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BSc (Econ) FCA

BSc (Econ) FCA

Work Experience

PROFILE

Experienced Financial Executive, committed to achieving results in all areas of financial management, system implementations, provision of accounting services and the management of support operations. History of providing financial direction and services in International companies experiencing dynamic growth in sales and profits in the high technology sector, with extensive knowledge of the management of change. He has contributed to the formulation of business visions and defined and led the implementation of strategies needed to achieve ambitious targets, combining strong leadership and effective project management with commercial, organisational and negotiation skills.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Dun & Bradstreet Limited February 2002-September 2003

D&B is the internationally known supplier of credit-rating and marketing information. The initial role was that of Manager in charge of the financial transaction processing department for all the UK and Ireland based companies, located at the European Headquarters in the UK, also responsible for the management and financial accounting for the European Holding Company, Facilities Management Company and the Ireland operating subsidiary. The turnover of D&B in Europe is approximately $400m, one third of the global business, with the UK representing one third of the European revenues.
Utilising Oracle Financials and reporting to the US Headquarters via Hyperion, D&B is currently undergoing a major internal processes review, with the aim of significantly reducing overhead expenditure, using outsourcing and enhanced processing procedures to provide a best in class service, whilst aiding in a significant push for growth.
On completion of the finance department re-engineering review, and the subsequent recruitment of a full-time Finance Manager, a further contract was entered into, with the responsibility to introduce a pan-European cash flow reporting and balance sheet management process, resulting in the recruitment of a Finance Professional to undertake the role.
At the end of this contract a new responsibility was undertaken to Manage the Re-engineering of the Order to Cash Finance cycle across the major European Markets of D&B.

Key achievements:

• Transferred the financial transaction processing, together with all financial reporting activities for the Ireland operating subsidiary from Dublin to the European Headquarters in the UK.
• Managed the outsourcing of Accounts Payable transaction processing, introducing in-house procedures to control the quality of data and the analysis and reporting of performance of the outsourced function.
• Introduced an interim manual Purchase Order and Authorisation process, ensuring subsequent compliance with policy.
• Restructured the operations of the remaining in-house financial transaction processing functions, ensuring timeliness of processing with significantly reduced resources.
• Assumed responsibility for the management and financial accounting for the European Headquarters and Facilities Management companies.
• Undertook a review of the facilities offered by Oracle Financials in order to support Statutory reporting for UK based companies, in addition to the current management accounting functionality.
• Prepared a review of the month-end management accounting processes, with the aim of reducing the current 4 working day reporting timetable by up to 2 days.
• Designed a balance sheet reporting package to be used across all European subsidiaries, supporting a strengthened balance sheet reconciliation and review process, in compliance with new SEC accounting requirements and codes of practice.
• Implemented balance sheet forecasting across Europe, preparing cash flow reporting and analysis using this data, and subsequently monitored the performance of European subsidiaries against forecast recommending actions to be taken to enable Europe to meet cash flow generation requirements established at US Corporate level.
• Managed an Outsourced Team of Business Process Specialists to deliver a 25% reduction in headcount utilised in the Finance Order to Cash process.
• Implemented a Structured Common Policy and Process Control package across the major European Finance Markets
• Developed a Technology Change specification process and identified the major Finance Technology Investment requirements for the next financial years plan.
• Led the Implementation of a Service Level Agreement approach to the relationship between Finance and other dependent functions, re-establishing the role of Financial Control in other areas of the business.


PST International Limited November 2001-January 2002

PST is a specialist distributor of electronic equipment, specialising in the remaindering of product lines for Dell, Toshiba, Lexmark and similar major manufacturers, and also in the sourcing and trading of semi-conductor processor and memory chips. Group turnover is approximately £200m.
Having recently acquired the Navision accounting package, the company had a requirement for systems support to implement the stock control side of the package and to implement accounting and processing controls around Navision.

Key achievements:

• Reviewed operating practices of the business and designed processes required to manage the business through the use of Navision.
• Analysed the reporting requirements of the business and designed the basic reports to provide management with the key business information required, working with the Navision integrators to implement on-line analysis.
• Managed the transfer of accounting base data from the old computer system to the new programs, designing a new stocktaking process and providing the necessary reconciliations to provide a correct opening position for trading.


