A highly experienced finance professional with a wealth of commercial experience having held executive roles in a variety of corporate, SME and public sector organisations. Adept at working with boards and senior teams to drive strategy, optimise financial performance and deliver results. For the six years to January 2024, I was the Director of Finance for Scotland's Rural College, a complex £100M turnover business with education, research and commercial components in an exciting, globally important sector. I enjoy leading finance teams and influencing wider teams to shape strategy, drive change and create a progressive, winning culture. By background, I am a prize-winning Chartered Accountant with a solid base of financial, commercial and change management skills. I left public practice accountancy to work in industry in senior commercial, customer-facing roles with Scottish & Newcastle Plc. Well developed analytical skills and critical thinking enables me to drive the commercial agenda with senior teams. I worked for Scottish & Newcastle Plc right up to the £ 9 billion takeover by Heineken/Carlsberg in 2008 when I was part of the deal team. I then spent time in early-stage technology investment and founded a tech start-up before joining the HE sector.I also sat on the board of two early stage technology companies, was trustee of a DB pension scheme and am a trustee and Treasurer of the charity, Sporting Start.Specialties: Commercial appraisal, strategic planning, financial management, financial modelling, business development, early stage investment, corporate finance, project management.