Ben Farren

Two-time founder, general manager and business strategist, with a foundation in strategy consulting.

I now run an e-commerce startup after three years as the founder of an ambitious (and profitable) fin-tech business in West Africa.

Experience includes fundraising, extensive regulatory and commercial negotiations, product development and marketing, corporate strategy, and the management of teams in Europe, Asia, North America and West Africa.

Experience

Founder & CEO

• Company Name SPOKE (Respoke Ltd)
• Dates EmployedFeb 2013 – Present
• Employment Duration6 yrs 7 mos
• Founder and MD of a vertically integrated online menswear brand, trading since late 2013

Founder

• Company Name SPOKE (Respoke Ltd)
• Dates EmployedFeb 2012 – Dec 2012
• Employment Duration11 mos
• Location London

In it's first incarnation, SPOKE was a 'Trunk Club' clone. After running a pilot with 500 customers, i was turned off by thin margins and the risk of managing a large invent... See more

Independent Consultant, Global Strategy

• Company NameInter Continental Hotels Group
• Dates EmployedFeb 2011 – Jan 2012
• Employment Duration1 yr
• Location London & Atlanta

Work across multiple projects, engaging directly with the CEO, CFO and CMO, and managing internal teams. Projects included: Strategy refresh for the two largest brands in the IHG portfolio Ground-up review and development of retail distribution strategy, with heavy emphasis on digital / online channels

Founder & Managing Director

• Company Name Splash Mobile Money
• Dates EmployedJan 2008 – Apr 2011
• Employment Duration3 yrs 4 mos
• Location Freetown, Sierra Leone & London

Founded and launched Splash, West Africa's first Mobile Payments Platform - and still one of just three on the continent to reach profitability.

• Raised $2.5 million - $1.5m of equity finance and secured a further $1 million grant facility from a Gates / DfID funded ‘Challenge Fund’
• Struck partnership deals with multiple mobile network operators and a major Nigerian bank
• Led development of our product in close partnership with technology vendors and oversaw technical integration of our services with mobile network partners
• Secured regulatory approval for what was the country’s first mobile payments system, working closely with the Governor of the Central Bank and the Chairman of the National Telecoms Commission
• Built and managed a multi-functional team of over 30 FTE’s
• Grew the business from a standing start to 60,000+ registered users in the first year of trading

Engagement Manager

• Company Name Marakon Associates
• Dates EmployedMar 2002 – Oct 2007
• Employment Duration5 yrs 8 mos
• Location London, New York & Singapore

Marakon is a global strategy consultancy advising Fortune 500 / FTSE 100 executives on where and how to grow the value of their business (www.marakon.com)

The Manager position involves the day to day leadership of Marakon's engagements, including client management, relationship development, team management and content development.

While my work had a retail financial services bias, I have also worked in the aerospace, FMCG, pulp & paper and industrial products sectors. I was based variously in New York (2.5 years), London (2.5 years) and Singapore (6 months). Internally, I led Marakon’s undergraduate recruitment effort in Europe and the introduction of global practice sharing conferences. See less

Education

University of Cambridge

• Degree Name MA Field Of StudyHistory, Management Studies
• Dates attended or expected graduation 1997 – 2001

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys School