James Brookner, Finance Expert in London, United Kingdom
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James Brookner

Verified Expert  in Finance

Management Consulting Expert

Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
October 4, 2022

James is a highly experienced entrepreneur, growth strategy, and M&A professional with experience working on over 35 transactions, growing his own company from inception through to private equity funding, and operating in senior roles in the venture capital industry. He now operates as a freelance growth strategy consultant helping businesses of all sizes with organic and inorganic growth, as well as a strategy consultant on transaction processes and commercial due diligence.

Growth Strategy ConsultantsMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)FundraisingMarket ResearchDue Diligence ConsultantInterim CFOFractional CFO

Career Highlights

Growth Strategy Consultant
Financial Times
Director and Venture Partner
Blackfinch Ventures
Founder | CFO | CCO
Deazy

Case Studies

Image of Commercial Due Diligence project
Commercial Due Diligence
M&A (Buy-side)M&A ModelingDue DiligenceM&A Due Diligence (Financial)Due Diligence Consultant
Image of Company CFO Through Multiple Rounds of Funding project
Company CFO Through Multiple Rounds of Funding
CFOInterim CFOFractional CFOCCOFundraisingVenture Funding
Image of Corporate Venture Build project
Corporate Venture Build
Joint VenturesGrowthStrategyStructuringAnalysisCompetitive Analysis+ 1 more

Work Experience

Growth Strategy Consultant

2022 - PRESENT
Financial Times
  • Created a go-to-market (GTM) strategy for new SaaS initiatives and identified routes to market.
  • Created a venturing playbook and structure to launch new revenue lines.
  • Developed detailed market reports across three target sectors.
Focus areas: Startups, M&A Strategy, VentureBuilder, Go-to-market Strategy, Opportunity Identification, Market Research, Pricing, Product-market Fit, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Business Strategy

Director and Venture Partner

2021 - PRESENT
Blackfinch Ventures
  • Led seven investment processes into Series A stage SaaS companies and helped shape a post-investment strategy on the board of companies.
  • Steered businesses through multiple stages of growth on the board of five companies.
  • Acted as a venture partner providing board-level support to the portfolio.
Focus areas: Investments, Venture Funding, Boards, Startups, Fundraising, M&A Strategy, Modeling, Market Research, Product-market Fit, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Business Strategy

Founder | CFO | CCO

2016 - PRESENT
Deazy
  • Grew the startup from the beginning to an international business with offices worldwide.
  • Scaled through multiple funding rounds, including a private equity round in 2022.
  • Led fundraising and modeling, as well as key commercial activities.
  • Scaled a web development agency from a small firm to a global marketplace of software engineers.
Focus areas: Startups, Product Owner, Growth, Sales, Accounting, Market Research, Pricing, Product-market Fit, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Business Strategy

Investments and Corporate Venturing

2018 - 2021
Barclays
  • Had a senior role in a growth strategy team, seeking to identify opportunities in the SaaS and fintech sectors and implement GTM strategies for new ventures.
  • Led the team's venture to build initiatives to help create and scale business lines in adjacent sectors.
  • Headed several transaction processes across multiple stages.
Focus areas: Joint Venture Development, Joint Ventures, Growth Equity, M&A Strategy, Early-stage Venture Capital, Opportunity Identification, Market Research, Product-market Fit, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Business Strategy

Investments and Corporate Venturing

2015 - 2018
VGC Partners
  • Set up and managed important partnerships, including a corporate venture fund, alongside leading a media company.
  • Led several early-stage investments into consumer and media companies.
  • Held multiple board positions across the portfolio.
Focus areas: Investments, Startups, Fundraising, M&A Strategy, Market Research, Product-market Fit, Business Strategy

Investments and Corporate Venturing

2013 - 2015
Station 12
  • Led multiple investments into early-stage media companies.
  • Provided corporate finance advisory services to large media companies.
  • Launched a venture build project alongside leading a media corporation.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Startups, Venture Funding, Corporate Finance, Market Research, Product-market Fit, Business Strategy

Strategy Consultant

2010 - 2012
Accenture
  • Led the modeling of an M&A and integration strategy project for a large retail bank.
  • Created a digital strategy for leading consumer goods business.
  • Consulted on a sales strategy project for a leading supermarket chain.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Strategy, Digital, Market Research, Pricing, Business Strategy
2019 - 2021

Master's Degree in Finance

University of York - York, United Kingdom

2005 - 2008

Bachelor's Degree in Political Science

University of Nottingham - Nottingham, United Kingdom

DECEMBER 2022 - PRESENT

Chartered Accountant

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)