Richard Williams

Overview:

I have worked at Unispace for 4 years with a focus of enhancing our company methodology and building brand-driven client relationships. In my roles, I have led project teams to strategise, win and nurture Global Client relationships across regions.

I have acted in various guises as Project Director, Client Relations Director, Global Account Lead and Head of Sales, furthering the business and single-handly driving £20m+ of Account revenue in each year

In Detail:

In my roles I

• Provide leadership for successful team performance.
• Develop new business partnerships for expansion of market reach.
• Work with our 48 studies to provide true global service across my Account base.
• Drive regional sales growth by identifying and securing opportunities in untapped markets.
• Establish a strong presence in international markets through extensive networking and relationship building.
• Cultivate a high-performing sales culture, resulting in employee satisfaction and retention.
• Implement robust sales processes, leading to improved efficiency.
• Champion customer-centric approaches, enhancing brand loyalty.
• Leverage industry trends for competitive advantage.
• Provide leadership for successful team performance.
• Facilitate client meetings with the aim of strengthening relationships and boosting sales.
• Build enduring client relationships, ensuring repeat business.
• Negotiate key contracts to secure lucrative deals.
• Increased brand visibility by implementing strategic sales initiatives.

Overview:

Morgan Lovell prides itself on completing premier Design and Build Projects across the London and South of England markets whilst being able to offer all aspects of any office refurbishment project through its Group Company relationships. The Firm is a true turn-key service provider that bases around Client needs coupled with market leading creativity and service levels.

My Role:

My role was to lead Sales and New Business Development for Morgan Lovell London, part of the Morgan Sindall Group, growing its London presence as well as its Brand with the London Design and Build Market.

I had completely responsibility for Revenue Generation, Business Development and Marketing, both for growing new business revenues whilst also managing and maintaining existing relationships.

In my role I:

• Established a strong presence in the UK market through extensive networking and relationship building.
• Drove regional sales growth by identifying and securing opportunities in untapped markets.
• Streamlined internal processes to enhance operational efficiency.
• Provided leadership for successful team performance.
• Implemented robust sales processes, leading to improved efficiency.
• Influenced product development based on market insights, aiding in the creation of relevant offerings.
• Facilitated client meetings with the aim of strengthening relationships and boosting sales.
• Directed cross-functional teams towards achieving company objectives.

Overview:

Maris deliver first class solutions to all their clients that not only offer some of most amazing designs but also offer the latest in office working practices that improve and enhance our clients working environment.

My Role:

As Project and Client Services Director I acted as the single point of contact for all my clients during their projects. I was responsible for ensuring my Team of experts deliver the best possible solutions by providing every resource possible to deliver an outstanding project.

In my role I delivered 350,000 Sq Ft + of projects across a variety of clients and sectors and led the generation of c £12m Turnover per annum, including 2 of the largest projects that Maris ever embarked upon.

Overview:

An information and data management specialist, providing strategic consultancy, software solutions and system integration for companies.

My Role:

In my Consultant role, I:

• Built a Finance team of 4 from a standing start, including a Financial Controller, Management Accountant, Accounts Payable clerk and Accounts receivable clerk.
• "Upscaled" the provision of Accounting Services from a small outsourced Accountancy provider to a "mid-tier" Audit Firm.
• Assisted financially in growing the business from £5m turnover to c£14m, implementing appropriate financial governance, managing the audit and tax requirements, as well as the necessary budgetary control.
• Implemented a Financial Strategy as well as key processes and controls.
• Assisted in opening offices in New York and Abu Dhabi.

Studio M Consulting was a purpose-built management and strategic consulting business that specialised in tailor-made advice and services ranging from Due Diligence projects, mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructures to hot topic "round-table" discussions on current industry-specific issues.

Overview:

I joined initially as a Financial Consultant to advise on 4 key projects (Property relocation, LLP Conversion, Working Capital Management and Profitability). It very quickly became apparent that the Firm needed a non-lawyer leader so I became CEO in May 2012.

Key Achievements:

• I led the Firm (in terms of strategy, communication and decision making) and gave it a new belief in the midst of legal sector recession.
• I was also a member of the Governing Board;
• I implemented new profitability and working capital analysis models;
• I successfully led the Firm in its move from its home in Mayfair to Agar Street, Covent Garden from start to finish, including property search, lease negotiation, design and build contractor selection, furniture selection, IT and Telephony and move management;
• I obtained PI Insurance in October 2013 against a backdrop of a challenging PI market;
• I managed the Banking and Funding relationships with key providers, including working with their advisors on forecasting for the business;
• I managed the relationship with the Regulator, the SRA, on their "Finstab" and monitoring process from September 2013;
• I engaged and managed the services of Baker Tilly in pre-Admin and through the Administration process. Worked with the Administrators to take the Firm into Administration and out again via a pre-agreed sale. The methodology implemented is groundbreaking and is currently ongoing;
• I held discussions and negotiations with 20+ law firms with a view to merger, acquisition or break-up opportunities. Three sets of negotiations were detailed and lengthy and involved working with their advisors.
• - Managed the cashflows for 2 years for the Firm whilst it was in extreme cash difficulty, with an onerous balance sheet. This included negotiations with all major funding providers, the landlord and other creditors;
• I managed the external press throughout this period;
• And I created the Credit Control Committee and Compliance Groups.

