Media File: 1982
Sinclair in the News

Financial Times
April 22, 1982

Finance ace; Dynamic loop

By Michael Dixon

"PROBLEM" might seem to be an odd word to associate with a company whose turnover has risen from £4.6m in 1980-81 to about £30m in the the current fiscal year. But Sinclair Research which is in that position is well aware of the implications for its financial management. Moreover, with a flat-tube TV set and other still secret projects in hand, the company is expecting the rate of sales growth already generated by its personal computers to be still faster in future. So Clive Sinclair, the company's owner (although he may soon sell a minority of the shares) wants someone with the demonstrable ability to start on a Monday morning in the near future and immediately set about creating the financial systems best able to control while still sustaining expansion.

The company evidently views its operations as a dynamic loop.It subcontracts its manufacturing, currently to Timex in Scotland. In-house effort is concentrated on forceful marketing of products generated by past research and development, and on using the proceeds to fund new R and D projects - some extremely costly - with the aim of shortening the lead-time needed to bring further advanced products to market.

The trouble is that neither Mr Sinclair nor his recruitment consultant Geoffrey King can think of any established field in which a financial manager could already be operating the sort of system which the company's unusual situation requires.

It seems plain that the new financial supremo will need technical mastery and experience of managing the monetary affairs of a fast-changing business, a mind that works both rapidly and accurately, and the personality to negotiate successfully with financial institutions and potential subcontractors.

Beyond that, the company is banking on two beliefs. One is that candidates with the necessary ability, and who can demonstrate that they have it, will be well aware of the fact. The other is that they will be readers of the Jobs Column.

On the question of salary, Mr King says only that "it will be as big as the right person is skilled." My interpretation is that the figure would be at least £25,000 and for an exceptional candidate could go a great deal higher.