RPS Group PLC May 2001-July 2001
Interim Financial Controller

RPS Group is the leading environmental consultancy in Europe, and is quoted on the London Stock Exchange. With a turnover in excess of £50m in 2000, a growth of 77% over the previous year, the Group is growing rapidly both internally but more importantly by making acquisitions in the UK and Europe. Having made acquisitions in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands in the last year, and having successfully raised further investment capital from a rights issue in May, the company needed a short period of stabilisation, particularly in the finance function, before further acquisitions were made.
Based at the UK Head Office in Abingdon, the role involved managing the day to day financial and management accounting activities at that office, deputising for the Group Financial Controller and Group Accountant who were working with the newly acquired businesses to bring them into line with Group practices and procedures.

Key achievements:

• Managed the day to day accounting functions of the centralised financial services centre, providing support to all UK based businesses, including assisting in the extension of these services to the newly acquired UK businesses.
• Worked with the company’s Sun Accounts systems integrator to develop the integrity of the financial packages used by the business, including analysing problems with the interface with Tempo, the time, expense and project work in progress recording sub-system used by the business.
• Controlled the month end accounting timetable, managed the preparation of the financial statements for the 35 UK locations accounted for centrally, and prepared consolidated Group information for presentation to the Board.
• Introduced new Group practices for cash flow forecasting and inter-company account reconciliation.







Global Knowledge Network (UK) Limited January 2001-April 2001
Interim Financial Controller

Global Knowledge Network, a US Corporation, is the largest independent provider of training in the internetworking and high-end technology marketplace, providing public classroom courses and bespoke customer on-site training, and is also developing self-paced e-learning packages. The training is for products supplied by world technology leaders such as Cisco, Compaq, Microsoft, Nortel, SAP and Oracle. Worldwide turnover is $400m and the company is about to be floated on the Nasdaq.
Global Knowledge Network (UK) has a turnover of $22m, including Ireland, and is the largest subsidiary in Europe. The UK business had experienced a large amount of change, including the acquisition of another training company, and relocation of its offices, leading to a high turnover of staff. The work performed as Interim Financial Controller was basically a complete rebuilding of the financial records, results and practices of the business necessitated by the almost total breakdown in normal financial procedures and controls that had taken place.
As a result of this, and reflecting the need to get the UK business back onto a sound managerial and financial structure, the European Operations Director and European Controller were subsequently seconded to the UK business as Managing Director and Finance Director respectively.

Key achievements:

• Reviewed and reconciled the accounts of the business, leading to the recognition of a serious misstatement of the assets and liabilities of the business, and subsequently to increasing the previously recorded losses of the UK operation from $2m to $5m.
• Recruited a replacement financial team, implementing an organisation structure to enable the business to operate normal financial practices and controls going forward.
• Implemented accounting practices and organised control and review procedures to ensure that transactions were correctly recorded and reconciliation’s performed in a timely manner.
• Developed the utilisation of Oracle Financials to provide basic management accounting information and introduced month-end timetables and practices to enable the UK operation to meet corporate deadlines.
• Introduced accounting controls and reconciliation’s to the interface between Oracle and the bespoke software, Semtek, which was used to mange the course business, and which generated invoicing and revenue numbers.
• Implemented Oracle Receivables to replace the receivables management previously undertaken in Semtek.


Minit UK Plc October 2000-December 2000

Minit Group is an International holding company for chains of retail shops worldwide. Operating under such brands as Sketchleys, Supa-Snaps, Mr. Minit and various others in the UK, Minit UK is the largest subsidiary with approximately 1000 retail outlets, and a turnover of £100m.
Having relocated its UK head office from Sheffield to Maidenhead, the company had experienced a significant loss of experienced staff and was struggling to maintain the accuracy of the financial records and to meet reporting timetables during the transition period.
The role was as Interim Finance Manager, with the responsibility for reconciling the property accounting records and results, and to re-introduce adequate accounting practices and systems to manage the large expenditures on properties that a retail business incurs.

