BoardroomAdvisors.co is a company that connects scale-ups and SMEs with experienced, part-time directors and C-suite experts for strategic guidance, leadership, and operational support, acting as a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional recruitment for high-level roles like CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CTOs, and other fractional executives. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Boardroom Advisors founder and CEO John Courtney to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
John G. Courtney’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Courtney said:
“I am a serial idiot! BoardroomAdvisors.co is my 7th business in 45 years. I have started companies in management consultancy, corporate finance … even cricket bats! And a digital marketing agency formed before Google was even formed…I even asked how it was spelt when I first heard about it. One failure, which was very painful, but fortunately a couple of successes.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Courtney shared:
“BoardroomAdvisors.co came about because I was an owner-manager of a 50 person agency and I wore too many hats and wanted a part-time finance person to help me as that was my weak suit, but couldn’t find one!”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Courtney reflected:
“Always the first sale. When someone buys a product or service you invent, it gives you a buzz. After that, our first sale outside the UK.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Courtney explained:
“We now provide fractional CFO’s but also part-time experts in marketing, sales, IT, HR, operations as well as Non-Executive Directors, mentors and coaches – everything at what they now call C-Suite level. We are not recruiters as these people are on our teams, so as a result, there is no recruitment fee! And no long term contract either – our terms are a month’s notice so its very flexible – clients can scale the volume of time up or down, pause, stop, re-start; they are in total control. But, as we have great people, they tend to stay.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Courtney cited:
“The most significant thing was the growth of our senior Advisor base, from 50 to 100 to 150 and now I have stopped counting at 200+. They have all scaled companies – founded, run, funded, sold – so they have battle scars and can help clients from day one.”
“Also significant was our expansion from our roots to being a national company. We now have 16 Regional Directors from top to toe of the UK. And now expansion to Ireland, which has gone well. And we are starting franchises around the globe from Saudi Arabia and Australia to USA and China.”
“Winning our first business award was wonderful. We have now won or been finalists for over 20!”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Courtney about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“There are now so many. One in particular its a startup only 2 years ago that we have mentored, they have raised a million, have terrific sales and employ many people. We continue to advise them.”
Funding
When asking Courtney about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“We are entirely self-funded. We started before Covid but have no offices, everyone including myself works virtually or from client offices. This has kept our overheads to a minimum and we have been profitable from day one.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Courtney affirmed:
“BoardroomAdvisors.co is the only company covering the whole range of business functions from finance and IT to sales and marketing. And our senior Advisors are a notch higher as they have all scaled companies.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Courtney concluded:
“Franchising around the world. Everywhere we go, people love the proposition and we already get enquiries from countries where we have no base.”
