Executive Profile
I am a commercially disciplined Chief Executive, Founder and experienced Non-Executive Director with more than 35 years of board-level leadership across Telecommunications, Technology, Software, Retail, Hospitality and Education catering services.
I have led complex turnarounds, negotiated bank and creditor restructurings, managed regulatory disputes at High Court level, executed multi-million-pound exits, and scaled start-up ventures into sustainable, profitable enterprises. My experience spans PLC, private equity-backed and founder-led organisations.
I combine entrepreneurial insight with institutional governance training, bringing independent judgement, financial rigour and strategic clarity to boards navigating growth, restructuring, digital transformation or investment readiness.
I offer real-life experience of both successes and failures from a varied career spent in both independent and corporate environments.
Career Achievements & Board-Level Impact
Mediacom Telecommunications Plc – Commercial Director
An early indirect access telecommunications provider serving B2B blue-chip clients across the UK.
- Joined during increasing market pressure from larger competitors.
- Renegotiated significant bank and supplier debt exposure.
- Designed and executed a turnaround strategy with founders.
- Negotiated and completed sale of the Group within six months to Telegroup Inc (NASDAQ listed).
- Invited to co-found as a minority investor Localtel/Screaming.net in recognition of commercial success.
Board relevance: strategic turnaround, creditor negotiation, exit execution, shareholder alignment.
Localtel / Screaming.net – Co-Founder & CEO
- Co-founded the UK’s first free-time ISP.
- 30,000 consumer customers within eight weeks of launch
- Opened two national call centres within six months, part grant funded.
- Achieved multi-million-pound turnover within 11 months.
- Managed regulatory disputes with British Telecom and OFTEL following deregulation.
- Secured two provisional orders against BT.
- Successfully litigated anti-competitive behaviour in the High Court.
- Negotiated multi-million pound sale to World Online International BV.
- Retained as CEO post-acquisition.
- Led UK integration under Tiscali, delivering £17m+ annual savings.
Board relevance: regulatory oversight, litigation governance, integration strategy, cost transformation, strategic sale execution.
IDG Holdings – Founder & Acquirer
- Acquired and integrated multiple B2B and retail businesses.
- Built group EBITDA through disciplined M&A.
- Structured portfolio rationalisation and exit.
- Maintained parallel angel investment portfolio.
Board relevance: acquisition governance, capital allocation discipline, value extraction strategy.
Gladstone PLC – Non-Executive Director
- Invested in turnaround phase at 3p per share.
- Collaborated with the executive team to reposition the business.
- Supported revenue and profitability growth.
- Exit achieved at over 25p per share to Constellation Software Group of Canada.
Board relevance: Software governance, shareholder value creation, PLC governance strategic oversight in a turnaround environment.
Retail, Multi-Site & Hospitality Leadership
Three Cooks Bakery Group – CEO (MBI)
- Acquired 250-site retail chain (£50m turnover).
- Delivered operational turnaround and rebrand.
- Developed an education catering subsidiary.
- Managed pre-pack and asset sale (including to Greggs PLC).
- Led MBO creating Innovate Services.
Innovate Services Limited – Founder & CEO
- Grew from one contract to over 100.
- Increased revenue from £170k to £19m within 4 years
- Directed successful management buyout led by impact investor.
Harbour & Jones & CH&Co Group – Executive Board Roles
- Delivered 10% revenue growth and 7% GP improvement pre-merger.
- Maximised earn-out performance, exceeding targets by 24%.
- Post-merger integration across the £152m revenue London division.
- Improved GP by 3% and reduced labour by 2.7%.
- Created a new £7m revenue stream through in-house staffing technology.
- Launched digital sales platform eve generating £1m+ in new revenue.
Camm & Hooper – CEO (Post-Covid Turnaround)
- Managed CVA process and complex creditor negotiations.
- Rebuilt senior leadership team.
- Released £2m+ working capital.
- Improved EBITDA through cost restructuring.
- Managed 350+ shareholders.
- Structured and executed sale through a pre-pack to Broadwick Entertainment Group, creating a platform for £40m food division growth.
Continuous Professional Development & AI Governance
I am committed to continual personal development to remain relevant to modern board environments.
- Accredited in behavioural sciences through DISCflex (International Coaching Association framework).
- Completed AI micro-courses through Ivee. (Mico AI Learning Courses)
- Completed formal certification in AI in business processes through Imperial College London.
- Continues to develop practical AI application knowledge through active board involvement.
Artificial Intelligence
Qtell – Board Advisor
Qtell is an AI-driven data intelligence and reporting platform serving the B2B hospitality and multi-site sector.
The platform applies artificial intelligence to:
- Consolidate fragmented operational and financial data into a single reporting environment
- Enable natural-language querying of business performance metrics
- Identify trends, anomalies and performance drivers in real time
- Deliver automated, actionable insights back into operational systems
Qtell moves beyond traditional dashboard reporting by embedding AI into daily decision-making, improving margin visibility, revenue optimisation and operational discipline.
Board relevance: AI governance, data integrity oversight, commercial insight automation, and scalable SaaS growth strategy.
Framework 42 – Board Advisor
Framework42 is an AI-enabled project and change management platform designed for change consultants, large accountancy practices and organisations implementing significant transformation programmes.
The platform utilises AI to:
- Structure and generate intelligent transformation frameworks
- Automate assessment processes
- Standardise reporting outputs
- Improve consistency and efficiency in complex change environments
Framework42 embeds AI within structured governance workflows, supporting disciplined project execution and measurable transformation outcomes
Strategic Advisory – CLARAI
Through CLARAI, I advise Leadership and boards on:
- Leadership development and behavioural profiling (DISCflex)
- AI integration into operational processes
- Commercial performance transformation
- Founder transition and governance maturity
This ensures that his board contribution is both grounded in traditional governance discipline and informed by emerging AI-led operational evolution.
Core Board Competencies
- Turnaround and restructuring oversight
- Debt renegotiation and creditor engagement
- M&A and post-merger integration
- Regulatory and litigation governance
- Multi-site operational governance
- Shareholder value creation
- Digital transformation and AI strategy input
- Governance in founder-to-investor transition
- Performance metrics and KPI accountability
- Executive succession and leadership development
Suitability for Non-Executive Appointment
As a non-executive member of your team, I offer:
- Independent, commercially grounded judgement
- Deep experience of scaling, restructuring and exiting businesses
- Practical understanding of investor and banking environments
- Exposure to both traditional industries and AI-enabled platforms
- Governance discipline supported by formal IOD training
- Calm oversight during crisis and transition
In Summary:
I provide the board with a unique blend of executive leadership, discipline, and founder instinct. I have successfully established, expanded, restructured, and exited businesses in regulated, technology-enabled, and multi-site environments, all while enhancing governance maturity and protecting shareholder value. I possess an understanding of capital, risk, and growth from both the executive and investor perspectives, and I provide a level-headed, impartial assessment when making decisions that are both commercially and reputationally significant. In summary, I provide strategic clarity, financial rigour, and constructive challenge, always in accordance with the creation of long-term value for all stakeholders.