Finance Manager

• Jan 2022 - Present

COO and CFO

• Sep 2020 - Apr 2021

Lead Agent

• Nov 2019 - Aug 2020

Coming off the back of a 12 month career break to be a dad, this was the perfect time to try something new. Coming off the back of a 12 month career break to be a dad, this was the perfect time to try something new.

Group CFO

• Mar 2012 - Oct 2018

I was in the fortunate position of working alongside inspirational business leaders & names recognised industry-wide together with excellent support teams in a fantastic environment. Reporting to the CEO and Board, as Group CFO I led the three key back office teams of Finance, HR & Compliance to deliver results across 20 separate business entities using a centralised services model on a fee for service basis. Group CFO responsibilities included the supervision of an assistant accountant who takes information from trial balance stage through to consolidated reporting for the Board, cashflow planning, budgeting, business modelling and recommending financial strategy. In an ever evolving business, "change management" was a normal day. My door was always open for my colleagues as I appreciated that my role encompassed elements of all areas of the business and this allowed me more insight into the daily challenges facing the team and the business. Being able to communicate clearly and concisely to multiple stakeholders and across multiple business units was key to my role. I was grateful for having the opportunity to be involved in the design and launch of ten businesses in just six years, something that most CFOs may not see in a lifetime. My strong business modelling and design skills played a key part in the startup of each business. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Business Modelling - Systems Improvement - Business Startup - Leadership - Mentoring - Coaching - Team building - Change management - Business strategy - Systems design

Finance Manager Australasia

• Jun 2010 - Mar 2012

I joined Prism Software as Finance Manager in June 2010, 14 months before they were bought by their US competitor EFI. Reporting to the Group CFO Joy Ottaway based in Auckland, as Finance Manager I was responsible for the day to day running of the finances of 2 businesses based in Brisbane & 2 businesses based in Auckland - this was a true hands on Finance Manager role. My skills in financial modelling and design allowed me to improve business reporting across ANZ whilst drawing upon the experience of a very talented mentor & CFO. Responsibilities included everything from data entry & payroll processing through cashflow management to the preparation of management accounts for consolidation across two countries. Additional year end work involved travel to Auckland to assist the external auditors and manage queries, following up with our other group businesses in the US & UK. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Consolidated reporting across multiple international businesses - Audit liaison - Systems implementation - NZ employment laws & payroll processing - Outsourcing - NZ business taxes - Multi site reporting - Professional services & project billing - Recruitment, management & mentoring of remote staff - Foreign currency management - Transfer pricing

Financial Controller

• Apr 2006 - Jun 2010

Joining Flavour Creations as Financial Controller, I commenced my first permanent full time role in Australia in April 2006. Working alongside the CEO & founder Bernadette Eriksen, I was instrumental in the significant growth of the business & of a second company also under management, Food Source Group Pty Ltd. During my four year tenure revenues increased tenfold together and products were launched into the New Zealand market. Flavour Creations is at the forefront of research, development and manufacturing of products for the dysphagic market in ANZ competing against World-class companies such as Nestle. Public hospitals and private aged care groups are major customers and contracts are won by tender requiring input from both CEO and Financial Controller to get the right deal across the line. In my four years we successfully gained & maintained contracts with all Australian States and Territories and major private health care groups. Initially I brought all accounting & taxation matters up to date whilst balancing the cashflow requirements of a fast growing SME with those of the CEO using my cashflow financing experience gained previously. With my incredible finance modelling skills, new products and new markets were investigated, evaluated and targeted. Whilst building & developing financial reporting systems to provide confidence to internal & external stakeholders I recruited and mentored an accounting team of four. As site manager I was also responsible for the customer service and goods outwards teams. Having an ability to communicate at all levels within a business is one of my strongest skills. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Fast growing company experience - Accounting in a manufacturing business - FMCG industry experience - Tender preparation - Job & product costing - Cashflow management using debtor finance - Team building & mentoring - System implementation - Management reporting design & implementation - Export

Company Accountant

• May 2003 - Jan 2006

My first senior finance role where I was working alongside another qualified professional as Company Accountant, I am grateful for the guidance and mentoring that the then Financial Controller & now Financial Director Guy Van Lopik took time to share. Working across a number of divisions based throughout the UK I was responsible for all management reporting for the business supervising a small team. Challanges included job costing for the print brokering division and revenue recognition for the professional services division. These skills would come in handy during my first Financial Controller role in Australia. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Multi site reporting - Systems improvement - Accounting for professional fees - Forecasting - Budgeting - Job costing - Recruiting, developing & mentoring a team

