Experience

Hawthorn
• United Kingdom
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Head of Financial Control & Reporting

  • Aug 2016 - Present


Spirit Pub Company plc

• Head of Financial Projects

  • Jul 2012 - Jul 2016

  Responsible for delivering a series of high profile business critical and profit enhancing projects. Achievements:  Implementation of Microsoft Navision for the newly created Spirit Leased business following the Punch demerger in 2011. Recruited and managed the new finance team to support the leased business during the initial settling down period post go-live.  Managed the tender process for Spirit’s credit card acquiring and cash collection services, leading to cost reductions of £290k and £380k respectively.  Carried out a finance system segregation of duties review and the subsequent redesign of all the roles within the core finance systems.  Working with the Estates team to review the cost allocation process for a key strategic partnership to reduce Spirit’s share of costs by c.£350k  Managing the transfer of financial processing and accounting from Spirit to Greene King systems.  Managing a team of 40 people through the transfer to Greene King, including the consultation process where a large number of the team were made redundant Show less



Punch Taverns

• United Kingdom

• Head of Financial Control

  • Apr 2009 - Jul 2012

  Responsible for managing a team of 120 staff responsible for Credit Control, Payroll, Accounts Payable and Financial Services for the Group, ensuring the team deliver a high quality service to the business, suppliers and customers.Achievements: Fully integrated the Managed and Leased Finance teams, merged from two different sites and aligned systems and improved processes for the newly created team to enable cost reduction in the medium term within the finance function. Carried out a review of the credit control policies and procedures for the Group, reporting the findings and recommendations to the MD of the Leased Business. Working with key business stakeholders successfully transferred the Managed business financial processing and reporting onto the Leased finance system. Successfully streamlined the Payroll team from 11 to 7, through better use of systems and improved exception reports delivering a saving of £100k pa.  Worked with the Property Director to outsource the control and payments of non domestic business rates securing savings in the first year of £200k. Upon expiry of the banking contract for retail outlets, arranged a tender between banks that delivered savings in excess of £175k pa. Show less

• DIRECTOR of the Spirit Legacy Pension Scheme (2003 to July 2016)

  • Aug 2003 - Dec 2010

  In 2003, invited to join the Board of the Trustee Company that controls the assets and manages the interests for the members of the final salary pension scheme. Set the strategy of the scheme to ensure Trustees meet the obligation of paying members benefits as they fall due.  Set the investment strategy and monitored investment performance. Monitored the employee covenant and creating a scheme risk register. Selected a new Pensions Administrator.

• Financial Controller (Managed Pub Division)

  • Jan 2006 - Apr 2009

  Responsible for managing a large processing and accounting team of 100+ people supporting the business covering the following: Periodic management accounting including pub P&L’s, central overheads and balance sheet Cash flow budgeting, reporting and forecasting.  Managing the overhead budget process for the business ensuring that cost was driven out of the business as the size of the managed estate reduced. Managing the year end audit for the managed division. Working closely with Group Finance and our external auditors.Achievements: Managed a reduction in size of the department from 130 to 65 over an 18 month period. Ensured service delivery standards were maintained, without compromising the financial controls. Senior finance representative on a successful 15 month project to implement a new HR and Payroll system. Worked closely with HR, Operations and IT to ensure that there was no risk to the accuracy of pay to our 17,000 employees. Managed the Cost Reduction Project carried out resulting in significant savings for the company, including Council Tax £500k pa, Telecoms £250k pa. Upgraded the PeopleSoft Financial System to a vanilla version delivering cheaper support costs. Show less



Spirit Group

• Professional Training and Coaching
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Accountant

