Clive Newell

Clive Newell is founder and Principal Director of Halagen Ltd.

He has over twenty year’s of senior Financial Director experience. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Clive has charted a dynamic trajectory from a mechanical engineering apprentice to corporate Finance Director with companies of £10m + turnover.

After qualifying in public practice he moved on to ultimately take the role of Managing Director for a printing and publishing business. He has proven industry experience in IT, HR strategy planning, business support, consultancy, printing and publishing, public practice and also has considerable experience of the voluntary and public sectors.

Prior to running Halagen he was the Finance Director with Business Support Kent CIC, held a number of Directorships, acted as Company Secretary to several SMEs, and sat on the board of Skills South East Ltd, the Marlowe Innovation Centre and South East Business Link Consortium Performance Management Group. He also chaired the South East Business Links Finance Director Group and the Skills South East Audit Committee. Clive set up Halagen in 2005 in response to recognition that SMEs could benefit profoundly from corporate business expertise.

Clive’s achievement in martial arts, gaining his Karate black belt in 2007 epitomizes his belief in self-discipline and personal excellence. He is now an accredited and fully insured Sensei at his local club.

 

Alyson Howard

Alyson is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants with over fifteen year’s experience at board level.

She has spent the last seven years at Meta Corporate Finance Limited as Director, providing financial and strategic direction to SMEs with turnovers up to £20m.

Prior to this she was a Partner at Creaseys Chartered Accountants with a full portfolio of SME clients including two market listed companies and had responsibility with other equity partners for growing the business. With direct responsibility for marketing and development, Alyson was instrumental in its growth, increasing turnover to £5.5m by 2001.

Alyson has sector specialism in finance, public practice, health insurance, media, advertising and marketing, retail property, landed leisure estates and construction.

During her 3 year term as chairman of the Institute of Directors in Kent she was involved in business and political lobbying and public speaking, regularly called upon to contribute to broadcast media.

Currently an Ambassador for Enterprise in the South East via SEEDA, she remains known affectionately as ‘the business voice of Kent’.

 

Ronald Watt

Ron is a seasoned Director with over twenty year’s experience.

Embarking on a career in banking Ron gained his Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and progressed quickly to the international scene at a time when globalisation was the trend in international banking. Over a ten-year career at Chase Manhattan, Ron gained broad industry knowledge of commercial bank lending, emerging markets and information systems to better aid management.

As director at James Cook University in Australia Ron established holding companies and subsidiaries, creating a framework within which the university’s commercial activities could be managed.

At Qesst, Ron’s business acumen was directed toward assisting corporate clients better manage their strategic position, developing strategic plans and quality management systems.

Ron returned to international finance at Baring Asset Management and gained extensive experience of investment management and raising equity finance. Ron initiated a major rights issue and restructured investment companies during his eleven-year career at Barings.

Ron’s approach is focused, hands-on and results driven with emphasis on shareholder value.

Ron has recently been working with a number of NHS trusts to identify savings from lean efficiency studies and the income obtained from improvements in productivity.

Ron is currently working with growth companies, developing cutting edge strategic business solutions and has invaluable experience of managing growth, whether it is organic growth or acquisitioned growth.

Ron’s desire to compete and win is also expressed in his motor racing success racing thoroughbred sports cars at the Nurburgring.

 

Stephen Plowman

Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants with over thirty years' experience in industries covering food, the wine trade and travel.

His responsibilities have covered IT, distribution and HR as well as the financial management of the companies he has worked for. Having successfully completed his last role as Financial Controller for Rail Europe, Stephen has joined the Halagen team sharing his expertise with a wide range of business’.

He has held senior management (finance director/ general manager) positions in several Europe-wide organisations as well as SMEs with turnovers ranging from £9m to £300m.

He has extensive experience of rapidly growing businesses and businesses in a state of transition, acquisitions, mergers, restructuring and the consequent planning that change entails.

He has implemented systems for numerous companies and is familiar with a wide range of management information systems. Stephen is familiar with preparing business plans for submission to banks and other financial institutions.

He has worked in Northern Europe both in industry and with Price Waterhouse Coopers and is fluent in French and has good German. Stephen actively enjoys travelling and the taste of other cultures, even to the extent of taking his Master of Wine exam!