Written by Katina Hristova

Looking to visit Britain’s capital? Georgian streets, countless cafés and restaurants, convenient location and classy vibes - whether travelling for work or pleasure, London’s fashionable and affluent area of Marylebone is the perfect place for city-breaking. Here is Finance Monthly’s suggestion for the best Marylebone hotel for your trip.

Housed in a converted Edwardian townhouse building, No Ten Manchester Street is an opulent boutique hotel set in the heart of Marylebone and within a walking distance of the shops of Oxford street. Combining truly English charm with a contemporary European vibe, the hotel boasts stylish rooms, a cigar bar and all the comforts you could possibly need to unwind after a long day of work meetings (or shopping).
The décor of the well-appointed 44 bedrooms and suites is elegant, classic and plush, equipped with bespoke Christopher Guy furniture, Richmond Hypnos beds, complimentary Handy phones, Wi-Fi access, 32-inch flatscreen TVs and en-suite bathrooms. Despite its central location, No Ten Mancheter street’s rooms somehow feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets – a good night’s sleep guaranteed!
No Ten Manchester Street prides itself to be an official Gold Havana Cigar Specialist, with its Cigars at No 10 bar attracting hotel guests from across the globe. The hotel’s cigar team meticulously maintain the cigar collection, house it in a bespoke D’art humidor, making sure that your chosen cigar will arrive in complete optimum condition – however, the extensive cigar selection will make it difficult to choose only one. The bar is one of London’s finest cigar venues and is a chic place to hang after dinner, whilst sipping on a whisky and indulging in Havanas.

Deluxe rooms at No Ten Manchester Street cost from £148.
www.tenmanchesterstreethotel.com

As an international businessman, I am often required to work across multiple time zones and switching off from work and finding time to relax can be difficult. That being said, unwinding does not come naturally to me. I can trace this back to when I was reading for my PhD at Cambridge, or even to my schooling, and see the pattern throughout the twenty years that I have spent building my business, the Global Group.

 However, this is something that I am working hard to be better at as it is important to achieve a strong work-life balance and make the time for leisure activities.

Personally, I make a special effort to ensure that I spend a good amount of time with my four young daughters. Even though I am constantly travelling around the world, I always try as hard as possible to travel back to Hong Kong on the weekends to see my children. Family is so important to me and in my opinion, it is crucial to make time to spend with your family as they are your most reliable support system. It gives me great pleasure to come home and hear all about my daughters’ lives and achievements.

As someone that is constantly jet-setting around the world and spends a lot of time in airports and on planes, I can share with you some of my top tips for relaxing and unwinding during international travel.

Firstly, I like to make sure that I do take some time out to do the things that I love whilst I’m flying long-haul. So, although I use some of this time to work, films are a passion of mine and therefore I always make sure to make the time to watch the latest movies during my flights. If I’m not in the air, then I love going to the cinema to watch the latest releases, and London’s West End is my favourite place for this.

I love to invest in cultural items as it allows me to combine work and relaxation. Some of my favourite things to learn about and invest in are fine art and fine wines. Cigars are also a passion of mine, and I am a member of a cigar club in Hong Kong, which is a favourite haunt of mine.

For me, studying is an activity that I also find relaxing, as I enjoy learning new things, widening my horizons and keeping up to date with the constantly changing world around me. It is important for me to ensure that I am as knowledgeable as possible about global trends and ideas as this is useful for me from a business perspective. But I also find it personally fulfilling. For example, I recently finished a course in FinTech from MIT, which I found fascinating and hugely enjoyable.

One of my favourite ways to fully relax and take my mind off the most pressing demands of work is to spend time catching up with my friends around the world. I’m very fortunate in that I do a vast amount of global travel, and I make sure I catch up with contacts whenever I can.