Key achievements:

• Analysed the expenditures being incurred on property, providing forecast data to enable the management of costs, supporting the development of the business.
• Re-introduced the use of, and practices required by, a property accounting package, Estateman, which had been neglected during the transition period, leading to a significant improvement in the relationship with landlords and other providers of services.
• Trained replacement staff in the new practices and procedures, to enable orderly day-to-day processes to be carried out in a timely fashion.








Compaq Computer Limited September 1999 - August 2000
Interim UK Accounting Manager

Compaq Computer Limited is the largest subsidiary of the Compaq Corporation of the USA, and is responsible for sales and distribution in the UK and Ireland, with a $3billion turnover. The UK business employs over 3000 people and is the result of a combination of the original Compaq personal computers business, together with the UK businesses of Digital Equipment Corporation and Tandem Computer Corporation, which have been acquired recently.
The business has 4 main Divisions, the Personal Computing Group and Consumer Group selling traditional Compaq desktop and portable computers and peripherals into the industrial and home computing marketplaces respectively, the Enterprise Business Group selling high-end non-stop performance computers and storage systems to major industrial and financial markets, and the Services Group providing value added systems integration, software design and implementation services to industrial customers.
The position of Interim UK Accounting Manager was based at the UK Headquarters, and was primarily responsible for providing centralised financial and management accounting systems and practices, consolidating and reporting the results of the various Divisions, and being part of the Steering Committee implementing a single financial accounting package (SAP) to replace the separate packages used by each of the previously acquired businesses comprising the UK company. During this period at Compaq, the overall structure of the UK business was being analysed and re-engineered from the sales, management and financial perspective, and the appropriate organisational structure implemented.

Key achievements:

• Member of the Steering Committee overseeing the implementation of SAP general ledger financial accounting package, replacing the 3 packages previously used to manage the 3 separate companies now forming the UK business. Responsible for the central financial accounting areas, references and structures, testing interfaced data from non-integrated sub-ledgers. Also responsible for the integration with Hyperion, used by Compaq to enable consolidated reporting on a worldwide basis.
• As a result of the new general ledger above, introduced from 1 January 2000, implemented new month-end close procedures to produce the results of the UK business. Managed the process controls and interfaces with all sub-systems and liased with Divisional financial accounting personnel to get the accepted UK numbers reported to EMEA within 4 working days, with further reductions in this timescale planned.
• Managed the quarter-end SEC reporting process for the UK business.
• Managed the year-end close process, including auditor liaison.
• Responsible for implementation of and ensuring compliance with Corporate and Divisional accounting practices and procedures and compliance with both US GAAP and UK, for local statutory reporting purposes. Maintained local Policies and Procedures on-line website and managed the local implementation of the Delegation of Authority process.
• Recommended the initial design of an on-line daily, monthly, quarterly and annual financial reporting package. Based around Hyperion for actual performance numbers and extracts from sub-ledger systems for daily performance, this was the first UK overall business report and commentary, replacing what had previously been an individual Division driven reporting system.
• Responsible for the maintenance of financial reference data, cost centre structures and reporting hierarchies in both SAP and Hyperion financial systems.
• Designed and implemented the operating policies for an Outsourced Accounts Payable operation. Responsible for the UK interface with the outsourcing company and for ensuring compliance with the established Service Level Agreement.
• Represented the Finance organisation on a project to design an electronic purchase requisition/purchase order production tool (eReq.). This tool was built around the workflow capabilities of MS Outlook and contained full electronic authorisation procedures via e-mail, in accordance with the company’s approval matrix, including full account and cost centre coding determination tools.
• Controlled the transfer of responsibilities for travel arrangements from a local UK travel agent to the new Corporate world-wide travel agent, American Express, ensuring expense savings maximised in accordance with the new operating practices. Acted as the UK Finance representative on the Steering Committee to introduce on-line booking practices via the American Express package and the integration of this into an on-line personnel expense recording, authorisation and reporting system.








