Cake appoints a non-executive Director

Posted June 2010

Cake is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Brookes as a Non-executice Director responsible for business development along side our Sales Manager Parvis Miah. Cake has been working with Ian as part of the NWDA's High Growth Program for the past 6 months. Ian's insight, ideas and contacts have been invaluable in generating a strong sales pipeline. Ian's Career Summary Price Waterhouse Chartered Accountants (August 1984 - December 1986) Ian joined PW as a trainee accountant under their graduate recruitment scheme and spent just over two years in the audit practice working on a range of clients. Price Waterhouse Management Consultants (January 1987 - December 1989) Ian transferred to PWMC on qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, gaining a broader commercial experience over three years with a wide range of clients in UK and Europe. Bamford Consulting (January 1990 â€“ November 1991) Ian left PW and founded Bamford Consulting with three former PW colleagues. His focus was on providing corporate finance and business strategy advice to growing SMEs. He sold this business to Lorien after two years. Lorien plc (December 1991 to July 2007) Ian joined Lorien as Group Financial Director, when it was a private company with Â£20m turnover. Ian helped the company to an AIM flotation in 1995, and a Stock Exchange Full Listing in 1997. He completed three fund raisings for Â£35m and made eight acquisitions. Ian was promoted to Managing Director in 1998, with day-to-day responsibility for the IT Resourcing Division. In December 2002 and was appointed Group Managing Director. Lorien provide IT outsourcing, consulting and staffing services, and is one of the UKâ€™s top ten firms in this sector with a turnover in excess of Â£180m. Lorien also had a BPO division providing market research, call centre, training, management consulting, digital marketing and brand management services, turnover Â£30m. The business operated from a network of 6 UK offices. Ian left Lorien in July 2007 to pursue a number of personal entrepreneurial opportunities, and working in the regeneration, education and arts sectors. DNA People (July 2007 to December 2007) Ian founded his own consultancy business & focused on helping individuals, teams and organisations to realise their potential and achieve high performance. Winning Pitch (December 2007 to date) Ian Joined Winning Pitch, one of his clients, and merged the DNA People business, and became Managing Director. Winning Pitch provides coaching and consultancy support for entrepreneurs. When he joined the business, he helped the company achieve a PLUS Market listing with a market capitalisation of Â£2.5m on annual turnover of Â£400k to September 2007. In November 2008 they won a three-year Â£10m contract with the NWDA to provide High Growth entrepreneurial companies with coaching and support services. Turnover in the 6 months to March 2009 was Â£1m, and turnover for the year to September 2009 was Â£3m. Turnover for the year to September 2010 is projected at Â£5m. Ian stood down as Managing Director in September 2009 and is now a non-executive, the business required a full-time operational Managing Director given its growth and full-time head count of 35 staff. Ian is responsible at a board level for strategy, plc matters, finance, legals and key customer relationships. DNA People (October 2009 to date) Ian resurrected DNA People to run alongside Wining Pitch activities, for a number of non-exec directorship and personal investments, working with the original ethos and objectives.