Senior Finance Manager (Operating as Financial Controller) - CitySuites Group
(2024-07)
Serviced and residential apartment development company, including Hotel, Restaurant and 2 Cafés. £14.5m Turnover. Reporting directly to Managing Director. Part of the Select Property and Vita portfolio of companies.
- Senior Leadership Team member, partnering with the General Manager and Sales & Marketing Manager to shape and deliver company-wide strategic and operational objectives
- Led the development and execution of the company's 2026 vision and values, embedding these into departmental KPI frameworks which were designed and implemented as part of the project
- Owned the end-to-end financial reporting cycle, including initial creation & preparation of quarterly board packs. Also directed the input of other departmental reporting into the board packs.
- Directed the production, review, and consolidation of management accounts across 11 entities, ensuring accuracy & consistency
- Responsible for statutory accounts production and regulatory compliance
- Led the external audit process, acting as the primary contact for auditors
- Oversaw service charge accounting and delivery of quarterly investor reporting, successfully managing S21 audits and S22b inspections
- Managed and enhanced budgeting and forecasting processes, including the financial modelling of converting an aparthotel building into residential to improve investor yields
- Led the project for converting to CS Living including onboarding letting & advertising platforms, tenants onboarding processes and compliance, and steering the changes required for the Renters Rights Act
- Maintained full ownership of cashflow management, optimising liquidity with rolling 3 month forecast updated daily.
- Implemented robust credit control procedures enabling collection of £300k of aged debt
- Introduced AI dynamic pricing for the hotel operation, improving revenue optimisation, occupancy levels, and ensuring price competitiveness in a challenging market
- Participated in the implementation of Sage Intacct, ensuring UAT, data migration, and bespoke requirements for processes were successful
- Led apartment buybacks from investors & secured financing from commercial brokers
- Modelled development appraisals for future hotel sites.
Financial Controller - Fletchers Engineering
(2023-07 - 2024-06)
Family owned engineering and HVAC business. £15m turnover. Reporting directly to the MD/Owner.
- Created monthly finance board pack including commentary from scratch
- Implemented new process for contracting WIP, and new format for calculation (excel) in order to correctly recognise WIP and contract revenue in line with accounting standards.
- Set up first budget. Including model (excel) with P&L, balance sheet and cashflow projections. Assessment for ongoing contract works, pipeline and tenders, ANO future business. Analytical work on the maintenance/callout business unit, low value high volume, using metrics on standardised job types and historical performance. The model is being rolled forward to produce a 3 year business plan.
- Replicated the contracting review process with the maintenance/callout business unit as previously unmonitored. This resulted in over £200k of unbilled jobs being resolved and billed to the client.
- Installed a credit controller into the business and set up credit control procedures and rolling 3 month cashflow. This resulted in a peak cash balance of £1.4m which was unprecedented.
- Set up proper review and appraisal procedures for the finance team (5) to set objectives, define their job descriptions, and give autonomy to their individual specialisms, allowing better management of the team and helping to elevate performance and job satisfaction.
- Initiated project to automate timesheets using existing job management platform and driver PDAs, which removed the data entry element and allowed my payroll office to review more effectively.
Financial Controller - The Larkfleet Group
(2019-03 - 2023-07)
Initially working as a Finance Manager for Allison Homes & Larkfleet Homes, I subsequently transferred to the Larkfleet Group in November 2022 to work as the Financial Controller for the CEO's investment activities.
- Financial lead for 3 main entities within the group covering manufacturing of park & leisure homes, renewable biofuel and waste to energy businesses.
- Constructed initial 3 year business plans for each including P&L, balance sheet and cashflow forecasts.
- Working closely with managing directors to discuss strategic direction and putting together financials to underpin whether these strategies work.
- Producing board reports for the internal management and the CEO of Larkfleet group including ROI analysis.
- Recruiting and building the staffing structure to support the business both in finance and other departments. Line manager to 3 direct reports, 10 personnel in total.
Finance Manager - Allison Homes & Larkfleet Homes
(2019-03 - 2023-07)
Volume Housebuilder. £112mil Turnover. Direct report to CFO.
