Michael Clerk

About Me

Over the past decade, I’ve built and led businesses across industries, always with a focus on making operations sharper, strategy clearer, and growth more deliberate. Today I run two consultancies: LongBrain, an FMCG consultancy based in Jamaica, and FL DEV, a tech consultancy serving open source projects and software companies. In both, I work directly with clients as a principal consultant while holding full strategic and operational authority over the firm.

My career has been defined by building ownership over complex, multi-disciplinary environments, not just managing within them. My edge isn’t a single industry or discipline, it’s range. I’ve operated at the intersection of business and technology my entire career, I bring both lenses to every engagement.


What I Do

At LongBrain, I partner with FMCG companies on strategy, market positioning, sales, and financial performance. I co-lead the firm alongside my business partner, the Chief Innovator & CEO; each of us working directly with our own clients, coordinating where our expertise overlaps.

At FL DEV, I work with open source projects and software companies on the business layer: operations, sales, finance, marketing, strategy, and community engagement. I don’t write code or run systems; I make everything around them work better.


Background

From 2019 to 2025, I was Administrative & Technical Manager at Rahtid Investment Management, a private holding company I co-owned with investments spanning lawn care, waste management, vending, last-mile delivery, and merchandising. I oversaw procurement, managed all technology infrastructure, directed sales and service strategy alongside my co-owner, and drove market research and financial analysis to identify opportunities and gaps. I was involved in every major decision — from pricing and marketing to corporate contracts and future product development.

Before that, I spent five years at Tyche Enterprises Limited, a FMCG distribution company, progressing from Technical Assistant to Executive Assistant of the Managing Director. I owned IT infrastructure across networking, servers, and devices; designed and executed maintenance procedures including system upgrades and backups; and served as the organisation’s operating system expert and technical point of contact. Alongside the technical work, I functioned as a trusted operational right hand to leadership: managing sensitive information, handling urgent requests, and bridging the gap between the MD and the broader team.


How I Think

I follow the open source landscape closely, not only as a developer, but as someone who understands its business implications. I believe in open source, its values and the community around it. I’ve built FL DEV around helping companies and projects capitalise on that.

I bring the same discipline to FMCG through LongBrain grounded in data, oriented toward growth, and focused on what actually moves the business forward.


Currently


Visit my profile on Sifa ID to see my full resume