Richard Cottrell Email & Phone Number

Reading, Gb

This role is responsible for leading a team of financial controllers and their teams to ensure the business accurately plans, forecasts and measures its performance. It is critical within this role to identify business performance gaps and opportunities in order to continuously improve financial performance. Use all available data to identify areas for improvement, root causes of under-performance and potential solutions.• Responsible for providing accurate information to the business… Show more This role is responsible for leading a team of financial controllers and their teams to ensure the business accurately plans, forecasts and measures its performance. It is critical within this role to identify business performance gaps and opportunities in order to continuously improve financial performance. Use all available data to identify areas for improvement, root causes of under-performance and potential solutions.• Responsible for providing accurate information to the business functions, ensuring decisions are made from clear and robust data and analysis• Responsible for translating business plans into the annual budget. Coordinate and support the planning within business functions, as well as meeting the requirements of Regional and Global Finance• Secure and maintain a high level of technical expertise in accounting, internal control, planning, budgeting and forecasting• Supporting the business to improve product and customer yield, through analysis and decisions on customer pricing, and services and surcharges, as well as cost improvement initiatives• Managing the Investment and CAPEX process, to ensure business cases and decisions are robust. Also that all Regional and Global policies are complied with• Being the valued Business Partner to the functional VPs, especially the Heads of Operations and Sales. Support and challenge them. Quantify the impact of decisions Show less

Slough, United Kingdom

Supporting the UK&I Finance Director, and acting as FD for key projects, I developed, modelled, coordinated the delivery of a three-year business transformation strategy, evaluating strategic initiatives for long-term target setting for the UK&I business (£680m revenue).Actions•Strategic evaluation and top-down modelling and long-term target-setting – to mitigate a £68m profit gap to the do-nothing case•Senior Leadership Group Lead, communicating and embedding strategy and… Show more Supporting the UK&I Finance Director, and acting as FD for key projects, I developed, modelled, coordinated the delivery of a three-year business transformation strategy, evaluating strategic initiatives for long-term target setting for the UK&I business (£680m revenue).Actions•Strategic evaluation and top-down modelling and long-term target-setting – to mitigate a £68m profit gap to the do-nothing case•Senior Leadership Group Lead, communicating and embedding strategy and culture•Finance due diligence on four merchant acquisitions•Acted as FD, delivering a large transformation and complex route-to-market change project •Influencer of key stakeholder decision-making, providing KPI and progress updatesAchievementsSuccessful delivery, acting as FD, of the Inspire Strategy and creation and launch of the Connect Strategy. The ‘do nothing’ situation, amid an unstable marketplace, was a loss of £68m. The strategy I designed closed this completely. The legacy of my work was the organisation being on target to achieve its profit target, six months post strategy completion.A route-to-market change project in line with detailed project plans. This had potential to cause huge issues in the marketplace, but through close management, scenario planning, and holding senior teams to account on project operation, the project was a huge success both financially and in terms of market disruption.Personal growth, developing my leadership skills further from Senior Leadership Group activities. I led Scrum feedback exercises, which received very positive feedback and incorporated end-to-end project management into my finance leader responsibilities.I was proud to be responsible for such a significant project, three years in the making, as well as being at the heart of decision-making at a major organisation. I enjoyed the autonomy I was entrusted with. I had the space to be supportive and give financial and non-financial guidance to senior sales and marketing team members. Show less

Slough, United Kingdom

Responsible for driving the performance of the business in the professional channel (£350m Revenue). This involved full P&L, OWC and capex responsibility from involvement in target setting to target delivery; building great relationships with senior stakeholders to support and influence key decisions; supporting and influencing the IBP process. Also provide financial leadership and support on the Business and Function Strategy and ensured appropriate financial support on all… Show more Responsible for driving the performance of the business in the professional channel (£350m Revenue). This involved full P&L, OWC and capex responsibility from involvement in target setting to target delivery; building great relationships with senior stakeholders to support and influence key decisions; supporting and influencing the IBP process. Also provide financial leadership and support on the Business and Function Strategy and ensured appropriate financial support on all initiatives• Key member of the finance leadership team responsible for setting strategic priorities and inspiring the function to grow. Developed the finance functions own brand and identity ‘Strength in Numb€rs’ which drove a new way of working throughout the function• Managed, inspired and developed a team of decision support business partners as they completed tasks, such as the assessment of return on investment, IRR, payback and deal profitability sensitivity analysis. Recognised as a highly effective team throughout the business• Forged strong relationships to influence Managing Directors, Sales and Marketing leadership teams and became a trusted partner, running key projects with autonomy• Influenced key stakeholders in the decision-making process to drive added value activities, resulting in the delivery of all EBIT and OWC target 4 years in a row• Owner and gatekeeper for pricing defensibility and promotional offers, ensuring legal pricing whilst maintaining continuous profitability growth • Financial gatekeeper for new and existing product development, ensuring that new products going to market were profitable and changes to existing products were financially sound• Established a new control environment and detailed ways of working as fundamental controls and processes were missing• Become a trusted partner to Senior Management team, running key projects with autonomy Show less

Slough, United Kingdom

UK Finance lead for 2 key organizational transformation projects. These included the standardization of SAP system structures to enhance EMEA management reporting, as well as the implementation of a European wide business operating model. Key member of the Finance leadership team reporting to the UK Finance Director, responsible for setting strategic priorities and inspiring the function.• Successfully led and managed total project workstream timelines and deliverables for 2 major… Show more UK Finance lead for 2 key organizational transformation projects. These included the standardization of SAP system structures to enhance EMEA management reporting, as well as the implementation of a European wide business operating model. Key member of the Finance leadership team reporting to the UK Finance Director, responsible for setting strategic priorities and inspiring the function.• Successfully led and managed total project workstream timelines and deliverables for 2 major EMEA wide projects• Established strong project management control environment, resulting in the project being delivered on time with implementation strategy blueprint being adopted in other regions following UK success• Forged strong relationships to influence and engage key stakeholders in multiple countries and different levels within the organization• Key member of the finance leadership team responsible for setting strategic priorities and inspiring the function. Show less

Slough, United Kingdom

Provided consistent and insightful management information (both forward looking and retrospective) to UKI Management Team and commercial leadership teams and ensure UK sales and marketing functions have the information they need to do their roles. Also, to fulfill global requirements around management reporting, forecasting and budgeting.• Led, motivated and coached a team of commercial analysts and Cognos systems analysts• Provide monthly insight and reporting packs on the UK… Show more Provided consistent and insightful management information (both forward looking and retrospective) to UKI Management Team and commercial leadership teams and ensure UK sales and marketing functions have the information they need to do their roles. Also, to fulfill global requirements around management reporting, forecasting and budgeting.• Led, motivated and coached a team of commercial analysts and Cognos systems analysts• Provide monthly insight and reporting packs on the UK, Retail and Trade business results to help drive accurate decision making at all levels of the business• Finance lead of the monthly, full year forecasting process, for the UK business ensuring that there was clear visibility of all forecasted full year results to enable business planning and continuity• Full UK budget responsibility, ensuring robust budgets were set to drive business activity• Continuous system and process improvements across all UK reporting requirements, including the created an integrated Cognos reporting system to report total business management results through one system Show less

Sassenheim, The Netherlands

Slough, United Kingdom

International consolidation of the former ICI global decorative paints business through Hyperion Applications.

Reading, United Kingdom

Gained experience whilst auditing a wide range of different type and size organisations whilst gaining ACA qualification.