Point of sale and display furniture for blue-chip retailers

Senior member of the executive management team, initially reporting to the Board, subsequently a Board director following an MBO of the business in 2012. Responsibilities:- Statutory consolidated group accounts and annual budget for the trading company and holding company.- Monthly management accounts, including review with board directors.- Annual budget, and monthly profit forecasts.- Treasury, including weekly cashflow forecasting for three months ahead, and banking relationships, including the confidential invoice discounting facility.- All HMRC matters, including Corporation Tax, PAYE, and VAT.- IT, with responsibility for maintaining and replacing all PCs, laptops, servers.- Company Secretary.- Providing financial advice to operational management.- This role manages a department of 4 staff.Achievements:- Introduced effective procedures into a poorly managed finance department, to motivate staff and enable the delivery of monthly management accounts in 10 working days (from 15).- Played a key role in the 2012 MBO of the business, with responsibility for due diligence.- Controlled a £1m budget supporting the relocation of the business into new premises.- Worked successfully with the management team to grow turnover from £9m in 2007 to it’s current £17m.- Steered a rebanking exercise, involving setting up new term loan and CID facilities with enhanced lending at lower cost.- Introduced credit checking of all customers’ orders, and reviews of commercial terms & conditions for new customers.- Successfully responded to HMRC’s PAYE and VAT audits with minimal impact on the business.

Established a new role with responsibility for daily accounting functions whilst introducing best practice during a period of rapid growth in turnover (from £1.2m pa to £3m pa). Worked with the MD to advise the company on commercial matters.

Member of four-person executive management team running the glass factory’s daily activities. Specific responsibility for Finance, IT, Purchasing (10 staff). Involved in the factory’s strategic planning and business reviews as well as the day-to-day activities of my three departments. Made redundant when the factory closed in September 2004.Achievements:- Improved finance department efficiencies, leading to a 20% reduction in staffing.- Increased the understanding of the importance of cash, both within the finance department and across the factory, during a period of tight cashflow.- Successfully managed the factory closure to a tight deadline and within budget (including closing a multi-million pound contractual dispute, & disposing of the property and all assets).

Member of four-person executive management team running the glass factory’s daily activities. Specific responsibility for Finance, IT, Purchasing (10 staff). Involved in the factory’s strategic planning and business reviews as well as the day-to-day activities of my three departments. Made redundant when the factory closed in September 2004.Achievements:- Improved finance department efficiencies, leading to a 20% reduction in staffing.- Increased the understanding of the importance of cash, both within the finance department and across the factory, during a period of tight cashflow.- Successfully managed the factory closure to a tight deadline and within budget (including closing a multi-million pound contractual dispute, & disposing of the property and all assets).

Member of a dedicated acquisitions team. Responsible for negotiating deals with potential vendors, completing financial analysis of the deal and obtaining approval to acquire, carrying out due diligence, and integrating the newly acquired business into the mainstream operations.

Responsible for providing accounting support and advice to operational management, preparing and reviewing forecasts, annual budget and monthly management accounts, supervising two management accountants. Resigned to relocate to the North of England.

On returning to the UK after a career break to travel the world, I ran my father-in-law’s business whilst he recovered from surgery. This involved maintaining stock levels, obtaining wholesale supplies weekly, supervising 20+ sales staff, updating accounting records and banking daily takings for his retail business dealing in soft furnishings, curtains, hosiery and underwear.

Responsibilities:- Statutory consolidated group accounts and annual budget for companies in UK, France, Germany, Holland & Ireland- Monthly management accounts, including review with board directors- Treasury, including daily cashflow forecasting, and banking relationships- Company Secretary for 4 UK & Irish companies- Providing financial advice to operational management- This role deputised for the Finance Director and managed a department of 6 staffAchievements:- Assumed role of Finance Director reporting to Managing Director for 10 months during a period of company restructuring- Involvement in trade sale, in particular responsible for successful due diligence exercise and completion of all Company Secretarial matters- Successful implementation of IBM AS/400 computer system running JBA ledger & order processing packages- Introduced efficiency improvements to accelerate the production of monthly accounts, including PC - AS/400 data transfers and use of Excel- Reorganised annual budgeting process to improve both efficiencies and presentation whilst involving operational management for the first time- Settled disputes with the Inland Revenue over 4 years' Corporation Tax affairs and PAYE procedures, whilst introducing best practice