Firm offering SMEs ‘grey hairs’ in the boardroom expands into North West

Mark Wilson

A company which helps SMEs to scale up rapidly by giving them access to experienced part-time directors is expanding into the North West with the launch of a Manchester office.

Bristol-based BoardroomAdvisors.co.uk has appointed Mark Wilson, the former managing director of Mamas and Papas, to spearhead its operation and build its team in the region.

The company aims to disrupt the recruitment market by providing direct access to a talent pool of part-time executive directors for commercial, operations and CEO roles. It allows scale-ups, SMEs and their private equity backers to rapidly fill gaps in the management team, with no recruitment fees and a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

Mark Wilson spent 16 years at Mamas and Papas, growing turnover from £14m to £120m, and was also MD of activity toy specialist Plum Products and on the board of leading Turkish private equity firm Actera Group. His specialist areas include e-commerce.

Mark says: “The North West has a vibrant start-up scene and is a hotbed of enterprise and innovation. BoardroomAdvisors.co.uk provides senior advisers who understand the issues businesses face and how to get around them.

“We can help them to achieve their strategic goals – whether that is business growth, finding funding or planning for an exit. However in these troubled times it may be more important to focus on productivity and cash flow, and if tough decisions need to be made, we have the experience to help them make the right call.”

BoardroomAdvisors.co.uk was founded by Bristol-based John Courtney, who has founded seven businesses and been listed as one of the country’s top 100 entrepreneurs. It now operates in South Wales and Scotland.

“Having a few ‘grey hairs’ in the boardroom can be invaluable for small firms. Our members have all founded, built and sold businesses and they have experience managing in difficult times and different economic conditions.”