Acquisition Experience:

  • Actively involved in the integration strategy and its implementation following acquisitions of Rich Inc, Equisoft, ESL, and Effix Systemes.
  • Actively involved in the acquisition of Teknekron Software Systems, now TIBCO. Personally responsible for both HSR and OFT submissions and depositions. Mapped out a radical strategy for initial preservation of competing product lines which led to joint 95% market share. Subsequently we split the company and integrated part into Reuters market data systems business and floated TIBCO Software independently.

Board experience:

  • Independent Chairman Reuters Pension Fund and Reuters SPS
  • Chairman SmithBayes Ltd
  • Non Executive Director IT&e Limited a financial services company listed on ASX and AIM.
  • Executive committee member at Reuters
  • Served on Reuters local company boards; e.g. Reuters Italy, Reuters Norway, Reuters Switzerland, RTSL Ltd., as well as Reuters Subsidiaries, e.g. Rich Inc, Equisoft, ESL Pty, Effix SA. Board member of Atriax, a Chase, Citibank, Deustchebank and Reuters JV.
  • Director of several start ups; e.g. Braid Systems, Calibre Technology Ltd, First Computer; advisor to Nervewireless
  • Chairman of Woldingham Parish Council

Building Businesses:

  • Chairman of start up SmithBayes and raised initial Angel finance
  • Made Reuters board proposal to Reuters to establish Atriax a JV with 3 of the world’s largest banks to provide and FX transactional portal. Appointed to the board. Set the company up from scratch, including recruitment of the CEO and management team. Defended Atriax and its shareholders at a hearing of the DOJ in the US (against complaints of monopoly in the FX marketplace). The company reached 100 staff and launched its product achieving good market share. Following the .com bomb the market consolidated and we eventually merged Atriax with FXAll the other major multi-bank portal.
  • Director of Effix Systems, following its acquisition by Reuters, for over 5 years, during which we grew a new Risk business to £100m p.a. and staff from 13 to over 300.
  • Determined strategy for Reuters Triarch digital market data software platform and grew revenues to £200m p.a., and market share to >85%, in technical development, product marketing, and business line ownership roles.
  • Started own company, Calibre Technology, which I wound up having failed to reach critical mass for the product we developed.
  • Founder director of Braid Systems; acted as Sales Director. Built business to 50% UK market share in a year. £1.5m revenue, 35 employees. Raised venture capital (Octagon, £1.3m for 13% equity). Board split over accepting venture funding. Largest shareholder bought others out over a year. 10 yrs later company sold for $100m.
  • Developed Logica’s Master Control telemetry product offering; grossed £75m sales.

P&L & Cost Management Experience (in addition to board experience above):

  • Ran Reuters global Trading Systems division; £700m revenue, 50% gross margin, 1700 staff.
  • Ran Reuters Transactions division; £400m revenue, 50% gross margin.
  • Ran Logica’s Automation Systems division £5m revenue
  • Active involvement in cost management during Reuters various cost management plans; totalling 5,000 redundancies. Savings through combinations of salami cuts, sourcing, outsourcing and business transformation. Have led several major rationalisation programs.

People Experience:

  • Have hired several high profile people within Reuters and coached a number of A+ staff.
  • Have experience of personally having to let go several high level non-performers.
  • Have experience in working in the USA and Switzerland and in multi-cultural teams.

Strategy:

  • Have designed successful strategies for both Reuters (e.g. Reuters ‘open systems’, market data platforms and solutions business) and Logica (e.g. their very successful ‘automation systems’ product line in water, gas, and electricity sectors)