Experience

• 

  Walter & Wild

  • Auckland, New Zealand

  • Commercial Business Partner - Sales and Marketing

    • May 2023 - Present
    • Auckland, New Zealand

    I initially joined Walter and Wild on a 9 month fixed term contract as Commercial Business Partner, taking responsibility for and improving month end reporting, analysis, insights, processes & partnering closely with Sales and Marketing to focus on reaching profitability targets for existing and new products through the development of pricing tools and collaboration with the team.Key Achievements include:- Streamlined month end processes to 2 days shorter, through improved processes, reporting, analysis and insights.- Developed a single sales reporting model with training, providing better visibility for the team, drive more insightful commentary, provide a more “future focused” view and improve efficiency.- Collaborating with the sales team to execute a significant list price increase, taking responsibility for modelling, scenario building, driving meetings & implementing pricing to increase annual profit by $500k.- Development of the highly used “Pricing Evaluation Tool (PET), by collaborating with the Category Manager to improve both internal and external P&L’s for scenario building and ensuring all KPI’s and metrics were visible for assessment and reasonableness.- Completed annual budget, working closely with the Sales and Marketing team to ensure all forecasted volumes and financials were robust and realistic.- Developed a Trade Spend database to accurately model product & customer profitability, based on actual spend.- Ad-Hoc projects & modelling as requested

• 

  Constellation Brands New Zealand

  • New Zealand
  • Beverage Manufacturing
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Commercial Business Partner Australia

    • Jun 2020 - Mar 2023

    As Commercial Business Partner, my primary role was to collaborate, support & challenge the Sales & Marketing team by providing financial acumen to all promotional activity, new product development & forecasting accuracy through comprehensive modelling & insights. The role also has full responsibility for collating the month end result with analysis & commentary to senior management along with annual plan & bi-annual latest estimates.Key responsibilities include:- Business Partnering with Sales & Marketing to provide all financial reporting, KPI’s & insights down to Channel, brand & product level- Month-end result & presentation with commentary & insights to senior management against full year forecast, Plan & bi-annual latest estimates- Design and development of an Excel based forecasting & reporting model for NZ & Australia- Model & challenge pricing & promotional activity rational including new product development- Partnering with the GM to identify & agree key drivers & measure against business strategy- Identification, continuous review, measuring & driving all high priority projects. - Drive forecast accuracy & all planning processes identifying opportunities & risks- Promotional expenditure models, accruals & balance sheet reconciliations- Daily sales reporting- Leading formal projects to improve business processes, efficiency, & accuracy- Managing & developing the Commercial Assistant Accountant- Ad-Hoc projects & modelling as requestedWhen I joined Constellation Brands, I was responsible for New Zealand & completely re-engineered all models & business processes to meet the business requirements. I was then given the opportunity to implement the same proven structure into the Australian business.

  • Commercial Business Partner New Zealand

    • Sep 2016 - Jun 2020

• 

  Mr Chips Limited

  • Highbrook, Auckland, New Zealand

  • Finance Manager

    • May 2014 - Sep 2016
    • Highbrook, Auckland, New Zealand

    The initial contract role of Finance Manager had full responsibility for the finance function, managing a team of 3 direct & 2 indirect reports. The vision was to transfer tasks to the Group FC & employ a Cost Accountant.Key responsibilities include:- Monthly financial, sales & inventory reporting & forecasting with detailed commentary, including continued re-engineering of all reports to meet the new parent co & bank requirements- Introduce full manufacturing variance reporting against standard- Manage the annual budget process & provide Excel models for stakeholders- Review & agree standard costs on manufactured products & update into ACCPAC.- Drive the annual external audit- Administer the Sage ACCPAC system- Recruit a Cost Accountant & handover all sales, inventory, potato receipting & costing tasksI was then asked to undertake a number of special projects as follows:- Transfer existing Potato Receipting process from Microsoft Access (unsupported) to Dynamics NAV, including integration into ACCPAC, buyer generated invoices & designing a “Cube” to report quality & supply. - Extend the monthly Excel sales reporting tool to a rolling daily sales model with dashboard, executive summaries & detailed analysis against prior years, budget & forecast. This tool highlighted a number of opportunities & has transformed KPI’s & focus. - Develop group wide 3 year strategic modelMr Chips Ltd was originally established as a privately owned NZ business in the 1970’s & recognised for it’s widely recognised slogan “Please Give Me Some Mr Chips Chips Mister”.Located in Highbrook, it was purchased in 2013 by Balle Brothers Ltd, a NZ family owned, agricultural business based in Pukekohe. Mr Chips employs approximately 25 HO & 100 factory staff & has a turnover of approx $55m NZD. The customer base includes distributors, buying groups, fast food chains, restaurants & contractual business. Mr Chips Food Service division supplies other potato & non-potato products.

• 

  Tasti Products Limited

  • Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand

  • Finance Manager

    • Apr 2012 - Apr 2014
    • Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand

    The role of Finance Manager has full responsibility for the finance function, reporting to the Chief Finance Officer and managing a team of 4 direct reports, which includes an assistant accountant. Key responsibilities include:- Weekly manufacturing variance analysis & commentary to executives- Monthly board reporting (P&L, Balance Sheet & Cash flow)- Budgeting (annual) & forecasting (quarterly)- Cash flow- Debtor & Creditor control- Payroll (weekly)- Capital management & the Fixed Asset Register- Product standard costing (updated quarterly)- Trade spend analysis & control- IRD requirements- Master data maintenance- Internal controls & processes- External audit & statutory reportingTasti Products Ltd uses Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, which is fully integrated across finance, receivables, payables, production, inventory management, projects & fixed assets. Trade Plus to manage trade spend & MW Solutions to introduce invoice scanning has also been integrated into AX. A full understanding of these modules & information flows into finance is a requirement of the Finance Manager.In addition to these core responsibilities, leadership or involvement in key business initiatives with internal stakeholders or external parties is expected to maintain financial processes & control.Tasti Products Limited is a New Zealand family owned and operated FMCG food manufacturing business based in Te Atatu Peninsula, employing approximately 50 head office and 200 manufacturing staff and has a turnover in excess of 100m NZD. The customer base is primarily in the supermarket trade, selling into New Zealand & Australia, with products being produced under private label, contract & the Tasti brand including muesli bars, cereals, packaged dried fruits & nuts along with a ready meal business under the Kaweka brand based in Hastings.

• 

  Hutchinsons Ltd

  • Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand

  • Financial Controller

    • Aug 2006 - Mar 2012
    • Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand

    The role of Financial Controller has full responsibility for the finance function, customer services, stock control & sales administration, reporting directly to the Hutchinsons General Manager with a dotted line to the Australian based Chief Finance Officer & managing a team of 5 direct reports.Key responsibilities include:- Monthly financial reports & commentary to Australian parent- Weekly sales analysis & reporting- Annual budget including detailed product contribution by customer- Foreign exchange contracts & cash flow- Accurate promotional pricing & controls- Debtor & Creditor control- Stock control (aged inventory) & stock takes- Integration with 3rd party logistics - IRD requirements- Master data maintenance- Internal controls & processes- IT system maintenance & integrity- External audit & statutory reportingIn addition to the core responsibilities, a number of projects were undertaken including leading the NZ implementation of Movex to replace CBA, the implementation of Movex warehouse management into the 3rd party chilled warehouse & the full implementation of Foodstuffs EDI ordering & invoicing. Hutchinsons Ltd is owned by Bright Foods based in China, which also owns Manassen Foods Australia. Hutchinsons distributes into the New Zealand FMCG supermarkets under the owned Trident brand along with other agency brands such as Carrs, Ryvita, Oxo, King Oscar & chilled products which include Castello & Fromageries Bel. Hutchinsons turnover is $39m NZD.

• 

  Sellagence Ltd

  • Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand

  • Business Systems Manager

    • May 2001 - Aug 2006
    • Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand

    The role of Business Systems Manager was initially responsible for the selection of a replacement IT system, followed by the management of the implementation. Oracle E-Business Suite was selected & implemented rapidly, successfully & on time in 4 months, which involved coordinating an internal team of 10 staff & working closely with external consultants. The implementation also included structuring a consignment stock process.The company then distributed for Ferrero, which involved integrating into the 3rd party logistics IT system & insuring independent reporting requirements were met.As a result of high demand for analysis & reporting on sales and profitability, this role then took ownership for the implementation & development of reporting requirements through Oracle Discoverer, maintenance of pricing & promotional models along with assisting in the budgeting & forecasting processes.Sellagence was a privately owned & operated business, setup by the Gillette Chief Executive Officer with the vision of ultimately distributing or providing sales support for 5 global branded companies.

• 

  Gillette New Zealand

  • Manukau, Auckland

  • Systems & Reporting Accountant

    • Feb 1999 - May 2001
    • Manukau, Auckland

• 

  Working Holiday - London

  • London

  • Temporary Assignments

    • Aug 1996 - Aug 1998
    • London

• 

  Viscount Plastics

  • Otahuhu, Auckland

  • Assistant Accountant

    • Sep 1993 - May 1996
    • Otahuhu, Auckland

• 

  Lion Liquor Retail

  • East Tamaki, Auckland

  • Assistant Accountant

    • Aug 1990 - Sep 1993
    • East Tamaki, Auckland