John Lord

📣Exciting partnership news! Fathom is integrating with FreeAgent Soon, UK accounting firms will be able to connect FreeAgent’s streamlined accounting platform with Fathom’s powerful reporting and analysis capabilities. That means: • Beautiful, client-ready insights without the spreadsheet grind • Easier ways to manage and engage entire client portfolios • More opportunities to grow and scale advisory services 👉 Join the waitlist today and be the first to know when it's live! https://ow.ly/Crjy50X2HEV #AccountingFirms #FreeAgent #FinancialReporting

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The Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme has been a cornerstone of UK start-up success - helping high-growth companies attract and retain top talent through equity. 🗞 Speaking to The Times, Danny Blum, Partner and Head of Global Employee Incentives, describes EMI as: “One of the most tax favoured employee incentive arrangements available in any jurisdiction.” But as UK tech scales rapidly, Danny highlights that EMI’s financial thresholds haven’t kept pace with inflation or pay levels, raising questions about whether the scheme still fits today’s scale-up reality, corporate structures, and the way in which employees work and are paid. Frustratingly, as a consequence of some of the complex and technical requirements for implementation of EMI options, they are often not introduced effectively, leading to disappointed employees and unnecessary cost for employers. 🔗 Read the full article at The Times: https://lnkd.in/dYz_BbGA [subscription required]

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🎥 Why did Allica acquire Kriya? What does it mean for established businesses? And how did the deal come together? In this five-minute interview, Allica CEO Richard Davies sits down with Kriya Co-founder and CEO Anil Stocker to talk about: 💬 Why the two businesses are such a strong fit 💬 What this means for working capital and PayLater finance in the UK 💬 How we plan to deliver £1 billion in SME working capital finance by 2028 💬 And what’s next, as we welcome the Kriya team into Allica If you want to understand the story behind the acquisition – and where we’re heading next – this is the place to start. #allicabank #kriya #smefinance #embeddedfinance #fintech #businessbanking

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From Operator to Board Leader: Takeaways on Moving into NED & Chair Roles I recently attended a fantastic Boardwave event focused on the transition into Non-Executive Director (NED) and Chair roles for scaling SaaS companies. Having navigated this shift myself, I completely agree with the core message: The best board members know the business like an operator first, then step back to govern strategically. The insights from leaders like Christian Erlandson, Elizabetta Camilleri and Lars Dige Pedersen confirmed that embracing a growth mindset is paramount for success in transitioning to the boardroom. It requires continuous learning, challenging assumptions, and being prepared to pivot strategies as the company scales. Here are my top takeaways on the playbook for impactful board leadership shared by our panelists: 1. The Operator-First Onboarding Approach As Christian emphasized, getting to know the business is key—but it's about breadth, not depth initially. You need to earn your perspective. 💡 Become the Voice of the Customer (VoC): Meet with customers and truly anchor your strategic questions on the pain point the company is solving. This ensures the boardroom never loses sight of the primary value driver. 💡Structured Learning & Connection: Balance desk research on the competitive landscape with authentic connections (lunches, drinks) with the management team. 💡Rhythm of Dialogue: Establish a regular 'catch-up' rhythm with the management team, separate from formal board meetings, to maintain an open dialogue and stay current. 2. The Board's Strategic Trinity Lars laid out the three core areas where a board member must focus their expertise to drive sustainable growth—all underpinned by a growth mindset: 💡Value Creation: What are the 2-3 levers that will truly compound value in this specific market? 💡Value Chain: Understanding where the business sits within its ecosystem and how it captures that value. 💡The Exit: Alignment is crucial. The board's role is to agree on the strategic "canvas" that needs to be "ticked off" to execute the desired exit—and understanding the value at stake for all stakeholders. Crucially, the Team underlies all three. The board's greatest role is ensuring the right leadership is in place to execute this vision and embody that continuous learning culture. The transition from a full-time operator to a strategic NED/Chair is a fascinating shift. It demands a growth mindset, disciplined learning, a commitment to bringing the VoC to the table, and absolute alignment on the long-term value creation and exit strategy. #BoardLeadership #SaaS #NED #NonExecutiveDirector #GrowthMindset #Boardwave #ValueCreation 🔥 Question for the community: What is the single most important question you ask a CEO during your initial onboarding to understand the true pulse of the business?

