Expertise
- Business Coaching
- Business Coaching for Women
- Business Strategy & Operation
- Marketing Strategy & Planning
- Business Success Strategy
- Business Confidence
- Busines Development
- Operational Management
- Mentor
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Lean Startup
- Sales Funnel Management
- Operational Planning/Control
- Time Management
- Brand & positioning strategies
Summary
My first job was in a technologically advanced UK company, but through their lack of vision the company remained small. My second job was working for a US company with a grand vision, and exactly the same products. This company was successful and was sold for $1.5bn. I was part of that team and I learnt that it takes more than a good product to create success.
Next I worked in other peoples’ startups, learning about attracting investment, creating marketing that worked and selling products and services that people and businesses loved. Eventually I created my own company. This was going great, we had a great range of products that had begun to sell around the world, we had a team of 7 and a turnover of £1m. I was a first time CEO and I was naïve. A disaster struck with a government policy we hadn’t seen coming, then another problem with our international manufacturing and in a short space of time the business collapsed and I had personal debt. I was broken.
I wish I hadn’t been so busy building the business that I missed the impending disasters, I wish that I had a wise counsel to challenge me and help me grow. So I became the coach that I wished I had found for my own company.
Experience
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Mark Elliott Coaching
Business Coach
2015 - Current
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Energeno
COO
6 - 20 Employees 2011 - 2015- Grew company from start-up to £1m revenue and near profitability in 3 years.
- Created range of 6 products targeting residential customers, working with UK and Far East manufacturers, selling through distribution channels
- Raised £500,000 funding from private and institutional sources.
- Established network of European and Australian distributors with the help of UKTI.
- Provided expert commentary on Australian market
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Genesys Telecommunications/Alcatel-Lucent
Senior Product Marketing Director
100+ Employees 1995 - 2000Simplified the EMEA pricing, leading to an increase in the average SME sale by 15% and the revenues from $40m to $60m.
Supported sales activity in 14 countries with 20 large distributors with a team of 5 people, included priority setting, focused delivery and listening to the whole organisation and distribution network for their needs.
Positioned Genesys as market leader with a series of European market analysts, providing briefings, customer stories and encouraging coverage, increasing analyst ratings of our ability to execute.
Provided advice and witness on future of the Internet to Alcatel Advisory Board, explaining smart phones, web-apps and continuously-on working to intellectual social luddites.
Invited to speak on obtaining true customer focus through multi-media contact centres at a number of international events.All technical elements of go-to-market strategy to gain market leadership position in 2 years, including hiring across 5 EMEA offices.
Developed a swift and easy staff training and introduction program to enable the rapid and expert growth in staff and their skills. Opening international offices where required, developing external feeder relationships and cross company communication, 24/7.
Worked with programmers to tailor companies product to our local hardware suppliers, leading to introduction of our code into the main company code base. Involved serious Russian politics, excellent coding and commercial drivers for leverage. -
DIY Kyoto
Business Development Manager
6 - 20 Employees 2007 - 2010Sold products in 50 countries, 10 major distribution arrangements across the globe,
Implemented customer warranty operations, fault reporting and self-serve and online support mechanisms.
Managed relationships through difficult product quality crisis period, including product recall and local accreditation.
Negotiated key partnership contract with international utility, providing ongoing direction for the project.
Education History
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MBA
Imperial College
2000 - 2001My MBA was centred on Customer Focussed Strategy & Implementation and Entrepreneurship
Clubs and Associations
I host the London Lean Startup Night: 4.8k Meetup centred on best Lean Startup methodology and practice. see us on Meetup.com and LeanStartup.co
Interests and Hobbies
Running and baking sourdough bread. That and thinking about how I can make money from making sourdough bread.
