Amanda Kaye Email and Phone Number

Operational and financial management of a £6m turnover boarding and day school (11-18) with 7 boarding houses and 40 units of staff accommodation, including 96-acre estate, HR, admin and services. Worked in partnership with the Head to achieve business turnaround after decades of subsidised deficit to generate a surplus within a year involving:• restructuring the administration and 20% of the teaching staff • containing costs generally, managing cashflow, rationalising the school fee charging mechanisms and reducing debts outstanding • reducing employer pension contributions substantially for non-teaching staff • opening a commercial leisure club growing to c.150 members in 12 months• reducing catering costs by 10% and securing £70k investment finance from a new firm on a KPI-managed contract • introducing rents and adequate service charges for staff in accommodation where there had been largely free provision • supporting pupil number growth and commissioning market research • producing a 5-year financial model for strategic planning towards a 10-year expansion plan Established sound internal controls, upgraded the accounting package to Sage 200, reinforced proper budgetary/procurement disciplines and championed a programme of consistent capital investment. Project-managed refurbishments in boarding houses and staff accommodation, replaced large boilers and secured the school’s water supply. Oversaw IT function - resulted in strategic moves to replace hardware systematically, integrate the school’s database with finance, install SMART boards and projectors in all classrooms and upgrade the broadband connection by bringing a 100mg cable 1.5 miles from the nearest village.

CFO also responsible for HR, facilities, admin and services, Clerk to the Governors and Company Secretary, for an academic prep school with 550 pupils (0-11) and 140 staff. £5m turnover. Principal achievements:• taking financial performance – in collaboration with the Head and Board – from a breakeven position and negative net assets to a comfortable surplus and cash-rich balance sheet, involving firm budgetary control, sound purchasing and cost management and improved marketing• project-managing the refurbishment of a Victorian mansion and opening a 44-place nursery subject to OFSTED • securing internal controls and systems • construction of a cricket pavilion and installation of a series of outdoor learning environments• restructuring the administrative team with the Head involving redundancies and new roles for long-serving staff• creating a fully-comprehensive business plan over a year’s consideration by the Board to negotiate a new lease for the premises secured on favourable terms.

Senior management role for a £200m+ turnover organisation reporting to the FD and Deputy FD and with large teams of staff in Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. Responsible for the integrity day-to-day of financial information (ledgers and balance sheet) with sound systems and procedures, including SAP R/3 (new and under development), cashflow, fixed asset accounting, credit management, banking and investments.This was and is a well-run finance department but I made a particular contribution by:• identifying quickly that the University’s bankers were paying very little interest on sizeable deposits (up to £40m cash at bank), holding them to account and finding more lucrative deals elsewhere, generating £250k in extra interest in my first year• planning and implementing the centralisation of the University’s cash-handling operations dealing with £9m cash p.a. that involved bringing together some 20 staff from 4 locations into a new, central office with positive outcomes for individuals and good morale in the new team.• substantially reducing long-term debt owed by other institutions for research work.

Consulting assignment for the University’s Finance Director to clarify and improve the financial charging mechanisms and costs incurred for a large and complex department with a turnover of £2m serving faculties, 35 colleges and 19 libraries.

Contract role in Adderbury, Oxon. for a thriving private company with a subsidiary to produce financial and management accounts, cashflow forecasts, statutory returns, supervise accounts team, payroll, etc. during merger with a US-based business.

Graduate college specialising in History and Social Sciences with a £21m endowment, 250 students, 100 Senior Members and 43 fellows. Post as chief administrative officer responsible for £6m turnover finances, investments management, HR, admin of Governing Body and Committees, services, admin of research grants and funded fellowships, relations with University, etc. Achievements included:• arresting erosion of the endowment and ensuring funding from revenue sources with a 5-year plan, including building up commercial conference sales to supplement academic income and leading an austerity programme with the co-operation of the academics• effective liaison with investment managers and Fellows who are economists• improvement of internal systems and procedures • bringing about a culture change with long-standing staff used to a paternalistic management style• approval of a business plan that secured a low-cost 25-year loan leading to commissioning of a major new building over 2 years with 50 study bedrooms, 10 flats, 4 seminar rooms, a music room and a fitness suite (D&B contract project-managed internally)• advancing the interests of the College within the University and supporting the Warden’s fundraising initiatives• hosting dinners and receptions with the Warden and other Fellows.

Vocational college with active clinic. Turnover c. £500k, c. 50 Acupuncturists, 120 students.Took this post as a 3-day a week FD and Co. Sec after leaving Oxfam when children were small as a strategic move to down-size but keep up charity accounting skills. The role soon occupied 4/5days a week, however, and I was asked to chair the Board after 4 months in post. As the first professional manager recruited by a visionary team of acupuncturists I was able to put the business on a sound footing and secure its future at that time. This included implementingentirely new financial systems and processes. CTA achieved accreditation of its qualifications byOxford Brookes University in 1997. Sadly, it ceased trading 2 years ago.

OXFAM then was the largest charity in the UK re voluntary income with 850 shops and operating in 70 countries. As CFA from 1991, I was one of 2 assistant finance directors of a £150m turnover organisation when a newly-qualified accountant. I was responsible in particular for financial accounting, payroll for 2,500 staff, VAT recovery (£4m p.a.) and Treasury. My greatest contributions were in securing good returns for cash deposits and preparing for the upgrade of the accounting package. I had joined as the Co-funding Accountant, bidding and accounting for UK and EU government grants, moving after a year to the role of Senior Overseas Accountant responsible for processing accounts received from overseas offices. This latter role involved travel to train and audit staff delivering aid in Africa and the Caribbean.

Nuclear energy research institute employing 4,000 scientists then in transition from public service to private sector. Post involved accounts receivable administration with successes in improved credit control and sales forecasting for marketing staff..

Joined Shell UK as a management trainee in the Materials Services Division in 1981, asked within 3 months to run a data processing service for the Purchasing Office in Wilmslow. In 1983, I joined the project to replace the purchasing and stock control system for Shell International and stayed with this from conception for post-implementation over 3 years in the UK, Netherlands and Brunei. Gained a particular reputation for staff training and testing software. Took move into Internal Audit when began CIMA studies in my final year and enjoyed high profile consultancy reviews that often lead to significant business changes.

BTDB ran 17 cargo ports nationalised with the railways in 1950's. £400m turnover. Negotiated then with 8 different trades unions. Customers included British Coal and British Steel. First of the nationalised organisations to be sold off in 1980's. Management trainee mainly assigned to company secretarial duties and PA work for Chairman and Managing Director.