- Implemented a new finance timetable which drove productivity and enabled monthly accounts production.
- Established development reviews to analyse cost variances, evaluate revenues and costs to complete with commercial/surveyor teams
- Produced monthly consolidated accounts & board reports that conveyed the financial performance of the business to the leadership team.
- Constructed 5 year business plan which set business targets on unit delivery and land acquisitions.
- Actively involved with sale of the business to private equity firm PIMCO providing financials and ad hoc reports for pricing and due diligence purposes.
- Took ownership of the fleet. Established savings of £20k per year by switching to hybrid/electric vehicles.
- Achieved £17.5mil CLBILS funding. Managed with the bank to sit pari pasu with existing facilities.
- Project Champion – ensured my dedicated site built high quality homes, on time with a positive customer journey.
- Finance representative for COINS system implementation certifying data integrity and that reports fulfilled business requirements.
- Managed the financial reporting team of 2 and was a mentor for the wider accounts team.
Assistant Financial Controller - VPS Group
(2016-02 - 2019-03)
Property Services/Security. £130mil Turnover. Direct report to FD.
- Successfully transitioned the accounts department from London to Manchester.
- Designed new chart of accounts to allow more cohesive reporting as part of a systems upgrade.
- Seconded to Evander for 3 months in 2017 to learn the business and integrate the financials with VPS's. Eventually transitioning the management accounts team to Manchester.
- Insourced the AP function and in doing so improved query turnaround and productivity by 30%.
- Produced purchase order system in order to control spend and aid invoice matching and processing.
- Produced and distributed monthly management accounts with variance analysis.
Finance Manager - Wincanton
(2014-12 - 2016-02)
Third Party Logistics. Nationwide Platforms/Lavendon contract.
- Set up new procedures and deadlines for contract start-up. This enabled prompt reporting and monthly management accounts including commentary and variance analysis.
- Produced weekly flash reports for both Wincanton and the client to give financial snapshot ahead of monthly management accounts.
- Line manager to Assistant Accountant and Accounts Clerk
Accountant - 3Fold Media Ltd
(2013-09 - 2014-12)
Media publications start-up business. Worked as a self employed Accountant.
- Set up chart of accounts and produced quarterly accounts so MD and private investor could gauge business performance.
- Set budgets with MD in order to analyse performance and set targets.
- Implemented credit control in order to maximise cashflow.
- I took on this post around my full time role at Thomas Murray in order to gain exposure to a start up environment and working as a self employed accountant. It also enabled me to keep an income stream in the latter half of 2014 when I city hopped around Europe.
Accountant - Thomas Murray & Thomas Murray Ratings Group
(2013-05 - 2014-04)
Financial services providing data and consultancy work to international Custodian Banks and Funds
- Sole production of monthly management accounts for 2 groups (7 subsidiaries) with commentary.
- Introduced a new chart of accounts to expedite accounts production across the group.
- Budgets and forecasts including cashflow
- Management of sales & purchase ledgers.
Assistant Accountant - Harbour & Jones Ltd
(2012-06 - 2013-05)
Catering company providing outsourced contract services.
- Produced 50 monthly trading accounts which drove billing to clients.
- Management accounts and financial reports, working closely with Operations Directors
- Implemented internal audits to ensure cash and stock on site were being monitored.
Assistant Financial Accountant - Chestnut Homes Ltd
(2010-04 - 2012-06)
Volume Housebuilder. Reporting to the Financial Controller and Chairman for BUFC.
- Monthly management accounts production for Chestnut Homes, Quarterly for BUFC and Maple Court.
- Produced first budget & management accounts
- Calculation of WIP across 7 active building sites for Chestnut Homes.
Accounts Clerk - Millhouse Manufacturing Design Ltd
(2008-05 - 2010-04)
Wooden educational equipment manufacturer.
- Managed sales and purchase Ledgers, including sales order fulfilment.
- Accruals and prepayments.
- Improved production by creating a 12 week production requirement programme.