Services Sound and Vision Corporation April 1998 - February 1999

Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) is a privatised organisation, which originally provided the British Forces Broadcasting Service, both TV and radio, to the British Armed Forces overseas, and also operated a chain of electrical retail outlets on UK and overseas military bases. From this background the company had expanded into performing commercial activities for other non-governmental bodies with the 3 operating companies in the Group having a combined turnover of £45m. One subsidiary providing a full Satellite Teleport facility to such customers as Reuters, the BBC and ITN, together with the design and installation of broadcasting facilities and the provision of film production studios, whilst the other subsidiary provides a design and installation service for conferencing and educational facilities together with making educational and promotional programs, utilising both film production and multimedia methods.
In 1997 the Council of SSVC, a registered Charity, decided to sell the two subsidiaries, and to return the parent company to its main objective of providing support and morale services to the British Armed Forces. The role undertaken was the provision of Interim Financial Management during the period of reconstruction, assisting the Director of Finance who was re-assigned to manage the sale process.

Key achievements:

• Provision of Financial Control and accounting services to the parent company and subsidiaries.
• Analysed the business and accounting practices of the Group and prepared a Requirements Document for a new accounting and operational software package required to replace a non-millennium compliant package, for use by both the parent company and the subsidiaries to be sold.


• Conducted a review of available software packages, based on BASDA guidelines, reviewing 13 packages in the process and established a short-list of 4 suppliers, coordinating the subsequent management presentations, evaluation exercises and reference site surveys, eventually leading to the selection of the final package and vendor.
• Acted as Project Coordinator during the implementation of the software package across the parent and the two former subsidiaries. The implementation was for a total of 75 user licenses, and covered multicompany, multi-currency accounting applications, and also the provision of full project costing and trade and distribution systems. Full implementation was achieved within three months of signing the contract with the software supplier.
• Prepared a business and systems practices document for future guidance of the computer system users, including identifying system developments and enhancements to be implemented once the initial familiarisation period had been completed.
• Provided support and advice during the reconstruction of the Group, including financial analysis needed by the Merchant Bankers handling the sale of the subsidiaries, and the subsequent Due Diligence reviews.


Protek Network Management Limited December 1997 - April 1998

Protek is a recent MBI with US Venture Capital support, and provides Networking Integrated Systems Solutions with a current turnover of £12 million and the aim of becoming a major International player by acquisition. An interim management role assisting the newly appointed Group Finance Director, and deputizing for him during a period of hospitalization.

Key achievements:

• Performed initial Due Diligence review at the first potential new acquisition of the Group, the company being acquired subsequently.
• Prepared presentation material and underlying forecasts and analyses to support the Application for Funding for the acquisition, submitting these to both UK lenders and US.
• Designed and wrote a monthly reporting package in Microsoft Excel, introducing a new account code structure which the current accounting software could not be adapted to report upon, using Pivot tables to extract data from the trial balance.
• Wrote and implemented various Policies and Procedures for the Group Management Handbook.
• Prepared Statutory Accounts, Corporation Tax computations and made other statutory filings for the Companies in the Group.
• Prepared Five Year Forecasts and Group Consolidations.


ComSci Group Limited, Epsom April 1997 - June 1997
Acting Group Financial Controller

An interim management role in a newly formed £20 million Networking Group with Venture Capital backing, responsible for relocating the Head Office of an acquisition to the new Group offices.

Key achievements:

• Managed staff redundancy and relocation packages maximizing staff retention.
• Organized closure of office facilities and the physical relocation of inventories and other assets.
• Coordinated the relocation of computer systems and software.
• Recruited replacement staff and re-established a central finance function at the new Group Headquarters.


Anixter (UK) Limited, Uxbridge August 1984 - September 1996
UK Controller

Anixter is a value-added reseller and distributor of high technology networking, electronic and electrical components worldwide. Anixter (UK) Limited is the largest operation of Anixter outside the US, with a turnover of $125 million and 300 employees, operating from 15 sales locations and 4 distribution sites.
As UK Controller I provided financial direction to an autonomous subsidiary, enabling the operation to achieve its ambitious growth and profitability targets. Reporting to the UK Managing Director and the Vice President of Finance, originally in the USA and subsequently in Brussels, I also controlled several European operations and provided ad-hoc support in Europe.