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Early Upgrade is delighted to be partnering with Mazuma Mobile to bring our DataBot™ to the UK Market 🇬🇧 UK enterprises can now deploy the DataBot™ directly within their facilities exclusively through Mazuma. Alternatively, devices can be sent to Mazuma for secure data destruction (leveraging the DataBot™) and recycling-as-a-service. By combining our network, knowledge and capabilities we are able to deliver best-in-class recycling solutions for UK based enterprises and end-users. We look forward to working with Craig, Tom and the broader Mazuma Mobile team! #news #innovation #recycling #reuse #circulareconomy #tech #partnership #growth #uk #datasecurity #sustainability #automation

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The AI industry is booming and is it just getting started - or is it about to reach its breaking point? A few experts have weighed in on investor sentiment and what's next for the industry 🤖 🔗 Article link in the comments. - Leyland Clowsley MIET, Managing Director at Apex Manufacturing 👏 - James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik 👏 - Marc Fernandez, Chief Strategy Officer at neurologyca 👏 - Dan Lawyer, Chief Product Officer at Lucid Software 👏 - Julia Prostak-Bazan, IT Learning & Development Specialist at eSky Group and Thomas Cook 👏 - George Sweeney (DipFA), Investment Expert at Finder 👏 - Alexandre de Vigan, Founder & CEO at Nfinite 👏 - Dylan Dewdney, Co-Founder & CEO at Kuvi.ai 👏 - Marco Luciano, Managing Director at BBN - The World's B2B Agency 👏 - Tobias Robinson, CEO at Broker Listings 👏 - Deepak Shukla, CEO at Pearl Lemon Group 👏 - Professor Filip Bialy, Professor of Computer Science and AI Ethics at OPIT - Open Institute of Technology 👏 - 🌍 Toby Coulthard, Chief Product & Growth Officer at Jacquard 👏 - Ray Eitel-Porter, AI Governance Expert 👏 - Jonathan Horn, CEO & Co-Founder at Treefera 👏 #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AIBubble #TechTrends #MachineLearning

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So happy to see that Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers has officially partnered with Sage Intacct, Inc.- becoming the first firm in Scotland to bring this powerful cloud-accounting platform to their clients. By combining Sage's market leading technology with Johnston Carmichael’s advisory expertise, clients now have access to a fully integrated outsourced finance solution... giving them space to focus on what they do best: running their business. Looking forward to seeing the impact this partnership delivers for growing businesses across Scotland. #SME #Accounting #FinanceTech #Sage #CloudAccounting #BusinessGrowth #Scotland Read the full article 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePFg6PRm Greg Norris Kirsty Reynolds, CA Jahedul Islam

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What every curious business leader can see about your company. Know your compliance data. Companies House is an amazing UK transparency tools. As a business owner, you need to be clear on what is shared and how it can be used during an exit or investor process. I use it to adjust my client credit terms And review suppliers long term sustainability. Here is what every curious leader can see: ↳ Red Flags (Overview tab):  Overdue filings in red signal poor financial controls or insolvency risk. ↳ Filing Delays (Overview tab):  Gaps over 9 months between filings suggest weak processes or instability. ↳ Disputes & Charges (Charges tab):  Outstanding or old unsatisfied charges show unresolved debts or cash flow issues. ↳ Team Stability (People tab):  Frequent director or key staff changes indicate management instability. ↳ Company Status:  Active, dissolved, or in liquidation-buyers check current legal status. ↳ Shareholder Structure:  Unusual changes in ownership or share capital may raise questions about control and investment history. These are the first things buyers and partners’ check to assess your company's reliability and risk often before they even look at your financial statements. Make sure your Companies House record tells the right story, And avoid Red flags. What does your business Companies House profile look like? Share in the comments, and repost to help other businesses. Follow Natacha Robert for more.

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It appears Hey Geraldine is effectively reducing referrals, empowering colleagues to address issues independently. The platform offers a wealth of solutions, not limited to supplied equipment, but also encompasses market alternatives and innovative problem-solving. This approach equips individuals with the knowledge to resolve issues without tech team intervention. This not only reduces referrals but also accelerates solutions, avoiding waitlists and repetitive explanations, enhancing the overall experience. #efficiency #innovation #problemSolving #techSolutions

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Thank you, Eton Bridge Partners Ltd, for putting together such an inspiring session on "Bridging the CFO-CMO Divide" Emma Clayton FCIM and Mike Trotman led a very open conversation on what we can do to improve this critical relationship. Here are a few stats to start with: ✅ 52% of CFOs say the CMO isn't doing a good enough job justifying investment. ✅ Only 22% feel they have a highly collaborative relationship with their CMO. ✅ Only 26% of B2B CFOs believe brand marketing is a high priority in economic difficult times 🤝 How can we improve the collaboration between the CFO and the CMO? ✔️ With mutual respect, honesty, transparency, regular communications, education, and an open mind. ✔️ The CMO needs to understand the broader business context and constraints and provide clarity on measuring the impact of marketing on revenue in both the short and long term. ✔️ The CFO has to make decisions on limited resource allocation, so CMOs need to build their case, be persuasive, understand the current business context, and propose plans that support it. 💡 So, what does a CMO need to bring to build their case? ✔️ Expected results: short and long-term ✔️ Evidence/data to back such expectations ✔️ Context Finally, as with every other cross function relationship, leadership and interpersonal skills are as critical as technical skills in creating a flourishing collaboration 💫

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