Financial Controller

• Sep 1999 - Apr 2003

My first step away from Public Practice, I joined a then client Redfern International Logistics as Financial Controller in September 1999 working alongside Nick Jones in his fledgling business that would go on to become Ligentia Group Ltd. As Financial Controller starting with a blank canvas accounting & reporting wise, I implemented a new accounting system & developed comprehensive management reports. During my 3 years as Financial Controller I saw revenue grow close to tenfold and the business open a third office in Glasgow, joining the Leeds head office & a small office at Heathrow. As the business grew I recruited 2 additional full time staff to assist in the accounts team, freeing me up to work on budgeting, planning and systems development. As with all small businesses, cash is king - knowing this, we took advantage of a debtor finance facility and drove the growth as quickly as it would go. The business won a number of awards during this period including a placing on the BRW Fast 100 and the Virgin sponsored Fast-track 100 making for a very exciting time. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - International logistics sector knowledge - Experience of a fast growing business & the challenges that this presents - Multi site reporting - Systems building and improvement - Budgeting - Job costing - Debtor finance management - Cashflow management - Recruiting, developing & mentoring a team

Accounting Trainee

• Sep 1998 - Sep 1999

After working in small, local accounting practices, I made the move to a big city boutique accounting practice working with two ex-Ernst & Young managers who were determined to offer big 4 practice levels of advice in a highly personal way to a wider market at a more affordable price. The way that the practice was organised, procedures documented, quality of training and the mentoring provided by senior staff was a step up compared to the other practices in which I had worked. I worked alongside other trainees in the business and really enjoyed the social side to the role as well as the assignments provided to me. I worked closely with a manager at Kirk Newsholme who took me under her wing giving me every opportunity to develop my technical & interpersonal skills. So after just one year why would I leave? As I joined Kirk Newsholme, they had just acquired a new client in Redfern International Logistics who were going through the growing pains many small businesses experience. Redfern International Logistics were experiencing massive growth and had a part time bookkeeper working with them who was relatively inexperienced. I had been working with my manager on budgeting and preparing quarterly management accounts for them throughout the year and when the opportunity to join them as Financial Controller, I jumped at the opportunity to move into a role with a company that was quickly growing. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Mentoring, as mentee - Time management skills - Communication skills - Customer service skills - Audit & taxation knowledge - Relationship building skills

Accounting Trainee

• May 1997 - Sep 1998

Joining an accounting practice consisting of just two partners and three other staff gave me the opportunity to work closely with the partners and get involved with every client of one of the partners - a bigger crash course you could not ask for. Working at every level from penning letters to clients, through payroll, tax return preparation and accounts preparation to audit, every single day was a new challenge. A huge range of clients to service, I was involved in accounting & taxation preparation for plumbers, farmers, doctors, travel agents, plant hire businesses and used car sales. Experience of small businesses, you name it, I have experience of it. This is where I truly began to understand the small business, the challenges that they face and the service that they expect. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Time management - How to prioritise tasks - Customer service skills - Negotiation - Multi-tasking - Accounts preparation - Tax return preparation - VAT reconciliation & reporting - Statutory reporting

Accounting Trainee

• Jan 1995 - May 1997

My first full time role kindly offered to me by Harris & Co partner Ian Garner - thanks for the first role & for your support Ian. If I had not been offered this role I wouldn't have been on the same exciting journey to my current role. Starting very much as the trainee I gained experience in everything from fetching the teas & coffees for my team (teambuilding) through (it was 1995) learning how to put together extended trial balances on paper (training & development) to data entry & filing (organisation skills). With a bit of accounts preparation, VAT return preparation & payroll preparation thrown in for good measure. I worked for a great manager and now Harris & Co Partner Kevin Shaw, within a team of four servicing a wide range of clients across various industries. I was supported through my AAT qualification by Harris & Co and am very grateful for this. I moved to my next role with Drury & Co to get a wider range of experience within a smaller team. Experience gained & skills developed within this role include: - Time management - Customer service skills - Accounts preparation from incomplete records - VAT return preparation - Application of income tax rates - Tea & coffee making - we all start somewhere