Stabilise.
Optimise.
Scale.

Interim CFO & COO for SMEs under pressure. Turnarounds, fundraises, exits — embedded leadership that moves fast.

Let's talk About Howard
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Years' experience
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Fundraises secured
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Exit value delivered
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To first progress

What I do

Three things, done properly.

Not advisory. Not consulting. Embedded interim leadership — in the room, on the payroll, accountable for the outcome.

01
Turnaround, Crisis & Distressed
When the business is under pressure — cash running out, costs escalating, revenue declining — this is where the work starts. Remediation plans within weeks, not months.
  • Rapid diagnostic and remediation plan (typically 2–3 weeks)
  • Immediate cash flow control and overhead reduction
  • Stakeholder, creditor, and investor management
  • Revenue recovery through commercial initiatives
  • Team stabilisation and retention through uncertainty
  • De facto CEO role where required during the turnaround
02
Fundraise & Exit Preparation
Prepare the business to raise capital or sell. Investor-grade financials, scenario modelling, data room preparation, and due diligence support — through to completion.
  • Financial modelling and scenario analysis
  • Investor deck preparation and presentation
  • Data room assembly and due diligence gatekeeper
  • Bank and lender negotiations (trade finance, overdraft, RCF)
  • Post-deal integration and reporting alignment
  • Multi-party and convertible structures
03
Operational Modernisation & Transformation
Beyond finance. Process efficiency, team structure, technology stack, and the operational discipline needed to scale without breaking.
  • Finance function rebuild: reporting, close process, FP&A
  • ERP implementation or migration (BC, Xero, Netsuite)
  • KPI and metrics frameworks across all departments
  • CRM rebuild and commercial MI development
  • Automation and technology stack modernisation
  • Cross-functional alignment (Sales, Ops, Marketing, Finance)

How I work

The approach

Hands-on leadership for businesses with £200k to £30m turnover. Typically 3–12 months, starting within days.

1
Stabilise
  • Stop the bleed with immediate cash flow control
  • Purposeful spending with immediate ROI
  • Initiate commercial initiatives to encourage growth
  • Empower, collaborate, and communicate to align on direction
2
Optimise
  • Analyse revenue streams and product mix through FP&A
  • Reset KPIs with department-focused metrics to drive behaviour
  • Reinforce mission alignment and ensure each person understands their contribution
3
Scale
  • Build sustainable growth frameworks through sprint-mindset delivery
  • Prioritise objectives and deliver in agile bursts
  • Create process efficiencies that free up time for strategic growth

These phases are delivered concurrently — I work fast. The nature of turnaround doesn't allow for traditional "90-day plans". Tangible progress across all three areas within 14 days.

Selected engagements

The numbers behind the work.

Every engagement is different. What they share: urgency, complexity, and measurable outcomes.

Sustainable Lighting & eCommerce — COO & CFO
4 months' cash runway. Turned profitable in 9 months.
VC-backed consumer brand, £5m turnover. Escalating cost base, declining revenue, limited runway. De facto CEO during the turnaround.
  • Positive EBITDA within 9 months
  • 35% overhead reduction in 5 months
  • 20% YoY revenue increase
  • >£1m working capital unlocked
  • Secured follow-on funding round after restoring investor confidence
Identity Verification SaaS — Head of Finance & Ops
Scaled operations through to $100m NASDAQ exit.
VC-backed B2B SaaS, £7m turnover. Managed 75-person operations team alongside finance function.
  • $100m acquisition at 11x revenue
  • 100% SLA achievement (missed in preceding months)
  • 50% team growth while revenue doubled
  • Salesforce CRM rebuilt in 6 weeks
  • Only region to meet every post-acquisition deadline
PE-Backed Managed Services — Finance Director
Stabilised finance team with 140% pre-arrival attrition.
B2B SaaS and managed services, £30m turnover. PE-owned, preparing for exit. Finance function in disarray.
  • 100% staff retention throughout tenure (15-person team)
  • 25% gross margin improvement
  • Board-approved restructure plan in month 1
  • ERP reimplemented in 3 weeks
International Fashion Brand — Finance Director
Revenue growth from 10% to forecast 70% YoY.
Founder-led B2B fashion, £5m turnover. Stagnating growth, working capital constraints, US expansion ambitions.
  • EBITDA improved from sub-5% to 15%
  • £250k working capital improvement
  • Reporting reduced from 15 to 5 days
  • US expansion: legal structure, 3PL, EOR partners

Track record

Proven across structures

Founder-led, VC-backed, and PE-owned. The fundamentals of turnaround and growth transcend investment structure.

>£20m
Fundraises secured
$100m
Exit value delivered
12+
Sectors transformed
Founder-led

Guiding founder-led businesses through critical growth transitions, operational challenges, and fundraises — providing the CFO/COO discipline they haven't had.

VC-backed

Stabilising, optimising, and professionalising portfolio companies for venture capital firms under tight timelines and investor scrutiny.

PE-owned

Delivering returns for private equity investors through SLT alignment, margin improvement, and disciplined focus on exit-readiness.

Sectors

Industries I've worked in

Industry agnostic by design. The fundamentals of turnaround transcend sector.

Private Healthcare
Diagnostic imaging, fundraise to fuel growth
Fashion
B2B brand, international expansion
SaaS
B2B platforms, marketplace, managed services
Construction
Industry accreditation, pricing, positioning
Furniture & Lighting
Design, manufacturing, distribution
Private Jet Chartering
Luxury aviation, financial discipline
Hospitality
Michelin-starred restaurants, gyms, F&B
Identity Verification
Regulated fintech onboarding
eCommerce
DTC and wholesale, sustainable brands
Digital Agency
Web design, acquisition readiness
Interior Design
Creative services, project management
Low-Carbon Tech
Sustainable product development

Next step

Let's have a conversation.

If your business is under pressure — cashflow, growth, leadership, or all three — let's talk. No pitch deck. Just a direct conversation about what needs to happen next.

Get in touch howard@bigbraincompany.co.uk