Nik Askaroff FCA

01323 410144
nika@emcltd.co.uk

The founder and CEO of EMC, Nik is one of the highest profile businessmen in the South East. He is a former President of the South Eastern Society of Chartered Accountants, past Chairman of both Business Link Sussex and Sussex Enterprise (the Chamber of Commerce for Sussex) and has chaired the South East Proof of Concept Fund, the Eastbourne Education & Business Partnership and Eastbourne Enterprise Hub. He currently sits on the Board of Sussex Enterprise and is Chairman of Southern FM and of the Help a Local Child charity.

Nik holds board positions with six companies and at EMC focuses on strategy, team management, merger and acquisition work and commercial business development. He has considerable overseas experience, particularly in the emerging markets of China, Russia and India as well as the USA and most European countries.

Nik qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980 but quickly decided that there must be more exciting occupations than auditing, investigations and tax. His first position in industry was in a small family fashion textile company where he soon learnt that, despite the grand title of financial director, he had to be involved in selling, exhibitions, packing cartons and even cutting material. He also experienced at first hand the problems that can arise in second generation family businesses.

However, Nik’s relish for the commercial side of the business won him the award of Accountant of the Year in 1986. A year later he took up the position as managing director of the UK arm of a 600-store retail fashion group prior to forming Eastbourne Management Consultants Limited - subsequently renamed EMC – in 1989.

A strong, commercially-orientated Chartered Accountant with the ability to motivate and manage teams and communicate with staff at all levels as well as business heads and City institutions, Nik has been involved in scores of projects ranging from chief executive of a listed electronics company to non-executive director for one of the country\'s leading freight forwarders.

More recently he has been actively involved in the beef and food industry, furnishing fabrics, print business, a truck franchise, ergonomic office equipment, construction and PR and marketing.

Specialist Disciplines

• Managing Director
• Non-Executive Chairman/Director
• Owner/Manager Mentoring
• Corporate Strategy and Planning
• Turnaround and Recovery
• Troubleshooting
• Strategic Reviews
• Corporate Finance (acquisitions & disposals; MBOs and MBIs; raising equity, including venture capital; sourcing debt; succession planning; preparation and review of business plans)

Recent assignments have included:

• Advice and assistance to MBO team with the purchase of a £40m business including due diligence and support and liaison with buyers, VCs and banks over a six month period.
• General review and advice to chairman of a £50m+ business on structure and management of group companies and assistance with developing strategic options. Effective part-time executive role over 6-12 months.
• Drafting of business plan and forecast for presentation to investors, directors and bankers for a start-up publishing venture. Agreement of strategy and monthly overview of performance against the plan with commercial financial input to the management.
• Acting on behalf of Institutional investor where invested company had failed to perform. Review of management and strategy, agreement of action plan and ongoing role to drive forward improvements.
• A management review of a £35m turnover group. Define the organisation and accountability structure of the organisation and make recommendations for the future.
• Recruitment projects for both financial director and financial controller appointments, including job definition, interviewing and final selection.
• Various non-executive director appointments on behalf of company or as Venture Capital/Investor representative.