Career.

Business Mentor.

UK
2019–2022

• Volunteer mentor on Manchester’s business mentor programme for early stage technology companies.
• Paying it forward to help Manchester’s next generation of tech entrepreneurs.
• Working with start-up companies for 12 months to help support them as they develop their business idea to launch.

Non-Executive Director.

UK
2013–2016

• Mentored CEO, enabling him to take company to 3 successive years of balance sheet growth.
• Motivated new approaches to business development, leading to major retailers becoming significant new customers.
• Led management team in creation of business plan for expansion of company, gaining consensus with Asian business partners in building a group vision and identity.
• Chaired board meetings, ensuring progress made on key issues. Introduced good management practices for financial oversight, risk mitigation, and monitoring of performance indicators.
• Steered relationships with new corporate business partners, developing company’s ability to be respected by much larger organisations.

Strategy Advisor.
Executive Mentor.

Enabled people and their companies to flourish by developing better business strategy and more effective marketing. 

UK & Europe
2003–2019

• Developed business strategy and more effective marketing for a wide variety of companies. Enabled clients to achieve targets for increased profitability, turnover and stability. Three years after working with one manufacturer they had “made more money than in the previous fifteen years”.
• Advised founders and boards of directors on future direction, based on audits of performance and analysis of potential for growth. Having convinced one group board of a clear path away from their confusing strategy, a board member commented: “His recommendations to the Board were insightful and extremely relevant.”
• Provided guidance on funding and financial management, leading to increased profits and greater stability.
• Mentored senior executives to guide them successfully through challenging business transitions. A CEO who massively improved his company’s performance said of Matthew: “A man of integrity who challenged me to think differently and helped me to become a better manager.”

European Marketing Director.

Europe
2001–2003

• Recruited high-calibre marketers across Europe to form cohesive team which achieved 150% of targets for creation of sales opportunities.
• Increased positive press coverage and favourable industry analyst reports by more than 100%, by conducting hundreds of briefings and interviews around Europe to introduce new product line.
• Left legacy of effective multi-country working practices designed to encourage cooperation and wisely use available budget for maximum impact.

Vice President, Marketing EMEA.

Every stage of the journey from disruptive startup to world leadership.

UK, USA, Europe
1993–2000

• Built UK professional services team, where the processes developed became the blueprint for worldwide subsidiaries. Responsible for all UK contractual, legal and financial matters. 
• Two years in Connecticut HQ driving strategy of core products, resulting in 100s of millions of dollars in sales of a new generation of software products. 
• Recruited and led pan-European teams for product marketing, competitive analysis and marketing communications. Masterminded all pan-European marketing events and communications, including annual European customer conference. Built customer community long before social media made it easy.
• Crafted a positive market presence for the company formed by the merger of Hyperion with a rival. Equipped salespeople with the tools and information they needed to increase sales with a more complex product line.

Volunteer Business Mentor.

• Provided support and inspiration to young people starting their own businesses in food, retail, and entertainment.

Chair.

• Injected new energy into the monthly meeting to increase the engagement of members. Sourced and coached stimulating speakers. Increased attendance by 50%. Encouraged new Chamber memberships.
• Drove Breakfast Club to be the premier business networking event in the region. Set benchmark for future chairs.

Governor.

• Played pivotal role in campaign to keep the school open when threatened with closure.
• Provided supportive and challenging oversight as governor.

BSc (Hons) Computer Science.

• Wrote programs for computers that now appear in museums.
• Was very handy with decks of hand punched cards and paper tape.
• Learned the fundamentals of elegant system design and efficient architecture.