A finance professional with more than 25 years experience, in the telecommunications industry and in the not for profit sector, working for the British Council since 2007. My experience covers finance activity from regulatory cost accounting to investment appraisal, commercial pricing and costing, planning, budgeting and reporting and management of finance teams in each of these areas. From 2012 to 2016 I managed the Americas regional finance function for the British Council, with responsibility for a £50m operation with a diverse portfolio. During that time the region established a number of tax registered entities, including a non-profit subsidiary in Brazil and a number of tax registered branches, plus opened new offices in Uruguay and Peru, extending the British Council's activity to 13 countries.In August 2016 I was asked to lead two of the major work areas in the British Council's main change programme to transform the organisation's finance function. My team has delivered a number of important organisational changes, as well as significant improvements in its main financial process areas. I also led the team reviewing our financial controls, identifying areas where they needed to be strengthened and automated.From this I have gained insight into what makes an effective finance function and how properly focused teams can be more effective. Through the work in processes I have developed a much clearer understanding of where the key functional areas of financial control, FP&A and Risk and Compliance really add value to the organisation and how these areas overlap. I have also developed monitoring of the key control areas so that senior management can assess how these areas are now improving as a result of the changes made thus far, and where they still need to act.Since sumer 2018 I now work part-time for myself having set up my own limited company.