Clive Lewis, head of SME issues

Clive is head of SME issues at the ICAEW and a chartered and a management accountant.

Clive started his career at a small firm of chartered accountants based in Cardiff working on the financial reports and tax matters of businesses from sole traders to medium sized manufacturing companies.

Clive worked for Coopers & Lybrand on the audit of businesses of varying sizes - from small subsidiaries of plcs to the largest utilities.

He also spent 20 years in business finance roles including four years as finance director of a small electronics plc where he was actively involved in re-financing the company and restructuring its operations.

Clive was the ICAEW representative on the Government and Accountants Working Group with representatives from the Small Business Service, H.M Treasury and small business representative organisations.

The group considered how small businesses might gain wider access to independent advice on business finance and how to assist SMEs improve their financial management.

The ICAEW has created the SME Funding Adviser scheme to respond to that challenge.

He was also a founder member of the Better Payment Practice Group - a Small Business Service initiative working with private sector organisations to improve the UK payment culture and improve credit management amongst SMEs.

Clive is the public authority commenting on financial and management issues covered in the businesslink.gov website and provides regular contributions on small business issues to on-line media as well as the mainstream media, including the Daily Telegraph Business Club series.