Finally, I like to invest in things that I can take travelling with me. I am particularly interested in discovering and acquiring the newest phones and computers. This is largely due to that fact that, not only are they attractive to have in themselves, they are also extremely useful and can be used for socialising and business. Keeping up to date with the latest advances in technology also means that one can save time and be more efficient, once you have mastered them, thereby freeing up more time.

Business travel can be draining but, with a little planning, it can also be a great opportunity to take a moment for yourself, recharge your batteries, and allow you to combine work and pleasure.

For our Professional Excellence feature, this month we also reached out to John F. Rizzo - the President and Chief Operating Officer of Deem. He leads the vision and strategy of the company and encourages his team to be innovative rapidly. Here, he introduces us to Deem and tells us about the company’s love for innovation.

Could you explain the concept behind Deem?

Deem is driving to change the way business travel costs are controlled by designing a platform to ensure that employees spend as little as possible to achieve the results they need. This is in contrast to the travel market in general, which is dominated by one player who has grown complacent and focuses on controlling travel costs at the expense report stage, after the trip is complete and the capital has been spent. The world of corporate travel is eager for an alternative that listens and responds fast and is on the side of the traveler, the travel manager and the CFO - all of which are concerned about productivity and cost control. The timing is right for a company like Deem that is tech-smart, market-savvy and hungry.

Our approach is All Business. No Trip. That means that the most difficult part of any business trip is too often the trip itself and this is not what travelling is supposed to be like. Deem makes it painless for the traveler to get down to business without distraction, simpler for the travel manager and management company to keep track of all the moving parts, and easier for partners to get the information they need to stay competitive. The Deem Work Fource platform is designed for the entire business travel ecosystem, using machine learning, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. Deem’s suite of tools range from a dynamic traveler booking platform, travel manager cost controls, travel agency service technology and supplier revenue opportunities, including the world’s largest car service affiliate network and operator solutions. We have more than 35,000 corporate customers in 61 countries, speaking 15+ languages - including the world’s largest travel management companies. Our headquarters is in San Francisco, but we have people located all around the globe.

What makes the company unique?

Deem is the only company in the corporate travel space that considers each of the constituents in corporate travel – the traveller, the travel manager, the travel management company and the supplier. Most companies focus on just one at the expense of others. The reason why this is important is because if travellers book off platform, costs run wild (studies have shown 15% more costs if booked off a platform), travellers have more hassles, which makes them less productive during the trip. This results in travel managers not being able to control costs and travel management companies not being able to service travellers when things aren’t going well on the trip (i.e. flight delays, overbooked hotels, etc.).  At Deem, we create solutions that make life easier for the entire travel ecosystem, saving time, money and hassle.

What would you say are the company’s top priorities towards its clients?

Our main priority is to build dynamic and personalized solutions for the entire travel ecosystem and make every business trip painless. We have created a booking solution so intuitive that it makes the traditional travel and expense process obsolete – our artificial intelligence and machine learning systems do it all for you!

What challenges would you say you and the firm encounter on a regular basis?

 At Deem, we are always pushing the pace of innovation. We’re trying to build technologies that don’t exist – there’s a certain level of resistance when you move at this speed.

Another challenge that we face is connected to helping CFO’s think differently about solving cost problems at the front end of the travel process; rather than at final expense report stage when it’s too late.

How are these challenges set to change, in conjunction with the advent of AI and machine learning and the potential future needs of clients?

Thus far, we have been actively incorporating AI into our products over the past year to bring that technology to market today. However, we will need to innovate faster and better, in order to stay ahead of our competitors.

What has been Deem’s biggest achievement in the past year or so?

 Releasing our newest platform Deem Work Fource – a seamless travel management and booking platform, is definitely one of our major achievements.

We are also very proud of introducing Intelligent Attach for hotels and car service. This solution increases the likelihood of travelers booking a hotel or car service with their air. This helps significantly with compliance and duty of care (knowing where your employees are is more important in a world that’s increasingly affect by terrorism and upheaval on a global scale) and streamlines the traveler itinerary.

