Rick qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in Leicester. Managing a range of audit and pre-flotation work led him to being a key member of the management team who established KPMG in Northampton.

Following a period at East Midlands Electricity plc, he joined Mike Hunter & Nick Dixon as Finance Director for the acquisition of Colorgraphic in the early 1990’s. Rick, Nick and Mike subsequently lead a MBO and in 2000 Colorgraphic was sold to Big Flower Inc. Rick left the business in 2001.

Following two years as Managing Director of a call centre software specialist he re-established his partnership with Nick, which culminated in the acquisition of Howitt in 2004.