William is available for hire
Hire WilliamWilliam Howell
Verified Expert in Finance
Growth Expert
Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
June 27, 2022
William is a seasoned entrepreneurial executive, having co-founded the UK's largest student lifestyle business, growing it by £2.5 million in turnover straight after university. He has structured £200+ million of transactions and advised startups on internationalization. His latest venture Delic, a music tech platform, has onboarded 1,450 users, raised £700,000+ in VC, and is CreaTech 2021 Ones-to-Watch listed. William joined Toptal to support entrepreneurs with financing and growth strategies.
Career Highlights
COO
SuperRational Ltd
Director
Hunter Hayes Ltd
Business Development Manager
HUTCHMED
Education Highlights
Bachelor's Degree
Newcastle University
Certification Highlights
International Accelerator
Expert DOJO
Startupbootcamp FinTech London
Startupbootcamp
Case Studies
Software Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
COO
2020 - PRESENT
SuperRational Ltd
- Supported the founder in developing the prototype and built a team of 12 across product development and marketing.
- Raised over £700,000 in VC from three UK and one US VC firms.
- Led investor outreach campaigns over three rounds and managed the preparation of data rooms and term sheet negotiations.
- Brought in a highly experienced CEO and co-founder, the former head of technology at the BBC, who has provided invaluable product innovation and credibility in the market.
- Managed overall commercial strategy and execution, including securing multiple strategic partnerships with various industry bodies and key stakeholders.
- Oversaw the marketing function, driving over 1,450 beta users.
Focus areas: Seed Fundraising, Startups, Business to Consumer (B2C), B2B Partnerships, Customer Success, Sales Strategy, Customer Experience, Software as a Service (SaaS), Digital Marketing Strategy, Transformational Leadership, International Expansion, Crisis Management, Miro, Management, Market Research & Analysis, B2C, Investments, Growth, Marketing, Branding, Storytelling, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financial Modeling, Revenue & Expense Projections, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Customer Lifetime Value, Pricing, Technology, Growth Strategy, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Product Branding, Market Opportunity Analysis, Blockchain, Market Segmentation, Value Proposition, Customer Segmentation, Product Marketing, Forecasting, Valuation, Business Models, Growth Hacking, Product Launch, Mobile Apps, Lead Generation, Sales, Business Intelligence (BI), Music, Market Entry, Market Research Analyst
Chairman
2016 - PRESENT
House of Monir Ltd
- Supported the CEO with the conceptualization of edtech, co-hort learning modules for fashion professionals.
- Advised the CEO with a team-building strategy, including the removal of a challenging consultant that was not the right fit for the brand or business.
- Developed a B2B pitch deck and built an extensive pipeline of new brands to target via personal networks. Supported the business in achieving 85% year-on-year growth.
Focus areas: B2B Partnerships, Startups, Edtech, Consulting, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Growth Strategy, Market Segmentation, Value Proposition, Customer Segmentation, Business Models, Sales, Market Entry
Director
2012 - PRESENT
Hunter Hayes Ltd
- Structured a complex €20 million acquisition finance to acquire a CEE marina and brownfield development site on the Adriatic coast, involving a Southeast Asian multi-family office, regional banks, and professional and technical services providers.
- Launched prototypes and raised $2 million in funding after conducting business planning workshops for a Middle Eastern clean tech spinout that was part of a regional manufacturing conglomerate, backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Secured a multi-territory sales channel for a UK fintech client with a Latin American electronic invoicing platform, increasing sales in the region by over 600%.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Due Diligence, Business Planning, Fundraising, B2B Partnerships, Sales Growth, Consulting, Management Consulting, Transformational Leadership, Fintech, International Expansion, Startups, Mentorship & Coaching, Management, Market Research & Analysis, B2C, Investments, Growth, Marketing, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Pitch Decks, Revenue & Expense Projections, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Growth Strategy, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Forecasting, Business Models, Growth Hacking, Lead Generation, Sales, Wireless Systems, Business Intelligence (BI), Growth Strategy Consultants, Consumer Insights, Market Research Analyst
Business Development and Partnerships
2014 - 2016
Kwanji
- Secured a multi-territory sales channel with a Latin American electronic invoicing platform, increasing sales in the region by over 600%.
- Acted as a relationship manager to key customers, increasing usage by 150% and referrals by 75% across a key vertical.
- Built an extensive customer pipeline across private equity and family office clients.
Focus areas: B2B Partnerships, New Business Development, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Growth Strategy, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Lead Generation, Sales
Business Development Manager
2011 - 2012
HUTCHMED
- Served as an experience startup operator to help turnaround a struggling retail operation and expand its consumer goods division.
- Developed the business strategy and brand from the Hong Kong HQ with senior management.
- Generated £2.5 million in annual savings by cutting back on operational overheads, including leases and staff costs.
- Drove 300% of year-on-year sales by developing the retail business within the company's store operation, A.S. Watson Group, Marionnaud, and other channels across Europe.
Focus areas: Business to Business (B2B), Market Research, Sales Growth, Sales Operations, Strategy, International Expansion, Management, Turnaround Consultant, B2C, Growth, Branding, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Customer Segmentation, Sales, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Beauty Products, Health
Sales and Marketing Manager
2009 - 2010
Scottish Apartment
- Assisted in turning the business around by driving short-term rental revenue to support its recovery amidst corporate account holder collapse post-economic crisis, with its stock reduced from 300 to 100 units.
- Developed the sales and marketing department, personally closing 120 sales and generating £60,000 in monthly short-term rental revenue.
- Increased hotel occupancy from 25% to 85% in three months through event marketing.
Focus areas: Startups, B2C, Management, Crisis Management, Turnaround Consultant, Management Consulting, Consulting, Growth, Go-to-market Strategy, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Customer Segmentation, Proptech, Lead Generation, Sales
Co-founder and Operations Director
2006 - 2007
Absolute Events (UK) Limited
- Signed contracts with high-profile event venues and developed teams to run regular events in Scotland and Northern Ireland, then joined the business as a co-founder to play a central role in managing business operations.
- Managed regional staff in seven cities across the UK, coordinating up to 18 weekly events, managing cash flow, and developing new business.
- Generated £2.5 million of turnover and 90% year-on-year growth.
- Developed the business plan, raising £250,000 from angel investors to expand the company's service offering into post-graduation lifestyle services.
Focus areas: B2B Partnerships, Operations, Event Planning, Event Marketing, Business Transformation, Startups, Crisis Management, Management, Market Research & Analysis, B2C, Growth, Marketing, Branding, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Revenue & Expense Projections, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Business Models, Sales, Market Entry, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Health
Education
2001 - 2004
Bachelor's Degree in History and Philosophy
Newcastle University - Newcastle, England
Certifications
MARCH 2022 - PRESENT
International Accelerator
Expert DOJO
NOVEMBER 2014 - PRESENT
Startupbootcamp FinTech London
Startupbootcamp