Can you tell us a bit about Deem’s Open Expense solution?

Deem’s Open Expense solution allows us to integrate seamlessly with any expense provider on the market, including ChromeRiver, and others. If a travel management company or corporation is looking for a best in breed solution to their travel management, this allows them to choose exactly the right provider in every case, rather than being forced into using a subpar travel tool that comes along with their expense provider creating travel that's more expensive and includes more hassle.

What’s your outlook for the future of the company?

We’re growing fast, signing new customers who are encouraging us to do more, launching new products and adding global reach. We are hugely optimistic about the future!

A historic hotel, located in the heart of the historic and beautiful city of York, The Grand opened its doors in May 2010 following the extensive refurbishment of the former North Eastern Railway headquarters – one of York’s most iconic Edwardian buildings. Today it is the region’s leading luxury hotel and has established a global reputation for its first-class service, stylish bedrooms and unique historic atmosphere.

The hotel boasts 107 hotel rooms, 13 of which are suites. We stayed in the Executive double room, which was cosy, yet spacious, beautifully decorated and offered stunning views of York minster and the historic City Wall. The room also benefited from a luxurious bathroom, with his and hers sinks, a marble topped bath tub and under floor heating.

There’s no such thing as a standard suite at The Grand. Each room is unique – modelled to integrate the individual, elegant and quirky features of the building.

With four bars and restaurants to choose from, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining at the Grand. We opted for The Rise Restaurant, Terrace and Bar which offers modern cuisine across a new ‘small plate’ concept. This allows guests to enjoy a feast of delicious sharing dishes. The restaurant interiors have been inspired by York’s local heritage, creating a soft industrial dining room, combined with an open kitchen, cocktail bar and heated garden terrace which is perfect for alfresco dining throughout the year.

Overlooking York Minister, Hudsons, a 3 AA rosette restaurant, offers an ever changing 9-course tasting set menu which utilizes local produce to showcase a unique contemporary cuisine.

Set in plush surroundings, The 1906 Bar offers amazing Champagne and Martini cocktail, as well as all the classics. Bar food is also available and served until late.

Boasting a fine array of bottles from around the world, the whiskey lounge is a must for any whiskey lover. Here you can relax in the snug armchairs provided and choose from over 110 bottlings aged from 10 to 52 years old.

The Spa at the Grand is set in the hotel’s vaults, where the North Eastern Railway company once stowed its millions, and offers a secluded and tranquil environment. The spa includes a gym, a swimming pool with jets, an Aromatic Steam Room, a Nordic Dry Sauna and a relaxation room, making it the perfect place to unwind after a day of discovering the delights that York has to offer. The Spa also offers tailored treatments for men, women and under 16s and poses some of the most luxurious services and products to leave you feeling de-stressed, energised and rejuvenated.

For more information, please visit www.thegrandyork.co.uk

With summer upon us, this month we take you to beautiful Morocco and its most infamous beach town – Essaouira. A labyrinth of souks in the port city’s medina, hip cafes and art galleries, miles of golden sands, and a general laid-back vibe – Essaouira is the perfect destination for a relaxed sun-filled holiday in North Africa.

Inland from the town is nestled Le Jardin des Douars – a boutique hotel surrounded by lush botanical gardens and postcard-perfect countryside. Katina Hristova tells us more about it.

How often do you go on a holiday, with the objective of rebooting, only to find yourself just as exhausted as before you left? It’s not very often that you come back feeling truly rejuvenated and refreshed, ready to face your daily routine again. Well, I found a place that not only made me come back to reality feeling like a new person, but also a little bit more in love with life.

