Ian Lowe (Acma, Cgma) Email & Phone Number

Wilmslow, Gb

Hebden Bridge, England, United Kingdom

Key Achievements:- Financial Governance: Strengthened the company’s financial controls, enhancing the accuracy and transparency of financial reporting, which has reinforced overall governance.- Strategic KPI Development: Designed and implemented a KPI-driven reporting system that aligns business performance with clear, actionable metrics, driving informed decision-making and operational efficiency.- Dynamic Forecasting: Established a rolling monthly forecast model that provides real-time updates, serving as a crucial tool for guiding both long-term strategy and short-term tactical decisions.Responsibilities:- Oversee management accounts preparation, including P&L, balance sheets, variance analysis, cash flow, and management information (MI) pack.- Present complex financial data, trends, and insights to the Leadership Team and Board, utilising advanced Excel modelling, PowerBI, and PowerPoint.- Identify and implement process improvements in month-end activities, ensuring a forward-looking focus for enhanced strategic planning.- Responsible for accurate forecasting, budgeting, and rolling P&L and cash flow projections.Software: Sage 200

Cheadle, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

Key Achievements:- Cross-functional Collaboration: Built strong partnerships with Plant Managers across multiple sites, integrating financial and operational objectives to maintain rigorous cost control.- Enhanced Plant Reporting: Developed an automated dashboard system for each plant, displaying month and year-to-date information in a user-friendly format, improving non-finance teams' engagement with financial data.- Emissions Reporting Expertise: Led the redesign of emissions forecasting and reporting during the complex Brexit transition, managing new UK compliance requirements.Responsibilities:- Acted as a Business Partner to five brick plants, ensuring financial oversight and detailed cost analysis.- Led inventory control processes across sites, interfacing with external auditors for inventory audits.- Created cost models and analyses that clarified operational deviations, helping operations teams understand and address cost variances.- Managed the emissions trading scheme, overseeing a £3.2 million cost in 2022, and provided accurate forecasting.Software: SAP GUI - Controlling (CO) Module

Manchester, United Kingdom

Key Achievements:- Team Leadership During Transition: Successfully managed a challenging relocation and team restructuring period, maintaining high finance standards and controls amidst significant change.- Enhanced Financial Reporting Quality: Revitalised financial reporting and management accounts, leading to direct presentations to the Cranswick Group Board and achieving recognition as the best reporting in the Group.- Streamlined Payments & Budgeting Process: Introduced improvements in payment processes and created a collaborative budgeting approach, involving wider business input for a transparent, shared financial plan.Responsibilities:- Led a team of eight, overseeing P&L reporting, budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and margin analysis.- Supervised weekly and monthly financial reports, ensuring timely and accurate financial insights.- Supported the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable functions, streamlining payment processes.- Conducted ad hoc analyses to identify areas for improvement, working closely with cross-functional teams.Softeware: Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2

Manchester, United Kingdom

Key Achievements:- Re-established Finance Function: Played an instrumental role in the re-implementation of the finance function, building critical infrastructure for effective financial oversight.- Departmental Budget Collaboration: Developed standard costing templates and detailed daily labour variance reports, enhancing financial transparency and collaboration with budget holders.- Kanban Project Finance Lead: Provided financial data analysis for the Kanban project, helping to optimise inventory flow and production efficiency.Responsibilities:- Produced weekly and monthly P&L accounts within strict timeframes, managing profit improvement plans.- Created comprehensive KPI reporting, with an emphasis on daily labour and material usage variances.- Assisted in budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and new product costing, providing financial oversight to support strategic decision-making.Software: Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2

Manchester, United Kingdom

Key Achievements:- Rapid Advancement and Leadership Recognition: Quickly advanced from Trainee Accountant to Financial Accountant, demonstrating adaptability and commitment, with my work setting the benchmark for monthly reporting processes across the Group.- Process Improvement and Efficiency Gains: Overhauled monthly financial close processes, implementing streamlined procedures that reduced reporting timelines while improving accuracy, which were later adopted as best practice within the Group.- Mentorship and Development: Recognised for leadership potential and selected for a development programme, where I built skills in team management and strategic thinking, preparing for greater responsibility within the organisation.Responsibilities:- Month-End and Management Reporting: Responsible for preparing monthly accounts packs, including full P&L and balance sheet reconciliation, with detailed commentary to provide insights for operational and executive teams.- Margin Analysis and Variance Reporting: Generated comprehensive weekly and monthly margin reports, conducting detailed variance analysis to support business unit performance and profitability.- Balance Sheet Reconciliations and Financial Oversight: Ensured the accuracy and completeness of balance sheet reconciliations, playing a crucial role in monthly financial reviews and ensuring compliance with Group standards.- Budgeting and Forecasting Support: Assisted in the preparation of the annual budget and periodic cash flow forecasts, working closely with business units to ensure accurate projections and providing insight on key cost drivers.- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with other departments to address costing, revenue, and expenditure inquiries, and supported internal audits, strengthening financial controls across the business.Software: Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2

Macclesfield, United Kingdom

Manchester, United Kingdom

Acma, Cgma

Bsc (Hons), Finance And Accounting, First Class (1St)

Education record