Finding key people for your scaleup – The Daily Scaleup with Kim McAllister

25/09/2017

Few things inspire confidence in your company more than appointing a business heavyweight to the board.

Miigen, the Stirling-based digital time capsule creator, has recently announced Brian Williamson as its new Chairman and it’s a bit of a coup.

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When I was chatting to Jackie Waring at Investing Women, she emphasized the importance of bringing in people from the industry – well, it seems Craig Lemmon, MD of Miigen has done it by the book.

“I’ve known Brian for 20 years and followed his success,” he told me. “So when I was looking for a Chairman, based on our aspirations for the future, Brian seemed like the ideal choice. I think when you choose a Chairman you bring them on to fill a skills gap you anticipate in the future growth of the company.”

Brian’s experience includes chairing recruitment business Brightwork, which he sold earlier this year with a 70x return for investors, and a role as managing director at Jumpstart, a company specialising in tax credits for research and development. His reputation as an entrepreneur is well-respected throughout the UK.

“He will bring great leadership and a focus upon growing shareholder value in the business,” Craig added.

Not only is Brian a great match for the business, he and Craig also get on well. That relationship and trust will be key going forward.

“When Brian and I have conversations, we are peers – he understands my motivations and goals and I value his input on the future of Miigen,” Craig said.

“He was one of the original investors – we raised £250,000 in seven days and they are all business people. I wanted that – so when we have shareholder meetings they ask important questions. Brian leads that and brings his considerable experience to the table. When it comes to getting the company ready for VC investment or second or third round share offers, he brings gravitas and a wealth of experience in structuring companies for sustained growth.”

If you’ve recently attracted a business guru to join your scaleup, let me know: [email protected]

Kim McAllister is a Journalist & Communications Consultant and director of Impact Online

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