BRIDGEND, UK. 6th August 2024 – Mazuma leading provider of accountancy services for micro-businesses in the UK, has announced the appointment of Gary Turner, former UK CEO and Co-Founder of software giant Xero, to its Board of Directors.
This appointment follows a significant financial boost for Mazuma. In January 2024, the company secured a multi-million-pound investment from Innovation Investment Capital Limited Partnership (IIC). This funding is set to drive Mazuma’s growth and innovation plans, positioning the company to further disrupt the traditional micro-business accountancy sector. Coinciding with this investment, Co-Founder Lucy Cohen was appointed as CEO.
Mazuma, founded in 2006 by Lucy Cohen and Sophie Hughes in South Wales, has distinguished itself through a subscription model offering a range of competitively priced accountancy packages. Their service is bolstered by proprietary technology via the MazApp© platform, alongside a team of highly professional accountants. This combination aims to simplify the lives of sole traders, partnerships, and small business owners.
Gary Turner, a pivotal figure in establishing and leading the UK operations of Xero, brings a wealth of experience to Mazuma’s board. Turner played a crucial role in growing Xero into a global cloud accounting platform with over 4 million business subscribers. His background includes 12 years on Xero’s global leadership team and over 20 years of executive leadership in technology, operations, and strategy.
Lucy Cohen, Co-Founder and CEO of Mazuma, expressed her enthusiasm about Turner’s appointment. “What excites me most about having Gary join our Board is our alignment in vision and purpose. His motivations at Xero were the same as ours at Mazuma. We are all about reducing the accounting burden for our customers so that they can focus on running their businesses. Gary has been on the growth journey that we are taking, and I’m thrilled that he has elected to bring his skills and experiences to Mazuma in support of our growth plans.”
Turner shared his enthusiasm about joining Mazuma, stating, “I’m delighted to be joining an organisation whose values so clearly align with mine. The UK’s 6 million small and micro-businesses form the backbone of our economy, yet many struggle to access the support and guidance they need to grow and prosper. I’ve long admired Mazuma’s focus here, and I am excited to be working with Lucy, my fellow board members, and the executive team to help Mazuma play an even greater part in serving the needs of this vital sector of our economy.”
Cohen further highlighted the strategic importance of this appointment: “A business with the ambitions we have needs a team of incredible people to execute the vision. With Gary as an NED on our Board and our recent executive appointments of Emma Crawford-Falekaono as CRO and David Morris as CPTO, we have a team that can really help us accelerate our growth and further develop our client service offering. I cannot wait to see what we do next.”
Mazuma’s focus on innovation and customer-centric services has positioned it as a significant player in the accountancy market for micro-businesses. With the addition of Turner to the board and the recent influx of investment, the company is poised to expand its impact, continuing to provide essential support to small and micro-businesses across the UK.