Overview:

• Supporting the LSO business decisions with analysis, insights and judgements, ensuring that the chosen business option delivers the highest financial value at an acceptable level of risk, leading to value creation and competitive advantage.
• Responding to business challenges and issues by ensuring that the basics run seamlessly and by supporting operational colleagues with the right commercial advice.

Responsible for:

• Finance strategy for the LSO business;
• The financial evaluation of business initiatives, strategic direction and capex for LSO;
• Outsourcing challenges of LSO to LSO Board and Management Business decision / proposals with support for the production of function investment proposals / business cases;
• The design, build and maintenance of business models in support of business projects, providing sensitivity analysis, scenario planning and change tracking;
• Management of India-based LSO business support/analysis team.
• Working closely with sales, operations and the Best Practice team to ensure that customer quotes are pitched at the right level to win but within acceptable risk and margins;
• Working with Finance colleagues to produce periodic reporting and to develop and enhance systems for tracking relevant business dynamics, costs and income in support of business analysis;
• Supporting commercial negotiations with suppliers and customers;
• Finance support to the LSO Board and Management, bringing creativity and innovation as well as good internal controls;
• Owning the revenue forecast process and ensure reliable assumptions are made;
• Developing key indicators within the forecasting cycle and monitor costs and benefits;
• Reviewing the delivery of benefits from approved projects;
• Devising, managing and evaluating the budget process / financial forecast for costs and revenues.

Company Overview:

A full-service International Law Firm with 70 partners.

Achievements:

• Supported the Managing Partner in an effective COO capacity;
• Involved in and responsible for the setup of 3 international ventures in Dubai, India and Moscow;
• Led the due diligence with regards to the potential acquisition of a group of energy-based companies in the gulf region;
• Led (with the Managing Partner) cost saving initiatives and redundancy rounds in late 2008/early 2009 following the collapse of the UK financial markets, that were integral in the turnaround of the profitability of the business;
• Developed a new suite of KPIs for the business which now form the basis of the monthly management accounts pack;
• Reduced significantly (by 3 months) reduced the timeline for creating consolidated financial accounts and developed (with a 3rd party) and implemented a new "dashboard" and intranet reporting suite;
• Developed a profitability model by which to gauge our pricing and discounts as well as to use in the tender approach.
• A full-service International Law Firm with 70 partners.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a team of 18 staff (covering all aspects of Finance support);
• Preparation/review of international management accounts;
• Preparation of consolidated statutory accounts;
• Preparation and review of all budgets, forecasts and cash-flow projections;
• Global treasury management especially during periods of extremely tight cash balances;
• All financial partner/LLP issues including profit sharing, capital, tax computations and loans;
• Reporting and control of a Captive Insurance cell in Guernsey, with quarterly board meetings;
• Obtaining international tax advice; and
• Meeting with clients in relation to financial matters.

Company Overview:

A full-service European Actuarial and Consultancy Firm with 60 partners.

Achievements:

• Involved in and responsible for the setup of 4 European offices in Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland, including due diligence for the latter two;
• Developed a new suite of KPIs for the business and reinvigorated the monthly management accounts pack to be more tailored to individual practice groups;
• Developed a reporting mechanism with our 60% parent company, Alexander Forbes to report on a monthly basis, to calculate groupwide minority interests and to convert results from UK GAAP to IFRS.
• A full-service European Actuarial and Consultancy Firm with 60 partners.
• Responsibilities:
• Managed a team of 12 staff;
• Preparation/review of international management accounts;
• Preparation of consolidated UK GAAP statutory accounts;
• Preparation and review of all budgets, forecasts and cashflow projections;
• All financial partner/LLP issues including profit sharing, capital, tax computations and loans;
• Obtaining international tax advice;
• And Meeting with clients in relation to financial matters.

• Company Overview: A Global Telecommunications PLC with a Turnover of £1.2bn.
• Started as a Financial Analyst in the UK business producing monthly accounts and KPIs and progressed through to the European Finance Manager looking after the roll out of European IP and data/VPN products;
• My Role and main responsibilities:
• I reported to the European CEO as well as the Vice Presidents of each European geography;
• I monitored and controlled capacity of service around Europe and was involved in capacity reselling to other in-country providers;
• I was part of the project team responsible for the financial roll out of the new SAP reporting across the UK;
• And I managed a team of up to 4 at any one time.
• A Global Telecommunications PLC with a Turnover of £1.2bn.

• Company Overview: A UK media company with three broadcast licences and production companies.
• My Role and main responsibilities:
• Management Accountant for the 3 licensed regions within which Carlton broadcasted;
• Led a team of 3, preparing monthly management accounts and KPI packs;
• Involved in the pricing and sales of primetime advertising space as well as programme scheduling for optimal value;
• And Involved in the pricing and modelling of the sales of programme content to other regional licences within the UK.
• A UK media company with three broadcast licences and production companies.

• Company Overview: A Global "Big 4" Accounting firm.
• My Role and main responsibilities:
• Trained as an Accountant (ACA First time passes);
• Involved in the audit of various entities from global insurance houses to small manufacturing operations, leading teams of up to 10;
• Involved in producing financial modelling for the aborted EY/KPMG merger talks in 1998;
• And Chaired the social committee for my final two years.
• A Global "Big 4" Accounting firm.