Alison Spencer

Created a varied, and profitable business, engaging in a diverse mix of consultancy engagements, varying in deliverables, and length of engagement. Highlights from my consultancy include:

SAGE Publishing Limited

Managed two successful technology acquisitions (Sciwheel and Epigeum) to compliment the parent companies portfolio. As part of this I:

• Managed the due diligence process
• Advised and guided the executive board on the mergers and acquisitions
• Provided post acquisition support and guidance on the integration

Talis Group Limited

Post leaving my role as CEO, I continued in a role of consultancy for 12 months the role covered:

• Supporting market knowledge
• Enabling strategic relationship transfer
• Identifying key growth opportunities
• Providing mentoring to the senior leadership team
• Delivering partership guidance and advice

res:harmonics

Interim COO (fractional basis) and achieved:

• Growth in SaaS revenue by 35%; increasing revenue from established and new customers
• Stabilised (and grew) top 10 customers (which account for 70% of revenue)
• Implemented business strategy and planning process
• Implemented a communication strategy across the business to drive alignment
• Implemented work processes to underpin accelerated growth
• Established new recruitment and onboarding approach
• Created an operational structure to support the next phase of growth
• Established a professional service offering supporting the growth of SaaS revenue

I was accountable for the ongoing success of Talis, creating and delivering the strategy relating to all teams and functions, while maintaining an understanding of the changing macro environment. Moving from two years of flat growth, I implemented strategies to uplift revenue by 8% in 2021 while managing costs, at the point I exited the business in 2022 it was tracking to achieve 10% growth. Key achievements include:

• Established a successful strategic plan for the coming 5 years
• Implemented a business planning process to drive the success of the strategy
• Established the mission of the business, and alignment of values moving forward
• Managed the non executive board relationship
• Owned reporting and chaired board meetings
• Collaborated with the parent organisation to pivot and create a new service in response to COVID, delivering over £1m of revenue in the first year for the parent company (SAGE Catalyst)
• Introduced a new product category to market driving revenue from £5k to over £100k in a year
• Delivered a strategic partnership with an industry leader to drive growth internationally
• Recruited, and established a new senior leadership team, working to mentor and develop their skills following the exit of multiple leaders post the sale of the business
• Introduced a communication strategy, complementing the business plan, to bring alignment across the business
• Worked to integrate core functions into the parent organisation to achieve efficiencies
• Established robust, reliable, repeatable delivery of service
• Worked to identify further technology business acquisitions for the parent organisation

My key achievement in this role was to create (and execute) a transition plan for the founders (who were big characters) to exit the business in a graceful and managed way. Other achievements include:

• Lead the business operationally post acquisition by SAGE Publishing Ltd
• Established a recruitment strategy for a distributed organisation
• Joined the Talis Board
• Owned monthly reporting and budgeting process (for the business and to the board)
• Established a community Advisory Board
• Transitioned the business to being a fully distributed organisation
• Identified synergies in how the business could better work with the parent organisation

My key achievement in this role was to scale the the business, while managing costs (grew from 10 - 100 universities globally). Other achievements include:

• Delivered the growth of market opportunity in Australia and New Zealand from startup, this represents circa 20% of subscription revenue at my time of exit
• Established a global approach to services
• Commercialised complimentary services
• Worked to establish new market opportunities
• Onshored support and consulting services
• Managed business restructuring, and closing of a business division

This role focused on driving efficiency, and synergy between teams, taking responsibility for products and services from point of inception through to 10+ years support.

This role focused on how to drive value add revenue from within the community of users.

My role encompassed the complete development lifecycle, from inception of an idea, through to the implementation of customers using the tool to market and sell their used car stock.

My role focused on how to commercialise the pharmaceutical companies in an ethical way, to enable this community to retain its independence, while being free to the doctors who were members.

My role focused on supporting pre sales right through to delivering the supply chain management service for the end retailer and their diverse community of suppliers.