Ian Burrell

Experience

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  Atkins

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2005

  2 years working through a challenging, but ultimately extremely rewarding, corporate recovery programme. A failed SSC/ERP implementation: a FTSE250 share price collapse from £14 to £0.80 and then, with a great business supported by a great team, a sustained recovery over 2 years, recovering shareholder value and bringing the share price back to £15. Supporting external lending reviews, covenant assessments, treasury operations improvements, liquidity recovery, supplier re-engagement and a general programme of working capital stabilisation. A hugely formative role early in my career, working with some fantastic, completely committed and hugely professional colleagues.Established the SSC Internal Audit function. Fascinating early career experience. Show less

  • Senior Financial Controller

    Jan 2003 - Jan 2005

  • Senior Manager, Corporate Recovery

    Jan 2001 - Jan 2003

  • Internal Audit Manager

    Jan 2001 - Jan 2001
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  Steer

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2009

  Group Finance Director

  With over 500 management consultants working from 21 offices, across four continents, Steer provide commercial, economic, technical and planning expertise, providing powerful answers to complex questions. Steer is employee owned, a fantastic model for what is ultimately an intellectual capital business. Continuing to attract top graduates, the firm invests significantly in future talent.I joined Steer at a time of change, as the business moved away from founder owned and reliance on UK public sector contracts, towards employee owned and working on industry leading projects for large private sector, global clients. The transition was challenging, with a lot of change management and international expansion, but ultimately has proven extremely successful and positioned Steer as a go to global partner. A fantastic role for 4 years alongside a great team. Show less

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  RELX

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2010

  Divisional Controller

  £7bn revenue FTSE top 5 multinational publishing and e-media group, providing paid content and data services, business information and marketing services. I joined RELX as Divisional Controller of their media division at a time when the Group was rapidly evolving from a traditional publisher of print media to an online media business.Publications within my remit included ICIS, Estates Gazette, Flight International, XpertHR and the New Scientist. Divestments of various titles and value accretive M&A, including the strategic pivot transaction, into petrochemical intermediary data, with the $100m acquisition of ICIS China, a high risk, but ultimately very successful and transformative deal. Show less

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  UK2 Group

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2016

  Group Finance Director

  LDC owned, UK2 Group were a global technology group that offered a wide range of solutions for businesses of any size to succeed with their web presence and e-commerce. Majority owned by LDC, a leading UK mid-market private equity fund, UK2 had a worldwide client base of more than 500,000 businesses/consumers, throughout ~190 countries via 11 brands. The Group was recognised in a number of “Fast Track” surveys. As well as the core hosting and infrastructure brands, the Group supported various high value spin offs, including OnApp, a leading cloud management platform and DigitalChaos (Chaos eSports Club), a leading US e-sports team. Highly entrepreneurial and with a lot of technological complexity, a fascinating time. Successful exit for LDC of the infra/hosting assets with the sale of the global hosting brands to The Hut Group in 2017, and the sale of Onapp in 2021.Loved my time at UK2, great backers, great fun and most importantly great team.I continue to support LDC with the remaining investments they hold relating to the group, as a director of several investment holding companies. Show less

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  LGC

  Jan 2016 - Jan 2022

  Group Finance Director

  KKR owned for most of my tenure, LGC provide genomics solutions, reference materials and analytical testing products and services, based on their innovations and own intellectual property. LGC work with customers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, food, environment, security and sports sectors as well as with governments and academia to achieve excellence in investigative, diagnostic, thereapeutics and measurement science. LGC's offering is underpinned by their heritage and expertise in regulation, accreditation and standard setting. Exceptional science is at the heart of all they do.With revenues in excess of £750m and with over 4,000 colleagues operating via 60+ companies in 27 countries, LGC is one of the world’s largest private equity owned life sciences and biotechnology groups. I joined LGC shortly after KKR acquired the group in 2016 from Bridgepoint for ~£1bn. Strategically acquisitive, we completed over 25 acquisitions and three divestments during the period I was there.In November 2019, after a successful auction process, KKR announced that they had agreed to sell LGC to a consortium led by Cinven, Astorg and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, in a multi £bn deal. The deal completed successfully in April 2020. I really enjoyed my time at LGC; I learned a huge amount working with a fantastic team on an incredible journey. Show less

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  SPT Labtech

  Jan 2023 - now

  Group CFO

  EQT owned, SPT Labtech make products that transform the way scientists work. For nearly two decades, our expert scientists, engineers and business innovators have created innovative solutions for liquid handling, sample preparation and management. We have developed leading edge sample preparation solutions in the field of cryo EM (electron microscopy). Solutions that accelerate lifescience research and make a real difference to human health outcomes.We all have one mission: to make a real difference to human health through everything we do.I'm really looking forward to working with the exceptional Board, leadership and business teams during this exciting next phase of the group's development. Together, we aim to significantly accelerate the company’s contribution to lifesciences and make a real difference to human health, through everything we do. Show less