Business Growth Specialist

• Sep 2021 - Present

Mick is driven by helping others succeed. With over 25 years experience of leading teams in senior roles, access to over 3,500 business growth strategies & tactics, plus proven results in coaching, leadership, training and consulting, he has a great ability to get his clients thinking differently, taking more profitable action and achieving desirable results in their business and personal life. He has worked with every type of business imaginable from 1-man bands to blue chip household brands, so the insight he offers business owners is second to none. More than words, Mick personally guarantees all his clients that if they do the things they agree to, he'll be a profitable addition to their team! Mick's philosophy is that the definition of a real business is "a commercial and profitable enterprise that can work without the business owner". As your Business Coach, Mick will identify areas with room for improvement in the 300+ business building blocks of a "real business", show you the best options for strengthening those building blocks and hold you accountable to execute your choices, so you create the business & life you dreamt of when you first started your own business. Show less

Managing Director

• May 2013 - Present

I'm an accredited MasterCoach, creator of the trademarked RIPEN coaching framework and i2i (Impossible 2 Inevitable) licensed practitioner, with over 30 successful years in sales, marketing, general management, business coaching and training delivery with all types of both blue chip and SME organisations, whilst specialising in FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). I am the Founder & MD of Growth Alliance, a coaching & training business, whose purpose is "to inspire insights for business owners, MDs and sales leaders that accelerate business and personal growth so people feel great about their futures", and who specialise in the following areas: • 121 coaching to inspire personal insights, decisions, goals, ownership, positive change and results • Organisational awareness to produce business goals, a growth strategy and prioritised action plan • Coach The Coach training for leaders using my trademark RIPEN framework to create ownership • Coaching The Customer training for sales leaders and managers to achieve collaborative results • Defining purpose (your WHY!), mission, vision, values & behaviours for organisations/individuals • Psychometric profiling to create personal and team dynamics awareness that drives productivity Show less

Sales & Marketing Director

• May 2011 - Apr 2013

Metalrax Group were the leading UK manufacturer of oven and microwave bakeware, as well as being a key supplier of wine racks. Brands include George Wilkinson, Good Housekeeping, Progress, Mermaid, Microwise and a wide selection of retailer own brands in the UK and internationally. Key achievements in new and retained business, introducing category management and raising team capability. Metalrax Group were the leading UK manufacturer of oven and microwave bakeware, as well as being a key supplier of wine racks. Brands include George Wilkinson, Good Housekeeping, Progress, Mermaid, Microwise and a wide selection of retailer own brands in the UK and internationally. Key achievements in new and retained business, introducing category management and raising team capability.

Trading Director

• Oct 2008 - May 2011

Trading Director for the Farmlea Foods business unit, a division of SHS Sales & Marketing, where responsibility was for the full end to end activity of purchasing, selling, marketing and P&L of the Farmlea brand and grocery own label business. These categories include canned milk and desserts, as well as frozen burgers, whilst also offering a route to market into the UK for any world wide manufacturer.Achieved record profits across all years via leadership, pricing and NPD strategy.

Sales Controller & SHS Group Lead for SAP Project

• Nov 2000 - Oct 2008

SHS Sales & Marketing are a private organisation who own brands like WKD, Shloer, Merrydown Cider and Farmlea canned desserts. SHS also work with other branded manufacturers like First Cape wine, Desperado's, Mars Milk, Guylian, Jordan's, Reckitt Benckiser, SSL International, Douwe Egberts, Gerber Soft Drinks and Pomegreat.Joined SHS to form and head up the Wholesale & Impulse sector, progressed to Retail Multiples Controller for group owned brands (WKD, Merrydown and Shloer), followed by a secondment to the SHS Group SAP Project as Lead Manager responsible for change management, group communication and internal business resource involvement as part of the successfull launch of SAP software to the SHS Group of companies. Show less

Trade Sector Manager (Foodservice)

• Jul 1995 - Nov 2000

Control of the wholesale sector and consistent growth for Heinz Foodservice across all UK delivered wholesalers and cash & carries for the complete Heinz portfiolio of brands including tuna, Frank Cooper's sauces & preserves and own label sauce & preserve portions. Control of the wholesale sector and consistent growth for Heinz Foodservice across all UK delivered wholesalers and cash & carries for the complete Heinz portfiolio of brands including tuna, Frank Cooper's sauces & preserves and own label sauce & preserve portions.

National Account Manager, Regional Sales Manager & Fieldsales Trainer

• Jan 1988 - Jul 1995

Management Trainee (Under Graduate)

• Aug 1983 - Dec 1987

A perfect role to start a successful career with real life supervisory and management roles and responsibilities in all business functions from the warehouse, through to the production shop floor, into the supporting administrative functions, followed by a full 18 months specialisation in Sales & Marketing, including the launch of the now infamous "Hippo & Duck" advertising and consumer education campaign. This combined with 4 years of study at Lancashire University to gain a HNC in Business & Finance, as well as a BA Degree in Business Studies. This was all rounded off with a fantastic experience on a european secondment to Florence in Italy, working for Novarredo SPA, an upholstery fabric manufacturer in Prato, near Florence, in which good conversational knowledge of the very special Italian language was also gained. Show less