Ben Whitmarsh-Knight (Aca) Email & Phone Number

Winchester, Gb

Winchester, Gb

London, England, United Kingdom

Optimizely offers the world's first operating system more marketers.By connecting Commerce, CMS, Optimization & Marketing Orchestration Optimizely helps organizations create unique digital experiences for their customers, with measurable business results.http://www.optimizely.comResponsible for all group wide accounting policies, processes and controls and all external financial reporting including statutory accounts (and their audits) across the group, investor, bank and board reporting.Managing the 4 regional Accounting Directors and the Group Accounting Team to deliver timely and meaningful month end close, consolidation and reporting.Chair of the ESG committee, brining together representatives from all areas of the business to ensure we meet not just meet our compliance requirements (CSRD) but go further by embedding sustainability in to the culture and behaviours of Optimizely and working this marketing to tell our ESG story.Member of the company 'learning council' to provide cross functional training opportunities and share best practice training and development across departments.Key Achievements:- Creation of an offshore 'Global Accounting Team' consisting of 8 qualified accountants in a low cost region.- Further 2 day reduction in month end close through further automation, standardisation of processes and centralisation of appropriate tasks in the offshore team.- One month reduction in audit completion time through effective planning and team management.- Reduction in G&A headcount costs despite headcount growth through strategic hiring in low cost regions.Standardisation of month end processes and controls.

London, England, United Kingdom

Primarily responsible for driving improvements in financial reporting to the board and other stakeholders, with a focus on efficiency (through process improvements, controls and automation) and quality (data driven insights and KPI reporting). Role included management and oversight of both the group reporting and UK finance teams, setting of group accounting policies, ownership of all global reporting (management accounts, covenants, statutory accounts, tax and other compliance as required).Key Achievements:- involvement in acquisition of 5 subsidiaries, and responsible for the transaction accounting and subsequent financial integration.- key member of the project management team in identifying and implementing a new group wide ERP (Netsuite) and ongoing system owner and administrator.- assisting in the due diligence process as part of the groups $1.2bn sale from it's previous PE owners to it's current ones.- growing the group finance team from a single person to a team of 5. - 33% reduction in global month end timeline.

London, United Kingdom

Production of monthly global consolidation, business KPIs, board reporting and consolidated accounts under IFRS.Management of annual global audit.

Stats, Tax and VAT for a number of group entities including TV Production, Computer Games and Film Studio companies.

London, United Kingdom

Role including management accounting, financial reporting and various financial analysis. Mainly responsible for cost of sales and gross margin analysis, including budgeting and forecasting, and partnering with the heads of department.

England

Leading the external audit team on a number of various clients my key responsibilities include project management, managing client relationships, on the job coaching of junior staff, budgeting and budget monitoring.

Wales

Manage 5-10 retail outlet (bars and food) within sports/events stadiums in Cardiff, each with a team of 6-20 individuals led by their own team leader.Stock control and cash controls.

Bachelor Of Science (Bsc Hons), Mathematics, 2.1

Activities and Societies: Debate Team, Rugby, Politics Society, Mathematics Society, 5-a-side football.

Education record