Peter Wise

Mifa Star acts as finance and management consultants for a number of start up companies... assistance with Business Plans, forecasts, and raising finances, setting up the day to day business proceedures as well as strategies for going forwards.

I have also done marketing research into the sports market to assess the viability of some ideas I have has -the result is 2 internet projects going forwards:
*/ partner in Extremedia Ltd which owns www.extremity.tv - a website & business in extreme sports, a huge and interesting market;
*/ Cosloza Ltd - sports internet project: imminent at time of writing

Electronic Group was primarily involved in internet development and internet payments via telecom billing.
I was first formal Finance Manager of the Group as it moved from France to Barcelona, Spain.
Tasks performed
*/ clean up French company system and balance sheet; */ set up accounting system/procedures for new Spanish HO; */ set up team to manage the accg/finances during a period of significant growth; */ established and managed a structure to reduce taxes; */ maintained relations with banks, auditors and other professional third parties

Sector: Multimedia - Internet

VGI was a Canadian Biotech Group quoted on Nasdaq (bought out by Bayer in 2001) involved in HIV and genetic matching.
I was the first European Finance Manager - tasks in approx order:
a. gain control of the French & Dutch companies accounts & Balance Sheets; b. close down the Dutch operations & sell off a "Profit Centre" of the French company; c. establish a European team for accounting, order processing, reporting; d. oversee set up of the MFG Pro management & accounting package; f. follow NASDAQ reporting deadlines; g. evolved into being responsible for logisitics and HR (beginning of the 35hr week in France) as well as Finance; h. general management

Sector: Biotech

Imported Scottish specialist food products into Paris/France;
Consulted for a Scottish quality meat company;
Agent for an Italian Chianti wine selling into the UK.

Marketing, distributions,animation - all with objective to get products into the French market.

Sector: Import - Export

Cromadex was a Division of Industrial Paints, itself a division of Courtaulds PLC (since bought out by AKZO Nobel)
Network of distribution outlets for industrial paints - focus on smaller clients.
I was first finance manager in the continental Europe operations when we started with 3 people in a Paris HO. 5 years later we had c. 15 outlets in France & Germany.
I set up the accounting proceedures per the groups requirements, monthly reporting, and generally handheld the outlets in maintaining their records, collections, stocks...

Sector: Chemical industries

Company provided labout to the oil rigs in the North Sea, alos had a small engineering division in Glasgow.
I was brought in by a "Company Doctor" who revived the Company for enough time to not lay people off, to pay off fiscal debts left by previous management and to be sold off.
I was responsible for the accounting and reporting of the engineering division, as well as other balance sheet tasks for the main business

Sector: Petroleum - Exploration - Production - Refining