Jonathan Wheeler

Remote, London, SE England, East Midlands, East England

[email protected]

07729 102364

Supporting SMEs to overcome challenges and maximise their potential

An experienced and approachable Finance Director, Jonathan is passionate not only about helping SMEs to overcome their challenges and achieve the best possible outcomes, but guiding them through growth and scale-up phases too. He has over 18 years’ experience in senior finance roles and in providing advice across various sectors in crisis management, business turnaround, growth, exit planning, refinancing and M&A. Jonathan’s career has taken him from a Big 4 accountancy firm to a major international bank to working in a number of restructuring and turnaround roles, with significant focus on the SME market. He has also engaged with local SME businesses on a voluntary basis, giving up his free time to mentor and coach them, and help them grow. This varied background and broad skill set means he is well-equipped to advise and work with all manner of clients, whether they be growing, changing, under-performing, or requiring restructuring. As EFM’s Operations Director as well as an EFM Associate FD, he fulfils a business leadership role himself every day, and so is adept at engaging with business owners and their boards.

Experience

Jonathan is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has spent his career in senior finance roles in SMEs and in consultancy roles advising both challenged and growing businesses, including start-ups looking to exit. His career highlights include, amongst others:

Growth

Supported Fin-tech startup with seed funding round by providing financial modelling and advice, leading to successful £1.6m raise.
Mentor to a health start-up, supporting through pre-seed rounds and coaching the founder as they moved into a seed round.
Finance Director for a group of management consultancy, HR, and recruitment businesses helping to grow from c.£3m to £5m in three years and achieving 30% operating margins.

Exit planning

Finance Director/Turnaround Director for a start-up marketing and events business requiring an exit plan having suffered a 25% fall in revenue. Jonathan implemented a recovery plan to underpin sales performance and restructure the cost base to maintain profits and maximise the company value, more than doubling the business valuation upon sale as a result.

Crisis Management and Re-financing

Jonathan acted as Finance Director/Advisor to a large education provider in south London which was facing a cash crisis and imminent closure. Jonathan worked with the Board to generate short term cash which allowed a longer-term plan to be formulated and a later re-financing of the business by an international education group.

Due Diligence for SME investment

Jonathan acted as Senior finance advisor to a private equity/alternative lender group in the South West which targeted either challenged or growth SMEs requiring short-term financing and longer-term investment. During this role, Jonathan worked with several SMEs across various sectors including bookbinding, groundworks, food and leisure, and hotels producing cash flow and integrated financial forecasts for the businesses and advising the lender regarding its proposed investments.

Banking, Risk and Turnaround

Relationship Director in Barclay’s corporate team managing a portfolio of SME turnaround businesses and reducing the bank’s lending risk.

Business Advisory and Insolvency

Jonathan spent five years in PwC’s restructuring team in London and the Thames Valley, advising mainly businesses in straitened circumstances and gaining experience in debt advisory, pension deficits, and insolvency.

Skills

Sectors

Personal Interests

Malcolm Holloway