•• Successfully managed the merger of Better with Jennings Racing-a small family owned firm of bookmakers with little financial acumen - successfully integrating, modernising & upgrading all their systems through the rollout of a new internet based shop computer system that revolutionised that business from handwritten returns to online reporting to create a chain of 78 shops. • Responsible for a major cost cutting & reorganisation exercise that reduced the combined operating costs by £3m including renegotiating contracts & closing a number of units.• Investigated with BDO a possible CVA & negotiated with a number of landlords and other suppliers to terminate onerous contracts & leases of empty units; • Prepared fully integrated by shop budgets & cash flows for the combined business and negotiated enhanced bank facilities at the same time as switching the shop banking arrangements Initially recruited to sort out and have responsibility for the financial, cash management and property records of Better a fast growing chain of retail betting shops predominately in the South East of England. I was also responsible for cleaning up the Company's on line operations where reconciliations between the trading and cash and balance sheet operations of that sector had been largely ignored. Following this clean up monitored a much restricted on line activity through an affiliated company. • Member of a four man Management team with specific responsibilities for automating daily and weekly financial performance reporting of the estate’s 43 betting shops with particular emphasis on reducing shop costs and achieving other manpower savings through the efficient use of technology.• Responsible for preparation of monthly and annual Horseracing, Gaming Tax and Levy Returns. • Prepared business plans and liaised with a number of financial institutions with a view to obtaining finance to restructure the business and grow the current estate to 120 shops

• In the last twelve months managed the UK business to a record nine month profit of £2m whilst being actively involved in the successful sale of the Group and the closure of the French subsidiary.• As Group Finance Director responsible for the Group’s accounting, treasury, taxation, legal, franchisee reporting of KPI data, commercial and credit control functions directly managing a team of twenty.• Managed the UK Group Treasury function within barely adequate facilities during a time of significant change, the closure of a loss making European subsidiary and the roll out of a £5m computer project.• Successfully managed a significant reduction in the level of overdue and deferred debt in the UK network• Developed the monthly reporting of KPI data to facilitate comparisons of franchisee performance. • Responsible for the financial and commercial aspects of the roll out of a bespoke computer system throughout the franchise network.

• Overall responsibility for the Company’s financial, taxation, banking, treasury, Group reporting (B.A.T, Eagle Star and Threadneedle), computing, insurance, personnel and administration functions.• Member of the Executive and Portfolio Management Committees which were responsible for all of the Company’s investment and strategy decisions.• Company’s main contact with The Bank of England and The Securities and Futures Authority