Key achievements:

• Provided financial direction and support to Board during growth of the UK business from £13.5 million in 1984 to £125 million.
• Actively involved in sales and marketing decision-making processes.
• Responsible for all supporting departments of the business, in particular managed the logistics functions and computer systems implementations and developments.
• Formulated a business vision and managed the subsequent implementation which led to a substantial Change in personnel, property and asset utilization and a 25% reduction in direct costs.
• Improved utilization of working capital to achieve a return on capital in excess of 30%.
• Acting as European Controller until 1989, I opened new businesses in Ireland and Switzerland, controlled an existing operation in Belgium and resolved problems after an acquisition in Norway.
• As a member of the European Management Committee from 1989, involved in the extensive European expansion program and in particular was responsible for establishing and reporting upon Key Performance Indicators.
• Managed the commercial impact of changing price lists, designed quotation systems and monitored contract term negotiations, increasing gross margins whilst maintaining flexibility.
• Led the implementation team which investigated and adapted US business management software and controlled the roll out to all Anixter locations in the UK, Belgium, Ireland and Norway, and acted as consultant in the subsequent extension of the software to the new European organization.
• Identified the main currency exposures for the European business, designed and implemented new treasury policies and computerized hedging practices, and reduced profit and loss exposure.
• Negotiated major contracts with suppliers and customers, including a joint venture to outsource supply and logistics for a collaboration of 2 major blue-chip companies in the networking market, one a US International computer systems provider and the other a British telecommunications company.
• Designed a new reporting and performance measures package, later adopted as the worldwide standard.
• Managed the planning and forecasting processes and the production of timely management accounting information. Introduced and developed sound financial and business principles. Managed relationships with outside professional advisers and bankers.

In 1995 a new European Headquarters for Anixter was created in the UK, controlling subsidiaries in 17 countries with a turnover of $500 million and 1,000 employees. In addition to my duties as UK Controller, in September 1995 I was asked develop a new finance function at this Headquarters to consolidate the finance operations of all European companies. The centralized Financial Services Centre was to provide European management with consolidated operating results and performance measurement, and also to supply all accounting, reporting, treasury and planning services to each subsidiary, complying with and reporting to both local and US GAAP.

Key achievements:

• Established a structure for a multilingual finance team of 30, transferred staff from the UK and European operations, and recruited a further 20 people including 8 qualified staff.
• Coordinated with outside professional advisers and bankers on compliance issues for the new operation.
• Managed the transfer of finance records and procedures from both in-house and outsourced European finance functions.
• Implemented procedures to manage the impact of accounting for different local statutory and fiscal Requirements, currencies and banking practices.
• Produced meaningful management accounts in the first month of operation, March 1996, and achieved reporting deadlines for full reporting by May 1996.
• Directed the identification and implementation of software requirements, enabling financial reporting to meet both local and US accounting standards, and providing full drill-down consolidated results.
• Implemented new \"flash\" and monthly and quarterly forecasting systems with operating units.
• Acted as a financial partner to senior management at Headquarters, deputizing for V-P Finance, for day to day operations.
• Coordinated the restructuring of the European Business into two independent business divisions, analysed the financial requirements, controlled the implementation of the new structure for reporting and analysis purposes and developed ongoing business projections.




PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS

1981 – 1984 Harris Systems Limited - Finance and Administration Manager, UK Semiconductor Division
1979 – 1981 Fairey Holdings Ltd. - Financial Accountant
1971 – 1979 Deloitte, Haskins and Sells - Audit Manager, Accountant, Articled Clerk




Education

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

1980 Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
1968-1971 Hull University BSc (Economics) 2:1
1962-1968 Wallasey Grammar school, Merseyside - 4 'A' Levels 7 '0' Levels



Skills

Experienced Financial Executive, committed to achieving results in all areas of financial management, system implementations, provision of accounting services and the management of support operations. History of providing financial direction and services in International companies experiencing dynamic growth in sales and profits in the high technology sector, with extensive knowledge of the management of change. He has contributed to the formulation of business visions and defined and led the implementation of strategies needed to achieve ambitious targets, combining strong leadership and effective project management with commercial, organisational and negotiation skills.


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