EXPERIENCE
Reaching maturity.
Again and again.
BALMOOR LIMITED, London, UK
Founder & Director, 11/2016 – present
Business established to provide CFO services, capital raising, and corporate finance advisory services.
2017 to present
Created business plan for FLOWERBX Limited (leading to full-time CFO role from 2018-9).
Interim joint head of the finance team for Civitas Social Housing Plc., a FTSE 250 social housing REIT, during a period that included an equity capital raise of £302M, debt issue of £92.5M and audit.
Managed £40M of acquisitions for Civitas, supervising external lawyers and accountants.
Developed business plan and consolidated accounts for an international luxury goods group, Classic Leather Group.
SP ANGEL CORPORATE FINANCE, London, UK
Senior Director, 3/2006 – 6/2016
Corporate Finance boutique established by former HSBC colleagues. Executed multiple transactions including private equity funding, AIM IPO’s, secondary placings, restructuring, M&A, and general advisory work. Sector coverage included real estate, agriculture, cleantech and renewables, technology, resources, engineering, and pharma.
Part of original team including former colleagues from HSBC that grew the firm from 6 to 25 employees.
Raised EIS funding of £2.25M for Duvas Technologies from Calculus Capital 2015-16; helped originate deal, secured investor and negotiated investment terms.
Key member of team running the IPO of Ironridge Resources in 2015, the first resources IPO on AIM for over 18 months with a market cap of £24M on admission.
Worked closely with the owners and management of Opes, UK based renewables project to restructure the business, create a new business plan and financial model and negotiate a VCT fund raise of £8M in order to construct a material recycling facility as the first stage of a waste-to-energy project.
Conducted a strategic review for AIM quoted Nordic Land Plc following the credit crisis due to declining asset values and refinancing concerns, culminating in the sale of the real estate portfolio, repayment of debt, return of capital and liquidation of the group in order to preserve value for shareholders.
Fulfilled the CFO role for Nordic Land, supervising operations across Sweden, Luxembourg and Jersey, for four years after the removal of the external manager by the Board; formulated budgets, consulted with tax advisers to minimise tax leakage across the group and managed finance and legal teams in multiple jurisdictions.
Member of a team of six that originated, structured and successfully closed the IPO of Deutsche Land on AIM, raising over €200M for a company investing in German retail properties and ultimately advising on it sale to a European property group .
Ran the equity research function for SP Angel from 2006-12.
REES POLLOCK, London, UK
ACA Trainee, 4/1999-1/2001
PwC, London, UK ACA Trainee, 9/1997-1/1999
FLOWERBX LIMITED, London, UK
CFO, 4/2018 – 4/2019
Ecommerce retailer of luxury flowers and floral accessories headquartered in London with operations in Europe and the USA, backed by leading fashion investors including founding team of Net a Porter. Led all aspects of the finance function throughout a key period of transformation.
Part of an executive management team that increased YoY revenue by 130%, closed a Series A fund raise of £4.2M and expanded into multiple overseas territories.
Worked with existing and new shareholders throughout fund raise.
Prepared 5-year business plan prior to fund raise.
Transformed P&L reporting to segment between business lines.
Managed setting up of international subsidiaries in Holland and the US, supervising lawyers, tax advisers to ensure robust structures.
Coordinated IT and accounting functions to integrate ecommerce and accounting systems.
Worked closely with business lines to implement new controls, month end processes, budgets and reporting structures to prepare business for continued growth.
Worked with warehouse teams to introduce new stock controls and reporting.
Managed accounting function through two audits.
Introduced new pricing methodology for all business lines to increase margins.
KRATON POLYMERS, London, UK
Global Business Analyst 5/2004 - 3/2006
Reporting to the head of Europe & Asia and then the head of 2 global business units of a global specialty chemicals company, formerly a division of Shell and owned by Texas Pacific Group and JP Morgan Private Equity, now listed on the NYSE.
Evaluation of and due diligence on potential acquisition targets; strategic analysis, operational analysis including identification and implementation of performance improvements, pricing strategies, optimisation of manufacturing and supply decisions, monitoring of customer /product performance and commercial assessment of new products.
HSBC INVESTMENT BANK, London, UK
Associate, International Team, Corporate Finance & Advisory, 3/2001 – 2/2004
Initially hired into the MBA and graduate scheme, with placements in FX, Treasury and Capital Markets, a corporate finance team within private banking, then finally the International Team, Corporate Finance Advisory, focusing on the EMEA region (hired into this team at the end of the scheme).
Private placement of 20% of the share capital of Power Machines, the major manufacturer of Power Generation Equipment in Russia and the CIS.
Strategy report for a Peruvian client assessing the strategic options for their stake in a Peruvian gold mine.
Financial modelling for a private equity fund in the Latin American Region.
Valuation of three cement plants owned by the Algerian Government prior to privatisation, then analysis of the strategic options for the privatisation process.
Valuation work for a Canadian cable company seeking to acquire local operators and list in Poland.