.

It's this deep-seated understanding of business that has seen him entrusted with major projects, developments, and programmes outside the scope of a purely Finance role. This on-the-ground insight into how new ventures succeed and thrive has positioned him strongly to act as growth advisor to SMEs in all phases of their evolution.

Funding, cash-flow improvement, change projects, operational strategy, and preparing for acquisition, exit and sale all rank highly in Mark’s SME skill set. But he also brings some important complementary strengths to SMEs’ various stages of business growth, including a business mentoring mindset and honest, open, culturally sensitive communication, honed by years of working abroad.

Mark’s role as an EFM outsourced Finance Director draws on his significant experience in SME environments, enriched in turn by a multi-sector career that has seen him build a track-record of Finance success in areas including:

• SME turnaround: Restructuring and stabilising Finance functions, reversing distressed cash flow conditions, and developing strengthened business plans
• Owner-managed businesses: Leading and managing Finance in businesses with direct owner involvement and investment
• Entrepreneurial growth environments: Managing complex Finance and business relationships between entrepreneurs, individual and corporate equity investors, and other sources of external finance
• International operations: Setting up, financing, and managing multi-jurisdiction businesses, and ensuring their compliance
• Exit and sale strategy: Enabling SME owners to successfully realise maximum financial value upon leaving their business
• Strategic business leadership: Taking on CEO responsibilities to steer, control, and optimise Financial, brand, and market outcomes across the entire business

A kitchen manufacturer facing receivership sought expertise that would enable it to achieve the best possible financial outcome in difficult circumstances.

Mark worked with the business’s recovery team to strengthen cash management and reporting and enable a financially optimised business sale.

• SME-focused consultancy background in Finance and financial management
• Proven success rate in sectors as diverse as property, construction, manufacturing, and direct marketing
• Experienced in both Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Financial Director (FD) roles
• Skilled in business growth disciplines outside pure Finance, e.g. project management and implementation, international expansion, marketing
• Specialist in problem-solving, turnaround, and major change programmes, including restructuring, and disposal of assets

A player of football and an avid follower of rugby, Mark is a devotee of sport, and as part of this encourages and supports both his daughters with their love of rowing and climbing. A fan of history and travel writing, Mark is also a keen photographer and wildlife-lover, and has travelled extensively across South America, Africa, India, and China, to witness the fauna first-hand.