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An experienced, enterprising Portfolio Finance Director that helps growth SMEs in the financial, tech and service sectors
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.
As newly appointed UK FD for a global insurance brand, Richard Preston inherited a finance team that was in disarray and poorly regarded within the Company. Pulled in too many directions at once, the team lacked focus and selectivity, which resulted in an incessant rush to keep on top of core procedures from one period to the next, with no intervening opportunity for reflection, critical thinking, or continuous improvement. The same issues were also evident in the company’s operations outside the UK, so Richard’s solution would have to be geographically adaptable as well as measurably effective.
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