“I like identifying and connecting the dots.”
The systems years
Alan went to Erith Grammar School and built his early career in technology. He spent several years at Unisys, working in a range of roles.
He then became a partner at Pontis Consulting. His work there covered financial services consulting and technical project management, along with designing and integrating systems. He also ran technical training.
Systems design is still one of the skills people endorse him for, and it shows in how he talks about business. He looks at the whole of a company and how its parts connect.
Boards and investment
From consulting Alan moved into company building and investment. He was a director of Highland Fund Managers. In London he was a director of Timberyard.
He served as a non-executive director of Nektan plc in Gibraltar. For close to ten years he was a partner in Deep Ventures, an early-stage investment fund.
“Alan is an excellent addition to any Board or business.”Barry McGovern, in a LinkedIn recommendation
The same recommendation calls him thorough and incredibly quick to spot opportunities. Alan says he can help with most types of finance, from debt to equity, and with turnarounds when a business needs one.
Freeformers
Alan co-founded Freeformers with Gi Fernando and Emma Cerrone, and was one of its directors for more than ten years.
The company went on to build TeamTogether. Its idea was simple. Important messages get lost in digital noise, but people trust what they hear from a colleague, so TeamTogether lets messages reach employees through the people they work with.
During the pandemic Alan also volunteered with frontline.live, a volunteer-led project that mapped the PPE needs of frontline workers in real time so supplies could reach them.
The work now
Alan now works freelance. He is keen to help founders and business owners understand and grow the value of their businesses, mostly small and medium-sized firms, from formation to exit. He is happy to be hands-on, and works remotely or travels as the job needs.
He sees transformation in more places than most. A turnaround is one. So is finding the finance that lets a small business grow. He can work alone, and he draws on a growing network of professionals and firms when a job needs more.
“A real opportunity to make a real difference is important to me.”Alan, on LinkedIn
He is also a trustee of The LoveReading Foundation, a new charity working to tackle inequality in children’s access to books.
The path
From systems consulting to the boardroom, and back to the founders.
- Erith Grammar School
School in Kent.
- Unisys
A range of roles.
- Pontis Consulting
Partner. Financial services consulting and systems integration.
- John Best Racing
Director, in Kent.
- Highland Fund Managers
Director.
- Timberyard
Director, in London.
- Freeformers
Co-founder and director. Builder of TeamTogether.
- Deep Ventures
Partner in an early-stage investment fund.
- Nektan plc
Non-executive director.
- frontline.live
Volunteer on the open map of PPE needs.
- Freelance
Sounding board and adviser to founders and business owners.
- The LoveReading Foundation
Trustee.
- Group Partners
Part of the Expert Network.
In his own words
“To me, a turnaround project is a transformation.”
“I enjoy problem solving and like operational and strategic challenges equally.”
“Particularly keen to help founders and business owners that want to develop calm businesses of value to themselves, their teams and wider society.”
“Scale is not a major issue for me. I like small and large scale opportunities and anything in between.”
“Many aspects of design and innovation will remain with humans for a long time yet: possibly for ever.”
“The stats reflecting access to books make for depressing analysis, and I am committed to trying to improve those stats in whatever way possible.”