Located just a 15-minute drive from Essaouira - a port town nestled on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Le Jardin des Douars is the perfect place for a long weekend getaway. The laid-back retreat is situated inland and is surrounded by hills in terracotta tones, studded with argan and olive trees. As soon as you enter through the wooden gates however, the landscape completely changes - traditionally African, earthy-clay-coloured castle-like buildings, botanical gardens boasting lush greenery, colour explosions and chirping birds. The Jardin promises carefree sun-filled days followed by alfresco dining at dusk and blissful moments at the candlelit terrace over a glass of La Gazelle de Mogador - a delicious organic Essaouiran wine.

Amongst the plant-filled courtyards and the palaces, there is also a choice of heated pools - a peaceful infinity pool designed for couples, and a slightly bigger one, which allows parents to frolic with their children in the water. With the hotel’s relaxed and peaceful vibe, you’ll feel like the time has stopped while you’re lounging around soaking up the African sun, sipping on the mint tea that charming waiters bring to your sun-bed.

With their antique furnishings, traditional bejmat (terracotta-tiled floors), and high-ceilinged spacious bathrooms, the rooms, suites and the three villas are classically Moroccan. Downstairs in the main building you’ll find a beautifully decorated dining room, with a separate annex for more intimate dinners - once again highlighting the hotel’s capacity to cater for both family holidays and romantic getaways. The menu, whether you opt for the set menu (3 daily changing courses) or go à la carte is wonderfully Moroccan, with a slight Mediterranean twist. As delicious as all of the savoury courses were, the real standout was the chocolate tart - not only it was a chocolatey explosion of taste for the palate, but it was arguably the best desert I have ever tasted!

Another factor contributing to the magic of this retreat is its candlelit hammam spa, which includes black soap exfoliations, Moroccan and Oriental massages, and hot-stone treatments. The products that the skilled therapists use are organic and locally-sourced - a key element that even extends to the complimentary bathroom toiletries that could be found in every room. Less than five minutes into my black soap treatment, I realised that I was already starting to feel the Moroccan effect – the spa therapist exfoliated, cleansed and toned my skin, leaving it feeling fresh and full of vitality.

A change of scenery and some time abroad to de-stress can make a world of difference if you’re in need of a relaxed holiday, but sometimes it takes a bit more than simply being in the sunshine. Le Jardin des Douars’ effortless aura of ease, combined with North African exoticism will undoubtedly make you feel in sync with yourself and your surroundings, leaving everlasting memories and preparing you to go back home fully refreshed and revitalised.

The five-star Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill is conveniently located in the heart of London’s West End, featuring views over the charming gardens of Portman Square. Just steps away from Hyde Park and London's most famous shopping districts of Oxford Street & Bond Street, the hotel benefits from superb transport links to Kings Cross St Pancras and Heathrow Airport, making it the ideal hotel for both business and leisure travellers.

 Following a multi-million pound renovation back in 2016, this luxury five-star property boasts 440 well-appointed guestrooms and suites, plus 11 distinct meeting spaces, including three 2nd floor spaces with natural daylight and advanced technology. With the help of Churchill’s family, the refurbishment has brought to life the character of the hotel’s namesake, Sir Winston Churchill, drawing upon his sartorial elegance in the design of the new guest rooms, suites and meeting spaces. Original artworks, as well as fine fabrics and iconic designs, namely bespoke herringbone, button detailing and signature furniture pieces reflect the iconic leader’s love of quality craftsmanship and the celebrated British tailoring industry.

Churchill’s relationship with his wife Clementine is reflected in original photographs, art works and love letters throughout the hotel. In The Churchill Bar – designed by internationally acclaimed design firm Spinocchia Freund – elegant bookshelves curated by Daunt Books feature a range of literature reflecting the interests of young Churchill and Clementine. Lawrence Holofcener’s sculpture of Young Winston also sits on the bar’s alfresco terrace, with staff placing a fresh rose in the lapel every morning, just as Clementine did.

Award-winning dining options include thoughtfully sourced, carefully served dishes at The Montagu, snacks and signature cocktails at The Churchill Bar & Terrace or award-winning Italian cuisine at Locanda Locatelli. Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill is proud to offer business and leisure travellers alike, the perfect place in which to work or relax, with all the necessary comforts and amenities to enable a relaxing and enjoyable stay and leave feeling productive and revitalised.
The Montagu – New Cheese & Wine Corner

Inspired by Sir Winston Churchill’s fondness for a daily cheese platter, The Montagu restaurant has launched a new Cheese & Wine Corner complete with tasting bar, expert cheesemonger and sommelier. Diners can enjoy a selection of Alsop & Walkers finest British cheeses on platters tailored to their pallet, paired with first-class English, French and New World wines or Gonzales Byass’ Solera and Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Set back from the bustle of Oxford Street and moments from Hyde Park, The Montagu’s new Cheese & Wine corner offers the perfect place to catch up with friends and colleagues or a treat to finish off dinner at the award-winning The Montagu restaurant.

The first hotel that our Business Voyage section looks at is Rosewood London. Centrally located in the heart of London on High Holborn and housed in the original headquarters of the Pearl Assurance Company, the hotel showcases a sensitive renovation of the 1914 Edwardian, Grade II-listed building. Combining English heritage with contemporary sophistication, the retained Belle Époque architectural features include the original carriageway entrance to the grand courtyard and a spectacular Pavonazzo marble staircase which rises over seven storeys. The hotel has the feel of a stylish London residence and houses 262 guestrooms and 44 suites including the Grand Manor House Wing, an exclusive six-bedroom suite with its very own postcode. Tony Chi and Associates created the interiors of the public areas including 12 event spaces and the Mirror Room, serving elegant, innovative cuisine and afternoon tea. The Martin Brudnizki -designed Holborn Dining Room, with outdoor terrace, offers British classics with a twist whilst Scarfes Bar serves creative cocktails and curries alongside live jazz and cabaret.

Rosewood London opened in October 2013, marking the presence of the Rosewood Hotel & Resorts brand in Europe. Within only a year, Rosewood London became the pioneering five-star luxury hotel in Midtown, winning eight prominent accolades, including “Best New Hotel in the World 2014” by Telegraph’s Ultratravel, “Hotel of the Year London 2014/2015” at the AA Hospitality Awards and “Opening of the Year 2014” at the European Hospitality Awards.

Following a £85 million renovation to sensitively transform the 1914 Edwardian Belle Époque building, the original architectural features were painstakingly restored by an expert team of craftsmen, including the magnificent Grade II-listed street frontage and dome, and the grand Pavonazzo marble staircase which rises up through all seven storeys of the hotel beneath the 166-foot cupola. Guests enter via a grand carriageway which leads to a distinctive courtyard giving a sense of arrival more akin to a private manor house than a hotel.

Situated in the heart of Midtown on High Holborn, Rosewood London offers those coming to the capital for pleasure or business with easy access to both the City as well as attractions such as Covent Garden, the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, West End theatres as well as world-class galleries just a short walk away.

The 262 rooms and 44 suites including nine signature suites, referred to as “houses,” have been crafted from the finest materials and appointed to the highest standard to convey the feel of stylish London residences. The Grand Manor House Wing, one of London’s most exclusive residences, welcomes guests via its own private entrance and is the only suite in the world to possess its own postcode.

Rosewood London is one of London’s most exciting places to drink and dine with an assortment of culinary experiences to suit everyone. The bustling brasserie Holborn Dining Room is handled day-to-day by General Manager Julien Foussadier and serves classic British dishes with a twist throughout the day. Holborn Dining Room is also home to the Gin Bar offering London’s largest collection of Gin. The Gin Bar features over 400 Gins and 27 tonics, including its very own signature tonic, made in-house using a top-secret recipe.

