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The financial and operational clarity your business needs to grow.

Fractional FD and COO support for founders and scaling businesses.
Senior experience, without the full-time cost.

The numbers, sorted

Cash flow, forecasting, board reporting and financial controls so you always know where you stand.

The operations, built

Processes, rhythm and structure that let your business scale without things falling apart.

The experience, applied

Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and UBS, and six years building and running an international business from the ground up.

Most engagements start with a single conversation. No obligation, no jargon. Just an open discussion about where you are and whether I can help.

I've been where you are.

Founder experience. Institutional discipline.

Jamie Lake

My early career was spent in some of the world's leading investment banks. During six years at Goldman Sachs I lived through the 2008 financial crisis first-hand. This experience sharpened my understanding of risk and what happens when controls fail.

In 2010 I joined GreySpark Partners as a founding hire and grew it into an international consulting firm, hiring, developing and mentoring the team, managing costs, and opening offices in New York and Hong Kong and running the full commercial cycle from first conversation to signed contract. By 2015 I was Partner and UK COO, with over 40 people across three offices.

Following GreySpark, I held senior roles at HSBC and Credit Suisse, preparing board-level materials and working on complex operational and financial programmes. When UBS acquired Credit Suisse, I moved across as part of the integration, with a specific remit to merge my Credit Suisse role and function into the UBS environment and culture.

That combination of founder experience and institutional discipline is what I bring to the businesses I work with today. If you're at a stage where you need someone experienced in your corner, without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire, I'd love to have a conversation.

See my full career history on LinkedIn →

Education
MBA
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Career
Partner, GreySpark Partners
Goldman Sachs · Credit Suisse · UBS
Memberships
IOEE
Fellow (FIOEE)
Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs
BCS
Professional (MBCS)
Chartered Institute for IT
Certifications
BCS
BCS
Modelling Business Processes
Requirements Engineering

How I can help

Fractional FD and COO engagements across the UK

I work with businesses at different stages - from early-stage startups getting their financial foundations right, to scaling companies that need operational structure to support their growth.

Financial Director

Fractional FD

  • Cash flow forecasting and runway management
  • Monthly financial reporting and board packs
  • Budget setting, scenario planning and reforecasting
  • Fundraising support - financial models and investor materials
  • Financial controls design and implementation
  • Managing the relationship with your accountant
Chief Operating Officer

Fractional COO

  • Building the operating rhythm - how decisions get made
  • Process design, documentation and operational health-checks
  • Org design, hiring frameworks and team structure
  • Turning strategy into quarterly plans with clear owners
  • Vendor and contract negotiation
  • Metrics and reporting for founders and investors

How it works

Every engagement starts with a conversation. From there, we agree on the scope and structure that makes sense - whether that's a fixed day rate, a monthly retainer for a set number of days, or a project fee for a defined piece of work.

There's no long-term commitment required to get started. Many clients begin with a single day to sense-check their numbers or their operations and build from there.

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Work

A selection of engagements — all names and identifying details are withheld to protect client confidentiality

AI Automation  ·  Essex Commercial Setup

A former investment banking colleague making the leap into founding his own AI automation business specialising in agentic AI systems, workflow automation and custom AI tools for local businesses. We worked through the commercial foundations — pricing structure, engagement model and the financial framework to give him confidence as he moved from first clients to something scalable.

Property & Hospitality  ·  Northumberland Financial Modelling · Scaling Strategy

A sole founder scaling a residential block into a mixed holiday and long-term let portfolio. The core challenge was financial sequencing — when to convert, which units, and how to use long-term rental income to underpin cash flow during quieter periods. We built the unit economics, stress-tested the occupancy assumptions and produced a phased conversion model that turned a complex decision into a clear plan.

Beauty & Consumer Goods  ·  SE London Pre-Launch Strategy

A founder-stage skincare brand with a proven home formula preparing for its first move into commercial production. The founder came with a clear product vision but needed the commercial infrastructure to match. We built out the unit economics and cost modelling, mapped the route to market, worked through UK cosmetics compliance and CPSR requirements, and sequenced the product range to give the launch the strongest possible foundation.

Every engagement is different.

If you'd like to understand how I've worked with businesses similar to yours, the best starting point is a conversation.

Let's talk

No obligation - just an open conversation about whether I can help

Whether you have a specific challenge in mind or you're just exploring whether fractional support is right for your business, I'm happy to have an informal chat. A 20-minute call is usually enough to work out whether there's a fit.

07979 123344
WhatsApp Business
contact@jamielakeadvisory.com