  • Mar 2002 - Jan 2006

  Responsible for managing the year end with external auditors, preparation of Group consolidated accounts, statutory accounts and annual statements to the bondholders. Managed a team of 30 people managing the management accounting, overhead reporting and budgeting, financial accounting and fixed assets. Worked with external advisors and senior management to prepare data room information for several corporate transactions. (P&L data, Working capital Requirements, Cash-flow Forecasts, Fixed Asset Valuations). Instrumental in the following transactions:o Acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle Retail for £2.5bno Acquisition of 100 Tom Cobleigh pubso Disposal of the Premier Lodge business to Whitbreado Disposal of 362 pubs to Robert Tchenguiz.o Disposal of 250 pubs to GI Partnerso Re-financing the debt used in the acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle Retailing with the issuance of a £1.25bn debenture.o Old Orleans – Disposal of 31 pub/restaurants to Regent Inns PLCo Acquisition of Spirit Group by Punch TavernsAchievements: Oversaw the management of the transitional service agreements subsequent to the numerous disposal transactions undertaken by the Group.  Ensured the ledgers fully reflected the above complex transactions to enable accurate reporting of financial performance to investors. Deputised for the Financial Controller for 12 months during the integration of the Scottish & Newcastle business, managing all accounting and financial processing. Handled the integration of the Scottish & Newcastle Retail accounting and transactional processing into the Burton accounting centre.  Managed the recruitment of c.60 people into the Burton accounting team over a 3 month period following the acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle. Migrated Spirit’s Finance System from Walker to PeopleSoft Financials, involving the design of new improved ways of working as the two businesses were merged. Show less

• Financial Accountant

  • Jan 2001 - Mar 2002

  Responsible for the management of all aspects of financial accounting for the business. Managed all the accounting requirements of the de-merger from Punch in early 2002. Developed and implemented a cash modelling system, producing cash forecasts to ensure that the managed division of the group would be sustainable post-demerger. Worked with the FD to develop cash management strategies and then managing the payments on a daily basis during the cash low points for the business.

• Audit Manager

  • Apr 2000 - Jan 2001

  Responsible for setting up and establishing a newly created Internal Audit department after the Punch Group acquisition of Allied Domecq’s pub estate.  Agreed with management the Internal Audit work programme, focussing on the key business risks. Responsible for setting up and establishing a newly created Internal Audit department after the Punch Group acquisition of Allied Domecq’s pub estate.  Agreed with management the Internal Audit work programme, focussing on the key business risks.



Allied Domecq

• Beverage Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Audit Consultant

  • Jul 1998 - Apr 2000

  Responsible for reviewing project management processes on group-wide projects, EU single currency.  Processed audits at the European Shared Service Centre.  Reviewed purchasing processes for a number of divisions of the Group.  Supported the Wine Rack / Victoria Wine integration project, involving process reviews and risk assessment support. Responsible for reviewing project management processes on group-wide projects, EU single currency.  Processed audits at the European Shared Service Centre.  Reviewed purchasing processes for a number of divisions of the Group.  Supported the Wine Rack / Victoria Wine integration project, involving process reviews and risk assessment support.



The Sweater Shop

• 1 - 100 Employee

• Assistant Financial Controller

  • Jun 1996 - Jul 1998

   Developed a fully integrated planning model, which produced all the financial information used in the 3 year strategic plan delivered during the financial restructuring of the business.  Worked with the Retail Director and FD to carry out a strategic review of the store portfolio. The recommendations detailed closures of poor performers, re-sites, and disposals.  Designed and implemented a detailed periodic reporting pack to support the decision making requirements of the new senior management team. Show less



British Shoe Corporation

• Financial Planning Manager

  • Jul 1993 - Jun 1996

  Responsible for the annual budgeting, reporting, analysis and monthly re-forecasting for a business unit with over 300 stores and turnover in excess of £200m. Worked with the MD and the other members of the senior management team to understand and analyse performance of business unit.  Attended the period business review with all the senior managers of the division. Provided challenge and insight into the business performance. Analysed and challenged all controllable costs for the sites. Developed with the retail team a labour modelling tool to help manage wage cost more effectively.  Analysed product level margin and mix performance. Finance representative in the decision making process for all new store acquisitions. Analysed and interpreted promotions and trials undertaken by the business. Show less

• Various Positions

  • Nov 1985 - Jul 1993

  During the period from 1985 to 1993 I held a number of positions including Purchase Ledger Supervisor, Taxation Accountant and Business Analyst.