Download CV Dec2 2013 - Institute for Turnaround

Nick Alexander
Willow Cottage, Norwell Woodhouse, Newark, Notts. NG23 6NG
07767 306255
[email protected]
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Entrepreneurial and energetic CEO, Chairman and NED successfully
delivering improvement in business performance.
First-hand knowledge of being under spotlight of funders/stakeholders in
a crisis and the special challenges this brings to directors, managers and
staff.
Particularly successful with businesses in mature sectors responding to
changing markets or challenging market conditions, bringing market
focus and re-alignment of the business accordingly.
Target companies up to £20m debt, 500 staff, mature sectors, multi-site.
Style is supporting teams to deliver at every level of an organisation to
regain focus and rebuild stakeholder confidence.
Experience of successfully managing key relationships, particularly bank
business support to subsequent successful acquisition, capital
investment, business start-up and management buyout.
Experience of leading management buyout.
Candidate for the Institute for Turnaround.
Key Activities
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Business performance turnaround
o Delivering strategies to improve cash positions, profits and adding
shareholder value.
o Cash flow forecasting, installation of robust financial controls and MIS.
o Restructuring board, senior teams and divisional structures.
o Reducing and simplifying departments, structures and headcount.
o Extensive coaching and mentoring.
o Champion of quality measures and key performance indicators.
o Careful management of key relationships.
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Management of company under Business Support
o Exposure to bank’s special situations divisions, IBR, cash management,
budgeting and control and bank’s external advisors.
o Pension challenges (trustees, regulator, closure of final salary
scheme/replacement with defined contribution scheme).
o Arranging sale and lease-back of property.
o Careful handling of creditors, credit insurers, rating agencies.
o Managing key relationships (shareholders, creditors, staff, customers,
press).
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Sales and product management
o Particular experience in re-energising and re-vitalising businesses in
mature sectors, challenging markets and companies looking for growth.
o Key to understanding market positioning, USPs and adjusting product
ranges, opening new products and markets.
o Ensuring resources and structure are appropriate to deliver success.
o Success in diverse sectors including;
 Specialist (£70m) Hedge Fund
 Catalogue and magazine printing
 Mailing and envelope enclosing
 Specialist retail
o Hands on sales management and negotiation with key customers in UK and
USA, including LOCOG/Olympics 2012.
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M&A Activity
o Target selection, funding options, commercial and legal due diligence.
o Strategic positioning and budgets.
o Working with administrators over acquisition opportunities.
o Management of stakeholders post deal (staff, customers, suppliers, credit
agencies, press) and integration.
o Awarded Insider Magazine ‘South Yorkshire Deal of the Year 2009/10’.
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Non-executive director (2009-12)
o Requested to join the board of Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of
Commerce as NED to support organisational turnaround after an
unsuccessful merger.
o Chamber on the verge of insolvency.
o Supported management and chairman to make changes to CEO,
headcount, market positioning.
o Term of office expired October 2012 by which time key assets returned to
Chamber ownership, year-end surplus, strong position within the Sheffield
City Region and Local Enterprise Partnership.
Career Summary
Chairman, Acorn Web Offset
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Led £2.5m MBO of Acorn Web Offset from Garnett Dickinson Group supported by
HSBC.
o Turnover £15.9m
o Increase profit from £191,494 (2012) to £506,422 (2013)
o 104 employees
Chairman, Aberdeen Industry Investments Limited.
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March 2013 - current
March 2013 - current
Aberdeen Industry Investments undertakes investments in companies sub £50m
t/o and is an investor in Acorn Web Offset.
Director, Positive Turnaround Management
June 2013- current
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Established Positive Turnaround Management to offer practical, hands-on advice
to companies needing special support when trying to avoid a crisis.
Active management and delivery of projects from; improving cash positions,
market positioning, sales management, company restructuring and turnaround
situations, refinancing, company management under business support, banking
relationships, financial management, acquisitions and disposals.
Most effective outcome for those businesses facing market turmoil and/or
disruptive technologies, or where there is a strong product or service which has
not been as successful at winning business as originally planned.
Current projects;
o Specialist retail business (Sheffield)
o Specialist Hedge Fund (London)
Group Chief Executive, Garnett Dickinson Holdings
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2006 – March 2013
Group profits increased from loss of (£2.15m) (2006) to profit of £1.05m (2008).
Debt reduced from £19.13m (2006) to £3.5m (2013).
Group sales turnover increased from £25m (2006) to £47m (2011).
Improved manufacturing productivity to sector upper quartile sales per employee.
Headcount reduced from 400 to 347 with increased in turnover.
Created trusted banking and creditor relationships, especially Barclays and HSBC.
Successfully returned to normal banking team in 2007.
Acquisition of competitor from Guardian Media/APAX Capital in 2009.
Introduced culture of continuous productivity improvement and cost reduction.
Reduced and updated product ranges and expansion in to new and vertical
markets.
Group Sales Director, Garnett Dickinson Group
2002 – 2006
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Launched magazines in to local sub-region
Increased total Group sales from £21.7m (2002) to £25m (2006).
Increased publishing division revenues by 42% (to £8.3m).
Increased Garnett Dickinson Print sales by 5% (to £16.7m).
Repositioned markets and rebranded all Group divisions.
Introduced marketing partnership with McLaren F1.
Managing Director, Garnett Dickinson Print
1998 – 2002
Newspaper sales and marketing manager, Garnett Dickinson Group
1995 – 1998
Manager Magazine Division, Garnett Dickinson Publishing
1992 – 1995
Production Controller, AFCC Sports Marketing Ltd.
1990 – 1992
Qualifications and membership
MBA (Financial Studies), Sheffield Business School. 2002
Postgraduate Certificate in accounting and finance (Dip.AF ACCA), Sheffield Hallam. 1996
Diploma from the Communication, Advertising and Marketing Foundation (MCAM). 1994
BA (Hons) Business Studies and Public Media, Leeds. 1991
Non-Executive directorships
Non Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce (Barnsley and Rotherham) Limited.
2009-October 2012
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NED during turnaround leading to successful restructuring and financial
repositioning.
Outside activities
Represented GBR at ITU European Long Distance (‘Ironman’) Triathlon Championships,
France September 2013.
Freeman of the City of London.