Experience

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  Athora

  • Technical consultant - Group Reporting

    • Jan 2023 - Jun 2023

    Technical consultant on IFRS 17 implementation project. A wide reaching project fundamentally changing the financial reporting environment and processes.

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  The AA

  • United Kingdom
  • Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Director of Finance - Special Projects

    • Dec 2019 - Aug 2022

    A wide-ranging role, working on CFO initiated projects across all aspects of finance, including £350m bond refinancing; Technical Accounting lead on the IFRS 17 implementation project; Sale of AA plc to Private Equity and a contact centre cost reduction programme to identify c£5m of annualised savings.

  • Director of Finance - Insurance division

    • Apr 2018 - Dec 2019

    Managed a team of 11 responsible for all aspects of commercial finance for the Insurance Division (Broker, Underwriter, Accident Management - Revenue £138m, EBITDA £68m). Responsibilities included short and long-term forecasts, business partnering, decision support, commercial insight, month-end reporting and balance sheet reconciliations. Achievements included implementing a new financial model for the whole division to improve the turnaround and accuracy of financial forecasts, sale of three underwriting entities, project to acquire a Motor and Home book of a similar size and sale preparation for a key commercial segment.

  • Group Financial Controller

    • Jan 2013 - Apr 2018

    Managed a team of up to 30 in all aspects of financial, management and regulatory reporting for the Group (Revenue £940m; EBITDA £403m) and promoted to Group Financial Controller during this period. Responsibilities included FP&A, running the Group’s forecasting and budgeting process, Group tax function (indirect and direct tax) and Group management accounts. Achievements included the listing of AA plc on London Stock Exchange; raising of £3bn of debt through the Whole Business Securitisation (WBS) including listed corporate bonds; implemented new reporting and planning tool and the centralisation of month end reporting accross the Group to improve reporting capability and reduce headcount.

  • Head of Finance - Road breakdown (Acromas Group)

    • Mar 2007 - Jan 2013

    Led the financial management of the consumer breakdown business with revenue of £420m and associated sales, marketing & call centre costs. Throughout time in the role, continually given additional responsibilities and team members cumulating in reporting directly to the CFO with a team of 11. The matrix structure of the business, where directors have a functional responsibility (e.g. marketing, pricing, call centres), led to finance being the key business owner of the product P&L. Involved in all aspects of the business and seen as an integral part of the product management team. Achievements included challening the cost base to identify annual savings of £2m; eliminated a significant number of errors within the sales forecasting process and challenged key Directors to accept higher targets; Revamped the income forecast model to increase the reliability of income, balance sheet and cashflow forecasts; identified efficiency savings to enable savings of 2 FTE within the team and managed the team through a number of finance restructures and group reorgnisations.

  • Financial Reporting Manager

    • Oct 2004 - Mar 2007

    Prepared first set of group financial statements following purchase of the AA by private equity. Also responsible for group management accounts, entity subsidiary accounts and regulatory reporting requirements. Introduced new balance sheet reconciliation reporting process to improve overall control within the group.

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  Centrica

  • Farnborough, Hampshire, United Kingdom

  • Financial Reporting Manager

    • Dec 2003 - Sep 2004
    • Farnborough, Hampshire, United Kingdom

    Responsible for regulatory returns for insurance division and entity statutory accounts.

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  KPMG UK

  • Glasgow and London

  • Audit Manager

    • Sep 1997 - Nov 2003
    • Glasgow and London

    Conducting financial audits across a range of businesses including two FTSE 100 PLCs, AIM listed and privately owned companies.