Transformed by award-winning, landscape designer Luciano Giubbilei, The Terrace enables guests to savour unique food and drink offerings reflecting the flavours and ingredients of each British season in a luxurious garden setting. The year-round garden terrace offers guests unique dining and drink experiences inspired by the British seasons. Cosy up in a sumptuous blanket on the heated benches while sipping on hot toddies, hot buttered rum, spiced Somerset cider, mulled wine and British whiskeys, accompanied by cigars to match. Surrounded by lush greenery, The Terrace evokes the design of a quintessential English garden with seasonal flowering plants in textural woven willow baskets highlighting the British craft heritage.

Classically pruned London Plane Trees form the overhead greenery and soft glow lighting offers a subtle backdrop enhancing The Terrace’s privacy and intimacy. Scarfes Bar, named after the renowned British artist and caricaturist Gerald Scarfe whose original artwork adorns the walls, evokes a convivial atmosphere akin to a sophisticated gentleman’s club. Guests will enjoy a lunch menu of spicy curries and kebabs infused with exotic Indian flavours. The creative menu of cocktails, complimentary live jazz seven nights a week and monthly immersive cabaret make Scarfes Bar a must-visit, vibrant entertainment destination.

The stunning Mirror Room, tucked away in the heart of Rosewood London offers innovative and refined seasonal dining by Executive Chef, Amandine Chaignot and a decadent afternoon tea. The tradition of British tea is taken to new heights with the opulent jewel box design and floor to ceiling mirrors.

Rosewood London’s Sense spa is the epitome of style and tranquillity. Available to hotel and non-hotel guests, this urban retreat features bamboo walls, soft lighting and wooden walkways over rippling water and pebble stones. Experience five-star hair treatments from award-winning and celebrity stylist Matthew Curtis within an intimate and boutique style salon at Sense spa.

A direct route to the private jet market

 The 21^st Century. A sense of immediacy dictates everything we do.

Everyone is in a rush and everything is ‘needed’ at the click of a button. From groceries to holidays and mortgages, everything is available online.

Take the travel industry, for example. Aggregator platforms like Skyscanner, Kayak and Hipmunk have given travellers instant access to hundreds, even thousands, of flight options, making it possible to book a flight on a commercial airline in mere minutes. Such is the expectation of the increasingly fast-paced world we live in, that a customer would quickly get frustrated if the process took longer than this.

Private jets are the ultimate method of transport for the modern world. Designed for one main purpose – to cut the time it takes to get from A to B – private aviation is the most time-efficient means of travel. This can be hugely beneficial for ensuring business effectiveness when getting your key people to important meetings quickly and efficiently, for example cutting out the wasted time that management teams spend waiting at airports for flights and connections.

Yet, fliers have traditionally not had a direct route to market. Those wishing to fly by private jet are still largely settling for the old-fashioned means of booking a private jet over the phone, via a broker. Having to wait any period of time for a flight to be confirmed on Skyscanner would be entirely unacceptable to a customer. So why is this acceptable in private aviation?

The answer is simple, or exceedingly complicated, depending how you look at it. The industry has to date been unable to automate the staggering number of variables that need to be considered when calculating the cost of a private jet flight.

Consider a commercial flight leaving a certain airport, at a certain time. All the various calculations of aircraft fees, take off fees, noise surcharges and a multitude of other necessary fees are already taken into account. But when a traveller books a private jet, leaving at a time and from a place of the passenger’s choosing, each of these variables needs to be calculated from scratch. Until now the technology has not existed to connect fliers directly to the private jet market, but thanks to a revolutionary new platform, this is changing.

Stratajet, a cutting-edge private aviation company, first launched to the flying public in April 2016, with the unique proposition of allowing customers to book a private jet flight via a completely online platform.

A whirlwind 18 months

Making a fully-automated private jet booking platform available to the consumer meant bringing the entire industry online, which required building inordinate amounts of data into a highly complex algorithm. Stratajet’s search engine technology is so sophisticated that it’s capable of making upwards of 2.5million calculations in 10 seconds to return accurate, ‘real-time’ flight results.

