Josh Vaughan

Senior finance leader with 10+ years' progressive experience across FP&A, commercial finance, financial control, forecasting and finance transformation, operating across complex, multi-entity and operationally intensive businesses. Currently lead FP&A with responsibility for a £100m cost budget through to EBITDA, partnering with directors, business owners, accounting and commercial finance teams to drive performance, improve forecasting accuracy and strengthen financial decision-making. Previously managed approximately £50m of logistics, warehouse and transport contracts across multiple UK locations, working closely with operations and external customers to improve profitability, identify cost-saving opportunities, develop commercial initiatives and maximise returns.

Strong track record of building and improving planning, forecasting and reporting infrastructure, including implementing driver-based forecasting approaches and reducing month-end reporting from five days to three days across a complex portfolio. Experienced in P&L, cash flow, treasury, scenario analysis, KPI development and commercial modelling, with a strong ability to translate operational drivers into financial outcomes. Technology-oriented finance leader with experience across SAP, Oracle Cloud, EPM and ERP environments, alongside practical application of AI to financial modelling, dashboards, raw-data interrogation, reporting and data manipulation.

A commercially minded and hands-on leader who enjoys working alongside senior stakeholders, challenging assumptions, improving processes and building finance capability in businesses undergoing change and growth.

Head of FP&A at Tombola (2025-03 – Present)

Lead FP&A for a major business unit within a group environment, with responsibility for financial planning, forecasting, cost management, performance analysis and strategic decision support.

• Own a £100m cost budget through to EBITDA, providing financial leadership across budgeting, forecasting and ongoing performance management.
• Lead the annual budgeting and forecasting cycle, partnering with accounting, commercial finance, business owners and senior directors.
• Developed and embedded a driver-based forecasting methodology, combining bottom-up operational inputs with top-down strategic assumptions.
• Deliver forecasts consistently within approximately 3% of actual performance, providing senior stakeholders with reliable forward-looking financial insight.
• Partner with business owners to understand performance drivers, challenge assumptions and identify opportunities to improve financial outcomes.
• Provide financial analysis and commercial insight to support senior management decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement across planning, reporting and forecasting processes, improving standards, data quality and accountability.
• Strengthened financial ownership across business areas by improving the way business owners understand and manage their cost bases.
• The wider group has taken inspiration from the business unit's approach to cost management and business-owner accountability, demonstrating the scalability of the finance model.
• Use AI to enhance financial modelling and dashboards, improving analytical capability and accelerating the generation of management insight.
• Apply AI to interrogate and validate raw data, helping identify inconsistencies and improve confidence in analysis.
• Use AI to streamline reporting and data manipulation, reducing repetitive manual activity and allowing greater focus on value-added analysis.
• Identify opportunities to improve finance processes through technology, automation and better use of data.
• Act as a people and culture lead, mentoring colleagues, supporting career development and helping build a high-performing finance environment.

Portfolio Finance Manager at GXO Logistics (2022-09 – 2025-03)

Portfolio finance lead for approximately £50m of warehouse, logistics and transport contracts across multiple industries and locations throughout the UK.

• Managed financial performance across a complex portfolio of customer contracts, providing financial insight to both internal leadership and external customers.
• Managed approximately nine contracts simultaneously, each with different operational, commercial and financial drivers.
• Led budgeting, forecasting and financial performance analysis across the portfolio.
• Worked closely with operations leadership on cost reduction, productivity, synergies and gain-share opportunities, with a focus on maximising contract returns.
• Developed and monitored operational KPIs including cost per unit, cost per cube, MPG, driver hours and labour costs, linking operational performance directly to financial outcomes.
• Provided detailed variance and performance analysis, identifying drivers of underperformance and opportunities for corrective action.
• Built strong relationships with operational leaders and customer stakeholders, translating financial analysis into practical commercial and operational decisions.
• Supported contract strategy, pricing, productivity and cost-control decisions through detailed financial modelling and analysis.
• Reduced month-end reporting from five days to three days, streamlining reporting across multiple contracts and separate reporting files.
• Improved reporting standardisation and reduced manual effort, enabling management to receive financial information more quickly.
• Produced budgets and forecasts for both internal leadership and external customers.
• Managed and analysed labour and payroll-related costs, providing visibility over major drivers of contract profitability.

Financial Controller at BH Savidge & Son / Woodfields Fruit (2021-03 – 2022-09)

Owned the complete finance function for an operationally intensive business, combining financial control, FP&A, treasury and commercial decision support.

• Held end-to-end responsibility for finance, from bookkeeping and transactional accounting through to management reporting, forecasting and year-end preparation.
• Managed cash flow forecasting, treasury and banking relationships, including lender facilities.
• Worked directly with directors and senior operational stakeholders on financial and commercial decisions.
• Managed relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks, lenders and professional advisers.
• Led P&L forecasting in a business exposed to significant external variables including weather, supermarket demand and external pricing.
• Developed forward-looking financial analysis in an environment where demand, pricing and operating conditions could change rapidly.
• Worked closely with operations to identify cost reductions, productivity improvements and more efficient working practices.
• Maintained detailed cost control in a low-margin business where small changes in costs could have a material impact on profitability.
• Used financial and operational information to support scenario analysis and decision-making under uncertainty.

Finance Manager at Emmet Medical (2017-10 – 2021-03)

Led the complete finance function within a medical products business, combining financial control with FP&A, treasury and commercial support.

• Owned the finance function from bookkeeping through to management reporting, forecasting and financial control.
• Managed P&L forecasting, cash flow forecasting and treasury.
• Worked directly with directors and senior stakeholders to provide financial insight and challenge.
• Managed relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks and lenders.
• Managed banking relationships and supported loan and lender facilities.
• Led the financial aspects of the company's NHS framework agreement tender, supporting the tendering process to secure access to a framework for supplying products across the NHS.
• Prepared financial information and analysis to support commercial and strategic decisions.
• Worked closely with external accountants throughout the year-end process.
• Developed financial controls and reporting processes to improve management visibility and decision-making.
• Gained experience operating within a regulated healthcare/medical-products environment.

Accounting Consultant (2015-05 – 2017-08)

Provided finance and accounting support across client businesses, developing broad experience across management accounting, financial reporting, controls and finance processes.

Management Accountant at Wye Valley Group (2013-11 – 2015-05)

Management Accountant within a diversified, multi-entity UK group operating across scrap metal, waste recycling, skips, aggregates, reclamation/salvage and manufacturing.

• Managed cash flow and forecasting across multiple entities within a complex group structure.
• Managed bank reconciliations, cash accounts, banking and physical cash balances of approximately £20,000.
• Worked directly with group directors to provide financial information and operational insight.
• Implemented a biometric employee clocking system, replacing paper-based attendance processes and reducing the risk of buddy clocking.
• Used the system to generate reliable attendance information for fire-call reporting across a large operational site.
• Implemented a till and stock-control system within the reclamation business, improving stock visibility, valuation and controls while reducing theft and loss.
• Used Sage and QuickBooks to support financial management and reporting.