Find a FinanceHead

Profile

Alan is a CIMA Registered Member In Practice with over 20 years strategic, tactical and operational finance experience across many sectors. He specialises in providing part time Finance Director services to SME businesses, writing funding documents and business plans for growth, turnaround or recovery, and designing effective reporting, financial control and CRM systems for growing companies.

Services Include

• Business plans for organic growth, equity investment and bank funding
• Financial modelling and forecasting, especially short term cash flow management
• Management accounting and reporting

Key Business Issue!

The pandemic had led to some major competitors closing, exiting the market or divesting, creating opportunities for those remaining. When I joined the client had decided to seek funding for working capital or acquisition which would have either diluted existing equity or geared the company. Instead we identified opportunities for organic growth, with the business development and delivery heads participating in the upside via exit-only EMI options. The company is well on track to deliver significant growth on 2019 (pre-pandemic) and is already attracting interest from trade buyers.

Profile

I am a highly commercial, hands-on Finance Director with extensive experience across a range of SME’s and large plc’s. I work alongside the owners / directors on a part-time basis, but still as a core member of the management team.

Services Include

Key Business Issue

Refund the business to provide additional cash resources to support through the economic uncertainty of Covid. Secured a £400K CBILS loan from Lloyds (after jumping through a myriad of hoops) that provides additional funding at lower interest rates and with reduced financial obligation on the business owner.

Profile

My portfolio ranges from being FD of a £500k t/o business up to CFO of an AIM listed business (currently listing on tsx). Having worked for both privately owned and global subsidiaries I am well placed to offer advice, support and leadership in many areas within companies. In addition to working with local businesses I have been appointed to a partnership which is acquiring SME’s across many industry sectors.

Services Include

• R&D Claims
• Funding
• Kickstart support
• Unique data analysis (VFD Pro)
• M&A activity
• Corporate introductions (e.g. insurance brokers, IFA, etc. where the owner doesn’t have time/bandwidth/knowledge to get better deals)

Profile

As an experienced commercial Finance Director, I have worked with a broad range of organisations over the last 20 years, in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Clients have included two FTSE-listed companies, an AIM listed group and 11 start-ups, three of which grew to have turnover in excess of £50m pa. I now help smaller enterprises expand and become more profitable.

Services Include

• Forecasting
• Helping to define strategy
• Acting as a sounding board (financial and general business)
• Raising funding
• Improving cash management
• Performance management

Profile

I am a Specialist Finance Director, helping SME business owners to manage and grow their business. There is no “one size fits all” – I will be there to assist when either available time or increasing complexity of the business takes the owner outside of their comfort levels with financial information, data, and processes. My role is to help your business succeed. I work with you on whatever basis suits you best – whether it’s a single specific project or your long-term business growth. I will talk in language that you can understand and present financial information in a way that gives clear decision points.

Services Include

• Business planning (including budgeting)
• Margin improvement
• Management accounts
• Analysis of financial and operational measures
• Strategic advice re growth plans, funding, exit, etc.
• Consultancy, e.g. what is doing well or badly, what is should do more of or less of
• Mentorship of in-house finance teams (Finance Managers or Bookkeepers)
• Improved governance for external investors/shareholders

Key Business Issue

As far as a key business issue which I have resolved recently, my largest client has just been sold to a private equity firm, and I have led on all of the financial due diligence and quite a bit of the legal due diligence, with extensive requests for historical actuals and analysis as well as future plans for the next 5 years!

Profile

Hands-on qualified accountant, company secretary and business coach, with significant, start-up, SME & public company, financial reporting, tax management, corporate governance, corporate finance and commercial management experience, including; IPOs, acquisitions, disposals, joint-ventures, capital & debt raising (over £30+m since 2005), secretarial, legal, insurance, & property matters and systems implementation. As Finance Director of three listed PLC groups between 1989 -2007, I gained significant experience in general business management, but my particular skills are in financial management, business plan or information memorandum preparation, financial modelling, fund raising, investment readiness, corporate structuring, M&A, exit management and legal and tax aspects of investment and/or exit.

Between 2007 and 2018 I was a business coach under various Government sponsored schemes, with specific emphasis on corporate structure, investment readiness and access to finance programmes,, providing one to one coaching to well over 250 high growth SME’s. I acted as Account Manager to some clients, and aided fellow Account Managers’ clients where specific financial management / fundraising guidance was required. I also presented at Breakfast Briefings and Workshops on understanding financial management, and gave the Financial Management and Control session at the Henley Business School Accelerator Programmes.