At the heart of what has been a whirlwind 18 months for the company, going from six people working in a bunker developing the platform’s prototype, to launching as a fully operational international business and achieving a $10million run rate and growing by 40% month on month, has been CFO David Lee.

David joined Stratajet in June 2015 at a crucial point of the company’s execution. “We anticipated this level of rapid growth,” David recounts, “both in terms of the business operations and its staff – which now numbers 65 – and knew it would not have been possible without a robust finance and business support foundations.” Building a finance function from scratch was the first on a long-list of major contributions that David has made to the business: “It was crucial to put the necessary finance infrastructure and operational processes in place very quickly in order to support this growth.”

A broad cross-section of experience has given David the right tools to help “develop and implement the right tactics and strategy to set the business up for success.” In fact, this kind of face-paced environment is one in which David thrives, having spent the ten years prior to Stratajet working with high-growth entrepreneurial companies. Previously CFO at Mendeley, a high-growth, high-tech SaaS start-up, David built the finance function and helped close a significant funding round, eventually overseeing the sale of the company in 2015.

Such is the expertise accumulated during a decade of working for innovative, growing businesses that David’s role at Stratajet has grown to much more than overseeing the company’s finances. “As a CFO in medium sized business,” he says, “my role is quite all-encompassing. I oversee our HR, legal, analytics, facilities and commercial functions, as well as the finance. But essentially, my role is to support the CEO as right-hand man. Doing what it takes to grow the business. We put a lot of effort into building the right management team, which we are now seeing pay off as the business enters new territories.”

David’s experience in fund raising has been particularly invaluable to Stratajet, as he, in May 2016, helped position the company for a large round of Series A investment. This additional $8 million (led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from existing investors Playfair Capital and JamJar Investments) has brought total funding in the platform to $14m and aided in the development of additional technology functionality, ensuring viable and sustainable growth in the platform.

David highlights the importance of this funding in supporting the company’s main asset – its technology. “As a tech company, our focus is on the platform we have built, the patented intellectual property, the software that makes everything work and the data we have collected. Therefore, expenditure in the coming year will largely be on the continued investment into that technology platform, allowing further expansion into new international markets.”

What next?

There is, however, no rest for the wicked.

Following the platform’s success since launch across Europe in April 2016 and subsequent launch into the US in October, plans are afoot to expand in 2017. “We have a number of major milestones due in the coming year,” David hints, “both in terms of geographical expansion and major partnerships that we’re working on across the private aviation and general travel industries.” With David’s increased responsibilities, careful collaboration is required between the major areas of the business – marketing, customer service, IT, finance, etc – “in what we anticipate will be another huge year in the development of the Stratajet business.”

2017 won’t, however, be without its challenges from a financial perspective, particularly for a London-based start-up. Brexit continues to dominate headlines as Theresa May puts plans in place to trigger the process that will allow the UK to leave the EU, according to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and as Stratajet continues to grow, so will its staff. “Talent acquisition,” notes David, “is key to the success of any high-growth business; it’s like the oxygen we need to grow. So we are keeping a close eye on the impact that Brexit will have on the London labour market as we look to hire another 50 team members in the next 12 months. To date, the EU has been an amazing talent pool for us – over 40% of our team are European – and we are working with political campaigners to ensure London remains an international destination for talent.”

Offering a word of advice to other financial directors, David is positive about what political changes will bring to the business world. “Even though some will worry about political instability,” he says, “there is no suggestion that this will impact the scope for any business to conduct its affairs. Therefore, my advice to FDs is to stick to the basics, especially when working in fast paced environments. It’s vital to have clear planning and forecasting procedures but you should also ensure you have a finance team who are not always stuck in the detail of the financial accounts, but rather are proactively immersed in and supporting the business operations. A team,” he continues, “must be able to adapt the operations quickly to any changes in the business environment as opportunities (or threats) arise. And it goes without saying that you will always need robust planning processes, timely management information and razor sharp cash controls, this is where an effective finance team can add huge value to the business.”