This podcast shines a light on some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs and innovators, where Talitha Heaton and I interview guests to uncover some relatable truths on the entrepreneurial journey.In a world where social media adds a filter to everything, and the bigger brand success stories often gain the largest audience, we’re on a mission to share stories of failure, hardship - and also successes - as experienced by business owners and experts as they go through it.Brought to you by MPA Group:MPA Group has been built to address key challenges faced by business owners as they scale and exit their business, with a team who have been there and done it, and who have advised hundreds of professionals on how to navigate this path.Through a combination of business advisory, outsourced functions, and financial services, they have become trusted advisor to over 600 UK business owners. From exit planning, tax efficiency, dilutive and non-dilutive funding – MPA Group have options to suit every business, regardless of stage or size.MPA | mpa.co.ukEFM | efm.uk.com

Supported the CEO with growth and development plans for the business and navigating challenging economic markets.

"No business can operate without a Finance Professional"EFM specialises in helping businesses handle their finance function in a smart and innovative way. We do this by providing high calibre, affordable professional expertise on a flexible, part time basis. We provide experienced Finance Directors, Finance Controllers and Non-Executive Directors with extensive commercial experience and specialisms within the SME sector. EFM offers expert financial support to businesses that either do not need or cannot afford a full-time finance director. We aim to release the busy entrepreneur from the mundane but necessary day-to-day financial headaches to enable them to concentrate on developing their businesses. We enable entrepreneurs to keep a finger on the financial pulse of their business at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time Finance Director by providing a full Finance Director advisory service but delivered on an as-needed basis at a budget tailored to clients' needs.Contact Ronny.munster@efm-network.com to discuss how I can help, and if I can’t, I know somebody who can.

Senior board member with responsibility for finance, governance, strategy and HR.

Providing periodic strategic support to the UK Financial Controller and analysis of accounting software systems replacement.

The United First Foundation is a charity evaluation service founded to help meet the growing demand for clear, comparable information about UK charities. We believe that by analysing information made publicly available by charities (that is currently buried in annual reports, evaluations and websites) and presenting it in new and innovative ways, we have the potential to transform how people look at the charity sector, and enhance the way that people give

Implemented management accounts reporting, variance analysis and a summary commentary providing timely and accurate reporting to the Board identifying the main business drivers in the period.Developed profitability by team analysis to enable senior management to better understand sources of profit and losses by client location.Responsible for all FSA financial regulatory reporting including capital adequacy, CMAR and balance sheet and profit and loss.Devised tax efficient structure for head office and branch structureDeveloped and implemented expenses control policy Implemented budget & forecasting techniques and KPIs and KRIsAuthored ICAAP including building 3 year forecasting models for profit & loss, balance sheet, cash-flow, capital adequacy. Additionally devised stress testing and liquidity frameworks to form part of the main document.

Finance Director of STA Ltd and Schneider Group of Companies, -Member of the main management team as well as Company Director with CF1 status and responsibility for all financial regulatory reporting to the FSA, and financial and statutory reporting.-Restructured both teams to improve morale, performance and service delivery within the Group-Enabled senior management buy-in to budgetary, expense and cash controls, discipline and procedures resulting in better cost controls and use of resources-Engineered and implemented management reporting suite and KPIs for Board of main trading company and other associated entities as well as shareholders and external parties.-Authored ICAAP and associated documents in compliance with FSA rules-Developed tax efficient overseas structure for Associate Company-Stripped away unprofitable entities from the Group to reduce costs and enhance management-Member of the Risk Committee controlling and over-seeing trading company risks-Conducted due diligence when discussing merger/acquisition with competitor-Enhanced VAT recoverability and persuaded HMRC to amend their policy in regard to trading operations

Reviewing Lloyds internal credit policies and establishing new procedures for analysing credit flows

Managed Finance and Operations teams.Developed management reporting suite including management accounts and budgets/forecastsRedesigned customer support service to create efficiency for the company and improve the client experience.

Initially employed as Finance Director to set-up UK private banking operation for US base banking group. Ultimately established UK operation with responsibility for finance and banking operations and regulatory compliance.Key business sponsor of two major IT implementations: a financial/accounting system and paperless office and workflow system using leading edge technology Set-up banking operation’s team and processes and developed management reporting suitesPiloted strategy to establish full private banking operation in Jersey for US Bank negotiating regulatory, legal, technical, and commercial processes to achieve target

Set up UK regulatory and financial framework for this boutique hedge fund company and structured all the company’s offshore funds

Offshore fund management and fund adminsitration, based in Paris, Luxembourg, Jersey and London

Part of the Virgin Music empire before it floated and then became part of EMI later

Responsible for accounting output from the nascent BD team