Growth has outpaced the management rhythm
The business is still moving, but the board needs a clearer view of what is carrying the strain.
Available for Non-Executive Director and Board Chair conversations
Non-Executive Director for technology founders, boards and investors.
I work with technology and tech-enabled businesses when growth, customer quality, go-to-market strategy or founder dependence have made the business harder to read clearly.
Non-Executive Director
SME Board Chair
Board Advisor
My background includes senior commercial roles at Hyperion and Informatica across Europe and the USA, 16 years advising boards and management teams, and prior SME Board Chair experience. I am looking for Non-Executive Director and Board Chair roles where software experience, international commercial judgement and independent board challenge are valued.
Situations
Where I can help a board
Reports are full, confidence is thin
The pack is full, yet the important commercial signal is still hard to find.
Founder dependence is becoming a risk
The founder remains central to momentum, decisions and customer confidence.
Customer quality needs more scrutiny
Revenue may look healthy while concentration, churn, margin or delivery pressure tells a different story.
Investor expectations are rising
The business needs to show the judgement, evidence and operating discipline behind its growth story.
The next decision is unclear
Everyone can name the symptoms. The board still needs to decide what matters most.
Experience
Board and commercial evidence
2019 to present
Independent Commercial Advisor
Advising founders, CEOs and investors in the UK, Europe and the USA on commercial due diligence, market position and growth credibility.
2013 to 2016
Board Chair, Britannia Garment Packaging
Chaired an SME board, strengthened governance and mentored the CEO through 3 years of balance-sheet growth.
2003 to 2019
Goldsbrough Consulting
Spent 16 years advising businesses across technology, finance, health, education and manufacturing, including clients in Europe and the USA.
1989 to 2003
Hyperion and Informatica
Held senior commercial and marketing roles across UK, European and US enterprise software markets, including years working around Europe and living in Connecticut.
Evidence
Why the Non-Executive Director offer is credible
- Prior Non-Executive Director and Board Chair experience in a UK SME from 2013 to 2016.
- Senior enterprise software roles with Hyperion and Informatica across Europe and the USA.
- 16 years advising boards and management teams across technology, finance, education, health and manufacturing, with clients in Europe and the USA.
- Practical understanding of different cultures and working practices from international operating and advisory work.
- Mentoring for founders and young entrepreneurs.
- Published author of Business Plans Made Really Simple.
Thinking
Boardroom observations
I write about SME boards, AI governance, commercial risk, integrity and the small signals that tell a board whether a management story deserves confidence.
AI spend, productivity, governance and the risks hidden inside an apparently simple approval.
Founder dependence, investment horizon and the board's duty to see the person holding the business together.
Why strategy only becomes useful when the board can see what has been chosen and what must be left behind.
Contact