---
title: "About | Ricardo C. Johnson"
description: "Ricardo C. Johnson: commercial strategist with a background in accounting and finance, business ownership and practical systems. Twenty years building and running businesses."
url: https://www.ricardocjohnson.com/about
updated: 2026-10-27
---

About Ricardo

# I have run the kind of business I now advise.

Twenty years building and running businesses. Finance by training. I sit on your side of the table, because I have sat there myself.

My story

## Operator first. Finance by training.

I started in finance operations. First at a luxury retailer, then inside the finance function of a listed support services group. I learned how numbers are built, checked and reported under formal controls.

I have prepared a business of my own for a commercial deal, and I know how much of that work sits in the numbers. Building a product business taught me about margin, pricing and cash in a way no textbook does.

Today I lead commercial strategy on European infrastructure and energy transition projects. The work is financial modelling, cash flow forecasting and scenario analysis for projects where public bodies test every number.

I advise business owners every week on pricing, cash and how to get their business ready to sell. I spent six months in 2024 as a Fellow at Community Labs, a venture studio in New York. In 2026 I joined the board of the Legacy Centre of Excellence.

What I bring

## Numbers, decisions and systems in one place.

“Growth requires more than generating enquiries. It requires understanding the numbers, building effective processes and keeping a clear view of performance.”

-   Accounting and finance
-   Business ownership
-   Commercial strategy
-   Advising business owners
-   Revenue growth
-   Operational systems
-   Website and platform development

Strategy and leadership come from me. Where a project needs specialist build work, I scope it separately and tell you who delivers what.

Why this work

## The gap between the accountant and the owner.

The business owners I work with want to turn more of their revenue into profit. Annual accounts alone cannot give them the current view of pricing, margins and cash they need for decisions throughout the year.

A full-time finance hire costs more than a business of this size is able to justify. So the owner makes pricing, hiring and cash decisions without the numbers to back them.

That is the gap I fill. I read the numbers, I tell you what they say, and I help you act on them.

How I work

-   ### Straight answers
    
    I tell you what the numbers say, even when it is not what you want to hear.
    
-   ### Pounds, not opinions
    
    I quantify the financial impact wherever the data allows, so you know which changes matter most.
    
-   ### Five priorities
    
    Not fifty. A short list, in order, that you are able to act on.
    

Credentials

-   BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance, University of the West of England
-   Head of commercial strategy, European infrastructure and energy transition projects
-   Board member, Legacy Centre of Excellence, 2026
-   Fellow, Community Labs, New York, 2024

I am not a chartered accountant. I do not prepare statutory accounts or tax returns, and I do not provide regulated investment or corporate finance advice.

## Based in the UK. Working with business owners wherever they are.

The work happens remotely. Book a call and tell me about your business.

[Book a free 30-minute call](https://www.ricardocjohnson.com/book)

[See what's included](https://www.ricardocjohnson.com/commercial-review)