Craig Alexander Rattray is a highly skilled strategic Finance Director/Chief Financial Officer with three decades of Strategic Finance successes comprising development and implementation of financial strategy, raising finance and providing full strategic financial management.

He has an unrivalled blend of skills developed in private equity/venture capital investment management, financial strategy and control roles, and corporate finance.

With a background as a Scottish Chartered Accountant and experience across companies of all stages, sectors and sizes, Craig Alexander brings comprehensive insight and skill to growth focused companies.

He has significant experience of finance raising and development of financial infrastructure for growing companies to meet requirements of external investors and growth ambitions.  Craig Alexander is comfortable engaging with investors, C-level executives and Boards of Directors, and leading Strategic Finance matters from the front, as well as working closely with the operational teams.

He thrives on supporting companies experiencing change and challenge, including early-stage development, growth, new market entry, acquisitions and scale-ups as well as positioning for exit.

His key focus is results driven in increasing profitability, cashflow and shareholder value.

He is the author of Mastering Cash Flow for Business Owners (2021) which is available now on Amazon

Career History

Having been offered roles with all of the “Big 6”, Craig Alexander commenced his training contract as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen in 1991.

Following a broad cross section of experience encompassing many different sectors, Craig Alexander specialised in corporate finance work.

Subsequently he worked for three different private equity/venture capital companies during a six year period, and was responsible for many successful investments and working closely with investee companies to improve profitability, cashflow and shareholder value.

A period of industrial financial management experience followed where Craig Alexander worked for a New York Stock Exchange listed company, and it was during this role that he gained significant insight into turnaround and financial management roles.

As a result of this experience, Craig Alexander established a highly successful corporate development partnership with a former colleague, and spent the next six years working with many Owner Managed Businesses / SMEs at various stages of their development. The size of company ranged from start-up university “spin out” to international businesses with significant turnover and profitability.  

There followed a role as full-time consultant to a British Virgin Island’s based group of companies focusing on investment in commercial and industrial property (target €1 billion). The role combined that of Group Finance Director and Corporate Finance Director.

Following completion of the investment programme, Craig Alexander was approached to join a struggling transport and logistics group as Group Finance Director and a key part of the new management team.  Part of the role was to assist in the growth of the group both organically and by acquisition, and to return the group to profitable trading. Various key outcomes and successes were achieved in the short time involved.

Prior to establishing CR Corporate Solutions, Craig Alexander was director of a successful business management and corporate finance boutique. During this time, he was involved in a variety of roles including finance raising exercises, acquisitions, succession planning and implementation, turnarounds and reconstructions/refinancings and general financial management roles.

For more than a decade in CR Corporate Solutions, Craig Alexander has worked with a variety of companies and their finance providers, and some of these roles are highlighted in the Case Studies section of this site.

Education & Qualifications

London Stock Exchange Elite programme (2020)

Certified Value Builder, The Value Builder System (2020)

Investment Management Certificate, Institute of Investment Management and Research (1996)

Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (1994)

University of Strathclyde, BA Accounting (1991)

Awards

University of Strathclyde, Enterprise Partner Award 2012/2013.

Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards, 2011/2012/2013/2014. 

Mentored, coached and advised a winning entry in four consecutive annual Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards competitions.

This was a UK wide competition with only three awards each year.