About
At Performance Factory we believe in the power of a high-performance mindset. Inspired by our Olympic champion founder, we bring the same focus, discipline and winning attitude from professional sports to business. Just as athletes excel through teamwork and strategy, we help entrepreneurs and SMEs reach their peak performance.
Growing a business is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming
Managing complex finances and scaling operations isn’t easy. Many entrepreneurs struggle to maintain financial clarity and control as they expand. That’s where we come in. Performance Factory provides Fractional CFO services and financial expertise you need to navigate growth with confidence.
Performance Factory was created to help entrepreneurs build life changing businesses.
We offer financial insights, strategic planning and personalised growth strategies to drive success. With our support, you’ll make smarter decisions, optimise your operations and achieve sustainable growth. We’re with you at every stage of your journey, turning your vision into reality.
Our values
We are a values-driven business, which shapes our interaction with our clients and stakeholders.
Excellence
We are committed to achieving the highest standards in all we do, inspired by the high-performance principles of our founders' athletic backgrounds.
Grit
We are inspired by our founders’ grit and resilience in competitive sport and business. We are dedicated to overcoming obstacles and staying focused on the prize.
Integrity
We value our clients’ confidentiality, and conduct our business with honesty, transparency and accountability.
Teamwork
We believe in pulling in the same direction. We value teamwork and collaboration, both within our business and with our clients. Our success is built on strong partnerships and the collective effort of talented individuals working towards common goals.
Meet the founders
James Thompson
South African Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion rower, entrepreneur and keynote speaker, renowned for helping entrepreneurs build life changing businesses.
James is a South African Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion rower, who has successfully translated his athletic excellence into the business realm. James discovered a passion for rowing at St. Andrew’s College, which led to his stellar rise in international rowing while pursuing his academic studies at the University of Pretoria (Tuks). His career highlights include gold medals at the World Championships and 2012 London Olympics.
Following his illustrious sports career, James grew Bike Market into South Africa’s largest second-hand bicycle trader and developed a successful B2B sales channel for Decathlon South Africa. In 2022 James founded Performance Factory, focusing on empowering entrepreneurs.
Charles Brittain
Finance professional and elite sportsman, World Champion rower, specialising in financial and operational change for owned-managed businesses.
Charles Brittain is a finance professional and aspiring entrepreneur with a background in elite sports. He holds a BCom in Business Management and a post graduate diploma in Investment Management.
Charles is a competitive sportsman. He competed as a professional athlete in the South Africa national rowing squad, becoming a World Champion in the men’s pair at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships and a 13-time South African National Champion.
Charles gained experience at Harvard Corporate Business Rescue and Liquidation, where he excelled in data analysis, cash management and fraud detection.
He teamed up with James and Performance Factory in 2023. His role focuses on driving financial and operational change, compiling and analysing financial reports, monitoring business performance, managing risk exposure and implementing key software solutions.
