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Brian Nichol, Finance Expert in London, United Kingdom
Brian Nichol

Finance Expert in London, United Kingdom

Member since May 20, 2020
Brian is a seasoned finance expert who has been an SVP in various corporate roles and a consultant, helping startups fundraise or value their businesses. Having raised seed capital for a startup of his own, he is well-placed to understand all commercial and operational aspects of a business and comfortable in any industry and vertical. Brian loves freelancing as a way to apply his creative thinking to novel business challenges in order to deliver value for his clients.
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Career Highlights

Education

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Employment

  • Finance Consultant

    2020 - PRESENT
    Toptal Clients
    • Delivered a detailed marketing campaign analysis for an eCommerce startup, analyzing funnel performance against a benchmark and validating the business model. This analysis was used to raise further funding for the business successfully.
    • Conducted market research for a channel incentives company, generating proprietary industry research and an enhanced pricing model. This new pricing model led to a two-times increase in quoted prices and a commensurate revenue increase.
    • Provided a non-traditional valuation of a novel social media asset, using novel methods to provide a valuation range in preparation for discussions with a potential buyer. The valuation added the necessary rigor to the successful sale of the asset.
    • Built a full-scale scenario-driven financial model and pitch deck for a SaaS startup in the outdoor media space in the United States. The material was used as the primary input for the pre-Series A fundraise.
    • Created a complex, multi-vertical financial model for a media distribution (VOD) startup in Canada. The model was used as a direct input in the seed fundraising round that sought to raise $1 million to take the product to market.
    • Built a detailed financial model for a startup in the telehealth and RPM healthcare space in the United States. This model was used as the sole input for commercial channel agreements and multiple fundraising rounds, raising almost $2 million in seed capital.
    Focus areas: CFO, Microsoft Word, Financial Analysis, Modeling, Proposals, Presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Valuation, Fundraising Consultant, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Revenue Modeling, Pricing Models, Investor Presentations, Startups, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Customer Acquisition, Startup Funding, Seed Fundraising, Pitch Decks, Early-stage Funding, Early-stage Startups, Business Modeling, Business Models, Angel Investing, Financial Modeling, eCommerce, Marketing, SaaS, Retail & Wholesale, Pricing, Pitch Deck Consultant, Fundraising, eCommerce Platforms, Marketplaces, Digital Health, Telehealth, Remote Patient Monitoring, Video on Demand (VOD), Video Streaming, Healthcare Services, Media, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Tokenization

  • Senior Vice President, Marketing and Customer Relations

    2018 - 2020
    PG Group
    • Launched a startup with the corporate setting, offering a unique manufacturing as a service (MaaS) to create a new route to market for the industry. The concept pivoted to build out a national network of supply stores, increasing revenue by 12%.
    • Implemented a revised pricing model for a wholesale business, using data-driven customer segmentation to drive the model. The model led to double-digit growth for selected high-volume segments.
    • Utilized customer retention strategies (NPS, customer surveys, and OTIF) to increase customer loyalty and revenue by circa 8% for the year. Created dashboards displaying key metrics to provide C-level execs with the required oversight and visibility.
    • Implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM as part of a digital transformation strategy. This led to double-digit increases in leads generated, customer acquisition, and revenue, for two consecutive years.
    • Performed market and competitor research that was used to create and modify sales strategies. Developed a market size estimate, market map, and competitor strategy from this work, leading to a circa 5% improvement in leads generated.
    Focus areas: Business Intelligence (BI), IT, Interactive Dashboards, Financial Analysis, Data Visualization, Visualization, Modeling, Reporting, Proposals, Manufacturing, Presentations, Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Emerging Markets, Revenue Modeling, Business Strategy, Board Decks, Integrated Sales & Operational Planning, Pricing Models, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), CRM Systems, Startups, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Technology, Data, Enterprise Automation, Enterprise, Data Analysis, Building Materials, Industrial & Manufacturing, Retail & Wholesale, Distribution, Digital Transformation, SAP ERP, SAP BW, Africa, Financial Modeling, Enterprise Software, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Digital Marketing, Customer Experience Management, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Market Sizing, Data Analytics, Pricing Strategy, Market Segmentation, New Product Business Cases, Sales & Marketing, Strategy

  • Senior Vice President, Finance

    2010 - 2017
    PG Group
    • Built financial models to support investment in new equipment and assets. The models included market sizing, market analysis, product reviews, and a detailed financial model to support the acquisition.
    • Developed and implemented a corporate strategy to grow revenue and profit through organic and inorganic growth strategies. This led to a 50%+ increase in revenue and expanding the business footprint into four new countries.
    • Drove various business turnaround initiatives, utilizing cost-cutting, site consolidations, and process efficiencies to move from a substantial loss-making operation to a profit within three years.
    • Conducted market sizing exercises for markets in Sub-Saharan Africa that supported the overall strategic vision for the PG Group and concluded in a five-year strategic plan to double the revenue and network footprint in Africa within five years.
    • Implemented a cash management program to optimize working capital and cash generation. The program reduced overdue debt, optimized credit insurance, utilized a hub and spoke inventory model, and used data to reduce obsolete stock.
    • Implemented an automated reporting system for senior and C-level management, using Power BI. This reduced the reporting cycle from four days to under two days and the headcount required to generate all management reports.
    Focus areas: CFO, IT, Interactive Dashboards, Dashboard Design, Visualization, Sage, Reporting, Proposals, Board Presentations, Presentations, Manufacturing, Market Segmentation, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Revenue Analysis, Financial Analysis, Building Materials, Industrial & Manufacturing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Word, Modeling, Budgeting, Capital Budgeting, Outsourcing, Cost Management, Sage ERP, Operational Finance, Pricing Models, Board Decks, Business Strategy, Forecasting, Revenue Modeling, Emerging Markets, Revenue & Expense Projections, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Management, Data Analysis, Financial Data, FPA, Retail & Wholesale, Distribution, Digital Transformation, South Africa, SAP ERP, SAP BW, Africa, Three-statement Modeling, Data Visualization, Analytics, System Implementation, Internal Control Evaluation, Credit Risk, Cash Flow Modeling, Cash Flow Management, Turnaround Management, Zero-based Budgeting, Budget Modeling, Budget Management, Capital Investment Appraisals, Accounts Receivable, Working Capital Management, Growth Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Sizing, Strategy, Data Analytics, Financial Modeling, Valuation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

  • Vice President, IT Advisory

    2008 - 2010
    KPMG
    • Performed fraud risk analytics on the payroll data for a large mining entity, identifying likely ghost employees and reducing fraudulent payments for the entity.
    • Completed an IT project risk assessment for a listed investment service provider.
    • Conducted process engineering for a Linked Investment Service Provider (LISP) to reengineer its core trading platform.
    Focus areas: South Africa, Reporting, Presentations, New Business Development, Proposals, Auditing, Audits, Business Process Flow Diagrams, Advisory, IT, Project Management

Other Experience

Education

  • Master's Degree (Cum Laude) in Accounting
    2005 - 2006
    University of Kwa-Zulu Natal - Durban, South Africa
  • Bachelor's Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Accounting
    2002 - 2005
    University of Kwa-Zulu Natal - Durban, South Africa

Certifications

  • Chartered Accountant
    JULY 2011 - PRESENT
    South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)

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