Simone Brown Email & Phone Number

Raleigh, Nc, Us

Raleigh, Nc, Us

A global CRO, improving patients lives by trialling new drugs.

London, London, Gb

Morrisville, Nc, Us

Premier Research Group is a PE backed Clinical Research business with turnover of £82m across 20 countries worldwide.Achievements:• Carried out investigation with EY of Group trial balances, processing findings to produce accurate and explainable results • Sole liaison with UK institutions to obtain asset based loans for the European business• Set up new legal entities across the Group• Restructured finance globally generating circa £250k of cost savings and reducing on-going monthly accounting fees• Improved efficiencies and control through centralising the finance function across 2 main hubs• Set up new Accounts Payable global processing team enabling consistent and efficient processing• Created a new European payroll team, securing a supplier agreement with ADP. This enabled insight, previously blind, as well as central control• Training and driving the new team ensured accounts were accessible, visible and controllable• Cash flow enhanced to gain visibility and control, as well as building 12 month outlook• Banking consolidated from numerous banks to 2 institutions to gain consolidation, control and visibility• Global treasury team set up to facilitate central control and Group visibility• Managed to transition reporting line from a UK based Board CFO to a US based Board CFO• Finance lead for 3 company refinancing activities working closely with EY and owning banks auditors• Reduced monthly close process significantlyResponsibilities:• Managing a global team of 26 driving change and continual training• Managing maintenance of forecast and budget models, challenging business on operational decisions• Rationalising Group structure, including liquidating businesses• Key decision maker on property leases and global procurement initiatives negotiating favourable terms

Singapore, Sg

Millennium and Copthorne is a leading company in the hospitality industry. During this time It owned 110 hotels in 20 countries globally and was listed as a FTSE 250 index business.Turnover: £700m (Europe £275m); operating profit: £166m (Europe £80m)Achievements:Promoted from UK Business Development Manager to Head of European Finance and then to Group Finance Director within 3 years.• Implemented various flash reports for regional results allowing Board to have visibility of European results on a monthly basis • Implemented dashboard reports for CEO to enable a ‘one page view’ of measurable KPI’s• Enhanced reporting for different revenue streams within each property in order to be able to focus on under performing areas• Designed a new sales model with revenue and sales director, training and educating the sales teams to think with a finance head rather than a ‘gut feel’Responsibilities:• Managing a team of 20 Financial Controllers and their respective teams, as well as a central team of 3• Monthly board meeting spokesperson for European results• Reviewing monthly results with senior management teams within each hotel, driving profitability• Completion of the year end and quarterly announcement papers, including working with publishers to ensure accuracy• Recruitment of financial controllers across Europe when vacancies arise• Management Contract reviews. This involves working with the CEO to establish whether the terms and conditions are the best for the business. I also reviewed all modelled P&L accounts before they leave the business

Hannover, Lower Saxony, De

First Choice Holidays PLC (since merged with Thomson Holidays) is a leading leisure travel provider offering holidays to families, couples and corporate clients and was listed as a FTSE 100 index business.Turnover: Mainstream division: £1.4bn; profit before tax: Mainstream division £80m Achievements:• The 2005/6 budget was delivered on time. It was more detailed and the process greatly improved from those of the past• Group deadlines prior to my arrival were always missed. Group reporting and monthly board papers are always on time as well as of a better quality• Assisted the Sector FD in identifying areas of cost savings• Already part of the investment committee for any HR projects (normally reserved for Directors)• Troubleshooting for projects/circumstances that have spiralled out of control• Created a much improved board paper which created a milestone for Finance in that it was improved and on time• Built a brand new management reporting pack incorporating new KPI schedules with comparisons against both budget and last yearResponsibilities:• Supervision, coaching and mentoring 5 direct reports• Overall responsibility for the Sector profit and loss accounts. • Overall responsibility for monthly forecasts, monthly results and annual budget to both the Sector and Group• Overall responsibility for monthly forecasts, monthly results and annual budget to both the Sector and Group• Continually monitoring KPI’s and gaining further understanding of each complex business to facilitate business decisions• Monitoring top level risks and opportunities as well as tracking the Sector contingencies to enable an accurate forecast for the amount of contingency that will be available to carry forward into the new financial year

HSS hire is a leading national supplier of tool and equipment hire. Operating out of 230 branches across the UK and Ireland (US and Germany during my time at the Group)Turnover: £150m; EBITDA: £19mAchievements:• Trained the field directors to produce their own budgets to enable new branch empowerment project• Assisted the CEO and Commercial Director to evaluate savings as a result of the 180 day plan closure programme• Constantly involved with the new management team and the external auditors, 10 months prior to the sale of HSS to 3i, producing figures and financial analysis to assist 3i management in their decision to purchase HSS• Various tables and financial data produced were included within the large financial document put together by Deloittes and PWC, the document being reviewed by both 3i and the investment banks prior to the purchase of HSSResponsibilities:• Continually re-evaluating existing strategies, preparing papers for the new board to review• Working closely with the Commercial Director & CEO to provide financial support on new strategic concepts • Analysing income streams by product group, comparing utilisation figures for the entire fleet• Monitoring cash and account year on year income• Working closely with the CEO and the Regional Operations Director’s to review and change the current structure of the Operational side of the business• Building new excel models to capture the new combined structure of the business amalgamating the old business units into nine geograpical ‘one stop shop’ regions• Evaluating and challenging data provided on new projects by an outside Consultancy firm, changing reports as necessary• Ensuring that all costs captured on each stores profit and loss statement are controllable by the management within each site• Attending monthly Operational Director meetings, held by the CEO, to act as the Finance link between Head Office and the Field• Mentoring, coaching and supervising a team of 10