Solihull, England, United Kingdom
Chartered Management Accountant with a proven track record in Construction, Engineering, Professional Services, and Service sectors. Specialises in Financial Management and FP&A, consistently driving impactful change and executing strategic improvement projects to optimise performance.
In my role overseeing FP&A for EMEA and APAC, I produce crucial insights and reports for strategic decision-making. My responsibilities include leading the budgeting and forecasting process, aligning senior leaders' actions with strategic plans, and driving the achievement of strategic targets through impactful reporting and business intelligence. I regularly communicate financial performance narratives to executive leadership and collaborate with international teams to assess performance and suggest corrective actions when necessary. I also focus on creating business plans for new opportunities, analysing risks, and ensuring sound ROI. Additionally, I work on designing and delivering a new ERP system in compliance with regional accounting standards, while continually seeking process and system improvements.
In my role as No1 for Finance in EMEA, I reported to the EMEA Managing Director and established the EMEA finance function by transferring processes from the US. This provided greater control and engagement with the business as we scaled from 50 to 450 employees, generating €80 million in revenue. I built and managed a finance team from one to nine members, fostering strong partnerships across all stakeholder levels up to EMEA Senior Directors. My responsibilities included managing tax requirements, statutory audit, revenue recognition, and risk management. I ensured accurate budgeting, project setups and closures, and timely cash collection. Additionally, I led weekly and monthly reporting, initiated dashboards for actionable insights, managed accounts payable and receivable, and controlled multi-currency cash flow. I owned the annual budget and business plan process, initiated an EMEA company credit card scheme, and administered sales rate modelling. I also drove process and system improvements, enhancing efficiency and accuracy across finance operations.
In my role as No1 for Finance in EMEA, I reported to the EMEA Managing Director and established the EMEA finance function by transferring processes from the US. This provided greater control and engagement with the business as we scaled from 50 to 450 employees, generating €80 million in revenue. I built and managed a finance team from one to nine members, fostering strong partnerships across all stakeholder levels up to EMEA Senior Directors. My responsibilities included managing tax requirements, statutory audit, revenue recognition, and risk management. I ensured accurate budgeting, project setups and closures, and timely cash collection. Additionally, I led weekly and monthly reporting, initiated dashboards for actionable insights, managed accounts payable and receivable, and controlled multi-currency cash flow. I owned the annual budget and business plan process, initiated an EMEA company credit card scheme, and administered sales rate modelling. I also drove process and system improvements, enhancing efficiency and accuracy across finance operations.
In my role, I streamlined operations by transferring non-value-add tasks from the finance team to offshore resources. I optimised head office recharge journal allocation and subsequent posting processes and conducted weekly cash reporting. I managed key balance sheet reconciliations and improved processes for key accounts. I prepared month-end management reports for the rail business, including cost and value reviews. Additionally, I oversaw the financial management of a joint venture, which involved handling month-end accounts, CIS and VAT submissions, and parent company recharges.
As finance lead for a £190 million joint venture between Carillion and Buckingham Group for phase 1 of the East-West Rail Project, I collaborated with operations and commercial teams to effectively manage cost and value. I oversaw cash and working capital control, including cash reporting and forecasting, and prepared month-end reporting packs for partners to support financial accounts for consolidations. My role involved balance sheet reconciliations, statutory reporting, and management of payables and receivables ledgers. I facilitated client commercial and statutory finance audit liaison and owned the data area for the project. Additionally, I established a new Bacs payment run process and managed its ongoing operation, while also overseeing credit card operations. I handled accrual and prepayment risk management and allocated partner recharges effectively.
Led a successful transfer of outsourced finance functions between two legal entities and outsourcing companies. Developed a detailed project plan and provided weekly progress updates to complete a 6-week transfer. Streamlined the assimilation of accounting tasks and facilitated a smooth transition of Record to Report, Accounts Payable, and Accounts Receivable processes to new offshore agents and teams. Transferred system knowledge and implemented process improvements during the transfer. Partnered with teams in India for go-live support during initial operations and month-end processes.
I completed quarterly VAT returns and performed various ad hoc finance tasks as requested by the Finance Manager or Management Accountant. I conducted bank reconciliations and managed project cash flow and cost forecasts. I also maintained sales and purchase ledgers, ensuring seamless transfer to the general ledger. Additionally, I monitored sales receipts, handled invoicing and collection of ground rents, and utilised Sage Payroll and ECS (Estate Computer Systems) for streamlined financial operations.