Richard Preston

An experienced Finance Director & CEO, Richard works with equally driven entrepreneurial owners and CEOs as they go through the roller-coaster of growth, strategic relationships, finance raise and M&A.   He has worked in highly regulated markets, in start-ups, privately owned and group subsidiaries.

He brings a flexible, energetic and hands-on approach to working with a management team through the challenges of SME businesses; focusing on building value, and shielding the team from the operational distraction of a capital transactions and stakeholder management.

ACMA qualified.  Following a fast-track career to Finance Director in financial services, Richard broadened his experience working in a Big 4 consultancy, a Corporate Finance boutique, founder of a Fintech start-up and as CEO for an early stage regulated business focussed in the international wealth management sector.

Over the course of his executive career, he has turned around  finance teams and functions; led on business strategy and major change projects; built strategic and distribution partnerships; operated at Board level; and held regulatory responsibility.

In corporate life and as a corporate financier Richard has completed many corporate transactions from £1-50M.

Background

Following a request from an angel investor, Finance Director Richard Preston was brought in to review the finances of an Offshore/ International start-up investment platform, and to identify and implement sources of additional funding to achieve stretching goals.

Making good use of Richard’s extensive experience and wide-ranging skill set, the business subsequently also invited Richard to join the Board as non-exec Chairman.

In this role, he informed and underpinned the company’s growth strategy, direction of travel, and investor objectives, ultimately guiding the founders to a successful launch as a regulated company that became an award-winning market leader.

Challenge

To Richard, with his knowledge of the sector, the company, and the expectations of the original investors, the core challenge quickly became apparent: the time horizon and capital needs of the business exceeded what the angel investors were able to honour.

As a consequence, the business ran the very real risk of failing…