Successfully ran the operation by running a very tight budget, significantly reducing costs, upgrading staff without increasing overheads, attracting new members via local marketing campaign and maximising income from both the golf course and clubhouse facilities through innovative marketing and advertising schemes.

After 6 years at Huntercombe, I believe that I made a very significant difference to the Club, both financially and operationally, leaving the club in an excellent state of health. It is one of the few Clubs in the area with a waiting list, substantial entrance fees, increasing turnover and very modest annual increases in subscription. The average annual subscription rise since I joined the Club was around 3.5%.On joining the Club in 2002, it was evident that there were significant challenges with staffing issues and deficiencies evident in all departments of the Club and which required a substantial re-organisation exercise. Subsequently we have successfully recruited a new Head Chef, Deputy Chef, Steward, Club Professional, Assistant Secretary, book-keeper and additionally, by means of a re-structuring plan, made the Head Greenkeeper redundant and re-organised the green department under the Course Manager.When I arrived, it was apparent that the Course had been allowed to deteriorate and the greens in particular, had become unacceptably substandard: the Club was losing societies because of the state of the Course and Members were becoming dissatisfied. The remedial action, which I facilitated, required both investment in people and equipment. I believe that my main achievement is the significant improvement in the quality of the Course and both Members and visitors have commented favourably on the improvements. The society revenues saw significant uplifts and the service to both Members and visitors in the Clubhouse improved significantly.

Started the agency with 2 partners in 1990 and built it up to a size of £3 million billing equivalent. My key areas of responsibility as Managing Partner/Chief Executive: full P&L responsibility, staff recruitment, business development, company marketing, key agency account handling, financial and budgetary control. My entrepreneurial skills allowed me to generate new accounts from networking, contacts and new business techniques. By using my revenue generating knowledge of the advertising agency procedures, I maximised the profitability of the business, particularly by strong negotiating skills and the integration computer systems into the business, thereby reducing staffing levels and external bought-out services. My role covered all the secondary aspects of running a company: HR, employment and contractual issues, legal, financial, accounting and tax matters, VAT, insurance, PAYE and day-to-day management of staff and external suppliers.

Joined GSP at a time of severe financial difficulty for the company following the departure of the previous MD who had been less than successful and had allowed the key accounts to drift away and the resultant senior staff defections. However I quickly stabilised the overall business, up-graded the quality of the staff through an urgent recruitment campaign, brought in a key staff training programme, improved the quality of the agency’s creative, media and production output and efficiency, implemented a new business development strategy programme and re-organised the company’s purchasing procedures to maximise revenues. My detailed understanding of agency revenue generation allied to strong financial control, attention to detail and business sense meant that during my tenure as Managing Director, the company’s turnover and profitability and standing within the industry improved substantially. It was also a better place to work at after my tenure.

Originally joined Millest Brooks Edman in March 1985 as Client Services Director, which then became Brooks Edman, which then acquired Legon Bloomfield to produce Brooks Legon Bloomfield where I was New Business Director.