Richard Brooks BCom, CA, Chief Executive -

Richard qualified at Ernst & Whinney and became Financial Controller of Samuelson Group plc and Finance Director of Samuelson Communications Ltd at the age of 28.

In 1990 he moved to Laserpoint Communications Ltd as Finance Director. In 1991 he was appointed as Managing Director as part of an agreement with the courts to put the company into administration. He restored its solvency and handed it back to its founder a year later when he joined FD Solutions.

Since then he has developed particular expertise in manufacturing and food businesses, where he has reorganised systems to match the manufacturing processes so that customers’ needs are met and cashflow thereby improved. Richard’s most significant achievements in this period are:

• From 1998 to 2003, helping an entrepreneur turn round his manufacturing business from a loss-making operation to £35m turnover in four years, making £4m profit along the way. Richard managed the cashflow to targets negotiated with lenders and creditors, and improved systems for invoicing and reporting using Sage Line 100 and then Sage Enterprise.
• Between 1999 and 2000 he helped establish a VC-backed invoice discounting operation with turnover of £100m and a back-office of only 30, by designing and implementing a system based on Systems Union Sun.
• From 2000 to 2003 he helped an NHS body to treble in size by negotiating an outsourcing contract with the Department of Health.
• Helped a small utility company groom itself for sale and assisted the management in buying it back.