Earnest Bukenya

A finance professional with 8+ years' experience delivering financial control, commercial finance, FP&A and operational finance across FTSE 100 and high-growth organisations. Proven track record of improving profitability, strengthening financial governance and leading finance transformation through process optimisation, automation and strategic business partnering. Improving working capital, accelerating month-end close, strengthening internal controls, and solving billing pain points to support business growth.

Senior Billing Executive at Essence Mediacom/WPP (2023-11 – Present)

• Managed end-to-end billing for a £15M+ client portfolio, ensuring financial accuracy, timely invoicing and compliance across complex multinational accounts such as ITV, BT and Airbnb
• Reduced billing cycle time by 50% by redesigning end-to-end invoicing workflows to elimate pain points, accelerating revenue recognition and improving working capital.
• Strengthened financial governance by leading audit readiness, reducing billing discrepancies and improving control procedures.
• Partnered with Finance, Commercial and Client Services to improve revenue forecasting and contractual billing needs from clients
• Mentored junior finance professionals, increasing operational efficiency and improving team capability. contributing to a higher-performance finance function

Finance Manager at Respiratory Ltd (2018-08 – 2023-11)

• Led budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management to support rapid growth and product development.
• Developed financial models to evaluate pricing, supporting pricing strategy and commercial decision making.
• Managed investor reporting, financial statements, and compliance with HMRC and relevant healthcare regulations.
• Oversaw accounting operations, including accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and monthly close.
• Partnered with founders and product teams to align financial planning with business objectives.
• Implemented scalable financial systems and controls to support future fundraising and expansion.

Billing Coordinator / Controller at Landsec (FT100) (2015-09 – 2018-07)

• Managed end-to-end invoicing and financial administration for a £15m+ portfolio of global
• Resolved a three-year historic billing issue affecting a key client.
• Reduced year-end audit requests by 20% through stronger financial controls.
• Improved billing accuracy through reconciliation and process improvements.
• Supported month-end reporting and audit documentation.
• Collaborated with Finance and Operations to improve billing governance
• Invited to board level system implementation and review meetings to identify operational pain points in billing software.

BA with Hons in Business Management – Roehampton University A Levels – Harris Academy Merton 6th form