Ardagh Group is a US listed (NYSE : ARD) global leader in glass and metal packaging solutions producing packaging for most of the world's leading food, beverage and consumer care brands with revenue of $7 billion and EBITDA of $1.2 billion. The Metal Beverage divisions in Europe and Americas (USA and Brazil) make up 50% of group revenue.

Group lead for finance orientated global transformation projects to improve organic operational performance and/or shape strategic direction at Ardagh Group.Additionally acting as M&A specialist providing the Group financial leadership taking international acquisitions from opportunity stage through deal negotiation to completion / integration / fair value accounting and guiding divestments from initial preparation, due diligence and SPA drafting through to completion accounts negotiation.Other areas include leading various Group operational performance improvement initiatives particularly around working capital, supply chain finance and reverse SCF, SG&A cost reduction, pension de-risking and shaping the medium term strategic footprint of the group.Ardagh Group are a privately owned leader in glass and metal packaging with over 56 manufacturing locations worldwide, 16,000 employees and revenue in excess of $6.6bn. It retains a joint venture stake in Trivium Packaging a leading food, specialty and personal care metal packaging provider with 60+ locations worldwide, 8,000 employees and revenue in excess of $2.7bnIn 2014 Ardagh completed the $2bn+ acquisition of Veralia North America and related divestment of certain assets to Anchor, and separately divested its Australian business. In 2016 we completed a c.$3bn transformational acquisition of beverage can operations from Ball Corporation and Rexam. In 2017 we listed on the NYSE. In 2019 we formed a joint venture with Ontario Teachers to create Trivium Packaging a leading food, specialty and personal care metal packaging provider contributing its metal food and specialty division in return for $2.6bn and a 42% stake in the enlarged business.

Audit senior manager with KPMG. My KPMG career included 3 significant external secondments:2000 - 2002: Two year secondment to AstraZeneca, as finance and IT manager of Cellmark Diagnostics, with financial control and reporting responsibilities for the division and working as part of the senior management team to restructure the business, create a track record for future growth and prepare the business for sale to the NASDAQ listed Orchid Biosciences. eventually selling off their subsidary Cellmark Diagnostics.2012-2014: Two year secondment to FTSE120 company DS Smith Plc as Financial Integration Manager with responsibility for the acquisition accounting and completion accounts in relation to the successful €1.6bn reverse takeover by DS Smith of the SCA Packaging division.2014: Four month secondment until transferring permanently to the Ardagh Group as Interim Finance Director Operations with responsibility for shaping the financial direction of substantial international acquisitions and divestments and for leading various group operating initiatives to improve financial performance.My KPMG audit client base in Reading covered the middle market sector principally for PE houses and US based subsidiaries in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors, typically for rapid change / fast growth clients.Other KPMG roles include involvement in a variety of transaction services work and heading GAAP conversion and carve out accounting projects.In my time at KPMG also led the largest audit dept outside of London (100 staff) for 3 years in terms of operational performance, managing HR issues etc. and was the local regional lead for KPMG's recruitment drive into schools.