Howard Lees Email & Phone Number

Bury, England, United Kingdom

Started the role in January 2023 and developed routine management accounts processes ; oversaw the year-end audit ; supported the CEO and trustees in completing the statutory accounts, AGM summaries and Annual Return to the Charities Commission, Currently developing a simple budget model ensuring engagement from the senior leadership team.

Oldham, United Kingdom

Working alongside local businesses to improve trading profit and reduce operating costs. Currently working with the owner of the Reclamation Room cafe so that she understand her performance during the COVID pandemic and make appropriate changes to her business model. I have also brought all of the finance function in-house - transferring VAT returns, payroll and the statutory accounts from an accountancy firm. Previously acted as a Finance Manager for a small manufacturing company after taking over from a forensic accountant who was involved in a refinancing exercise. I developed and maintained weekly cash flow forecasts and performed weekly checks to ensure that the accounts remain robust and reliable. I also produced the monthly management accounts on Sage 50 and the period balance sheet reconciliations. Currently have capacity to take on new business.

Worksop

Employed in an interim role to provide temporary cover to the Commercial Finance Department. Responsibilities included providing ongoing challenge and support to the Logistics and Supply Chain functions and acting as financial lead to manage the transition to a new distribution contractor until December 2017. Covered the Capital and IT Business Partnering roles during the last three months of the contract.

Doncaster

Employed in an interim role initially to provide temporary cover to produce period management accounts until a permanent Finance Business Partner was appointed. Various problems with the recruitment process have meant that the assignment will last over a year and allowed time to introduce significant improvements to the company’s accounting processes and MI. Specific improvements include:Simplification and development of the weekly operational MI pack Introduction to support a major transformation of the DFS Supply Chain from a store warehouse based delivery network to a centralised warehouse networkIntroduction of accounting controls and processes to enable a better understanding of costs – e.g. agency and contractor approval process, weekly flash cost reporting, period cost centre reportsDevelopment of a tracking model to evaluate the benefits arising from the DFS Supply Chain transformation programme

Worksop

Completed two interim assignments at Wilko Retail providing short-term commercial support during a period of major business change. Areas covered include distribution, wilko.com (the internet arm of the business), property, IT and capital appraisal.

Manchester, United Kingdom

Headed up teams of up to 20 people responsible for all aspects of supply chain finance, including producing depot operating accounts and KPIs, maintaining accounting control of depot stock movements, planning and forecasting and providing commercial support and challenge to the logistics and supply chain teams. In the last year the role changed to include commercial support of store operations.·Set up and developed a new depot accounting team when responsibilities were transferred to the central support centre in 2002 and flexed resource and skills of the team appropriately as acquisitions and the depot network rationalisation depot demanded.·Financial lead in a major project (2004-2013) that transformed the network from 30 largely small, single temperature depots into a modern network comprising of 11 multi-temperature depots and national distribution centre for slow moving products. ·Integrated the distribution and stock accounting processes and operational KPIs arising from a series of acquisitions and mergers and managed the complexity brought to the accounts and MI by 25 depot closures and 7 new depots (2004-2013)·Implemented a bonded warehouse generating in excess of £10m working capital benefits. ·Financial lead in a major projects to replace the warehouse management system (2006-9) and the roll out of a new automated store ordering system that took place between 2010 and 2012

Manchester, United Kingdom

Set up a small commercial finance team in 1997 to support the buying and marketing teams. ·Developed MI using Hyperion Essbase to track buying performance against category level budget·Managed the collection of central income levels received from suppliers and projected and tracked the impact of pricing changes.·Analysed the performance of store refits, and monitored the effectiveness of a loyalty card scheme.

Leeds, United Kingdom

Held the position of Distribution Accounting Manager producing depot accounts and reviewing those provided by third party logistics providers who ran the majority of the network, before moving into the position of Business Development Manager (Commercial) in 1994 and providing commercial support to the Petrol buying team, the New Businesses Manager and the Head of Procurement.

Rochdale

Held the position of Reports Accountant with responsibilities for consolidating the period-end executive accounts pack.

Bachelor Of Arts, Modern History

Ba Honours, Modern History, 2Nd Class

Activities and Societies: Represented College 1st Teams at Football and CricketModern History

Education record