Non-Executive Director & Commercial Advisor
I've spent 25 years building, scaling and exiting digital businesses — agencies, SaaS, media, AdTech. I've sat in the CEO seat, the chairman's seat, and the room where the deal gets done. Now I put that experience to work for founders who want more than a consultant.
About Mark
I've been in digital business since before most people had a broadband connection. I took Linkdex from pre-revenue to a multi-million dollar SaaS platform before its successful exit to Scribblelive. I've advised Conversion.com through to its acquisition by Sideshow Group. I helped Singleview navigate its acquisition by Awin. I've sat on boards, led M&A processes, and backed businesses as an EIS investor across a range of sectors.
What I've learned is that most businesses don't struggle because they lack ideas or ambition. They struggle because the commercial strategy isn't joined up, the messaging doesn't match the product, or the people around the table won't say what they actually think. That's where I come in.
I'm available as a Non-Executive Director, a retained commercial advisor, or for focused project engagements where you need senior experience quickly.
What I Do
01
I challenge strategy, strengthen governance, and bring genuine commercial pattern recognition to your board. Not a seat-warmer — someone who asks the questions your exec team won't.
02
Revenue model, go-to-market, pricing, messaging, partnership. Whether you're stalling between rounds or searching for your next growth lever, I help you see the picture clearly and act on it.
03
I've been through the exit process on both sides. I know how to build a business that's attractive to acquirers — and how to negotiate a deal that reflects the value you've actually built.
04
Deep experience in SaaS and digital agencies — the models, the metrics, the failure modes. I understand churn before it happens and can see where revenue leaks before the numbers do.
05
Need senior commercial or strategic leadership without a full-time hire? I step in at the level you need, for as long as you need it, then step back cleanly.
06
From pitch narrative to financial storytelling, I help founders present their business in the language investors actually respond to — and avoid the traps that quietly kill deals.
Track Record
Linkdex
CEO — 2014 to 2018
Joined effectively pre-revenue. Built revenue to multi-million dollar annual turnover. Took the business through its successful exit to Scribblelive in 2016.
TMN Group plc
CEO — 2003 to 2010
Seven years leading one of the UK's digital media groups. Corporate governance, commercial strategy and stakeholder management across the full portfolio.
Conversion.com
Advisor — 8 years
Long-term commercial advisor, supporting through growth and into its successful acquisition by Sideshow Group.
Singleview / Awin
Advisor — Acquisition
Advised Singleview during and after its acquisition by Awin, navigating the commercial and strategic complexities of integration at scale.
RTS Group
Chairman — Jan 2019 to Present
Ongoing chairmanship across corporate governance, operations and strategic direction.
Envolve Tech
Investor & Chairman — Jan 2019 to Present
Early investor and active chairman. Involved in governance and operational strategy as the business scales.
Sectors
Recent Thinking
Businesses are far more receptive to improvement than to pain relief. Efficiency, momentum, acceleration and clarity resonate more strongly than problem-fixing. That is not a sales problem. It is a marketing one.
Pain Points & Improvement
Most SaaS churn starts in marketing and sales. In many cases, it is caused there. Retention becomes a commercial design choice, made long before a contract is signed.
Churn Starts Earlier Than Teams Admit
When purpose is missing, opinions harden into facts and culture slowly disintegrates. Alignment on why a business exists matters more than most frameworks. Without it, a business becomes interchangeable.
Strategy, Purpose & the People Who Wield It Badly
AI is powerful, but it is not a replacement for thinking. The most effective users treat it as a challenger — not a search engine, not an answer machine, not a protective layer for difficult conversations.
Using AI Without Losing Thinking
How I Work
Most businesses don't need more ideas — they need someone to identify what's actually holding them back. I won't pitch solutions before I understand the problem.
You can hire someone to tell you what you want to hear. I'll tell you what I actually think — backed by experience and evidence, even when it's not the answer you were hoping for.
I get into the commercial detail. I'll sit alongside your team, work through the numbers, and help execute — not just advise from a distance and send an invoice.
Some of the best decisions I've been involved in weren't original. They surfaced internally, got dismissed, and proved effective once the resistance was removed. My job is to find and back what works.
Get in Touch
If you're a founder or CEO looking for serious commercial support — whether that's a board seat, an advisory retainer, or just a first conversation — I'd like to hear from you. No pitch decks required. Just tell me where you are and what you're trying to solve.
mark.smith@adhoc-media.com