Key Strengths

Corporate Finance, Preparation for Investment, Corporate Structuring, Transaction Management, Supporting Start-ups and Growth Companies.

Sector Experience

SAAS, Retail, Publishing, Property Development, Hotels & Catering, Oil & Gas Support Services.

Profile

A hands-on qualified accountant with high-level experience in multi-site retail and distribution industries managing finance teams of up to 30 people. Matthew has been involved in rights issues, MBOs and turnarounds and is fully versed in the challenges facing companies experiencing significant growth or change when finances are tight. His background in retail and distribution gives him a unique insight into the supply chain and is able to run a finance function that fully supports the other divisions of a business. His specialities include stock systems (including margin reconciliations) and corporate ERP systems, dealing with import and export financial instruments and VAT/duties and re-implementing controls and procedures where these have fallen by the wayside through change or lack of internal resources. He is also experienced in working with all parts of a business to develop business plans and prepare financial models whether for internal controls, banking requirements or working towards a business sale or merger.

Services Include

• Financial Controls
• Cashflow forecasting and budgeting
• Accounting software integration
• Supporting business sales
• Tax planning

Key Business Issue

A new client was late with their accounts as the bookkeeping controls had fallen away. Recruited a new bookkeeper and brought all controls and reconciliations up to date so that accounts could be completed then introduced stock and margin reconciliations and monthly management accounts. This then enabled the client to have the visibility to forecast future revenues and costs and I modelled the cash and balance sheet forecast. The client can now see clearly which projects are most profitable and quote more accurately for future contracts and report to the shareholders on financial performance.

Profile

I am an experienced ACCA qualified accountant, dedicated to helping entrepreneurial clients grow in a profitable and cash generative way by providing flexible and cost effective Finance Director level support, business advice and systems implementation assistance to small and medium sized companies.

Key Strengths

Cash flow management and forecasting, equity and debt fundraising, strategic analysis and advice, accounting system specification, selection, design and implementation, management information and reporting improvements, ad-hoc data analysis, organisational design and team structure planning, post-acquisition integration and bookkeeping and exit strategy planning and preparation.

Sector Experience

Start-ups and early stage companies, high-growth environments, Software as a Service ‘SaaS’, professional services, IT consultancy, pharmaceutical consultancy, property development management, digital marketing and print management.

Profile

I am a chartered accountant and have spent the past 20 years with SMEs in both Finance and Managing Director roles, which has enabled me to combine my financial background with a strong grasp of the commercial issues facing businesses. I have built up a good track record of delivering business growth and significant experience of fund-raising, turnarounds exit strategies and systems implementation.

Key Strengths

Financial and management accounting and reporting (IFRS and UK GAAP), budgeting and forecasting, strategic planning and implementation, market analysis, taxation, commercial exploitation of opportunities, project management, contract management, team leadership, fundraising, IT systems implementation, communication at Board level, building relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Sector Experience

A chartered accountant with a financial background gained across a range of business sectors including professional services, manufacturing, distribution, medical devices, healthcare, IT, and the public sector, with considerable experience of complex and fast-growth organisations.

Profile

Experienced, independent, commercially minded. I would be delighted to provide the services of a Finance Director to your company on a part-time, temporary or project basis to suit your needs. Based near Reading covering the Thames Valley and London, happy to travel elsewhere in the UK or abroad. I am a chartered accountant and former chief financial officer with 30 years experience in industry and accounting practice. I qualified with C&L (now PwC) then moved into industry with Rothmans International as a divisional Financial Controller. Before becoming an independent FD, I was Chief Financial Officer of Rail Gourmet, the international rail catering division of Compass Group plc.
More recent clients include:

• Holiday company (charity) – interim FD with a project to raise £11 million to develop a new hotel
• Accountancy practice – MD with a brief to update internal processes, staff structure and billing
• Industrial cleaning products business – providing monthly support to prepare management accounts and group reporting
• Event management company with a US subsidiary – part-time FD for 5 years
• Coal mining start-up (Mozambique subsidiary of FTSE 100 company) – finance consultant to MD and mentor to local head of finance.

Sector Experience

Includes manufacturing, distribution, marketing, logistics, event management and catering.