Robert Wilkinson

ACCA-qualified senior finance leader with 20+ years' progressive experience across financial services, asset management, real estate and insurance, including senior management of financial reporting, legal entity control, fund accounting and finance operations. Proven ability to lead teams, strengthen control environments, deliver statutory and regulatory reporting, manage audits and provide high-quality financial insight to boards and senior management. Strong track record of leading finance transformation, fund restructures, acquisitions, operating-model change and complex UK and European investment structures.

Finance Manager – Legal Entity Control - Arthur J Gallagher & Co

(2025-12)

• Lead a five-person offshore finance team across statutory reporting, board reporting, regulatory submissions and legal-entity control, strengthening accountability for critical deliverables.
• Drive the year-end close and statutory reporting cycle for UK Group entities under FRS 102, coordinating audit activity and resolving issues to keep reporting on schedule.
• Own key controls over financial reporting, establishing and maintaining processes that improve the accuracy and reliability of figures used in statutory and management reporting.
• Oversee board and regulatory submissions, ensuring critical FCA deliverables are complete, reviewed and submitted within required timelines.
• Review impairment calculations, earn-out calculations and technical accounting papers, providing senior-level challenge and improving the quality of financial analysis.
• Provide finance leadership on acquisitions, restructurings, liquidations and dissolutions, helping ensure accounting impacts and reporting requirements are addressed.
• Develop team capability through coaching, guidance and performance management, supporting consistent delivery across an offshore team.

Career break

(2025-01 - 2025-11)

Looking after my son and completing DIY projects

Associate Director – Client Accounting & Reporting - ESR Europe (previously ARA Europe)

(2022-02 - 2024-12)

• Helped build the real estate accounting team while delivering acquisitions, mergers and a major fund restructuring, combining operational leadership with transaction support.
• Led financial reporting and fund administration across complex UK and European real estate structures, maintaining reporting quality across multiple jurisdictions and GAAPs.
• Delivered quarterly management accounts and annual financial statements under IFRS, FRS 102 and Luxembourg GAAP, providing reliable information for boards and stakeholders.
• Presented board-level accounts, cash-flow forecasts and distribution projections, translating financial performance into information to support investment, funding and distribution decisions.
• Led year-end audit delivery, coordinating stakeholders and resolving queries to achieve timely completion and compliance with relevant standards.
• Reviewed forecasting models, bank covenant reporting, VAT/CIS returns and transaction calculations, strengthening financial oversight and management information.
• Supported new bank debt through financial due diligence and provision of financial information, helping management assess funding requirements and transaction readiness.
• Managed banks, clients and external service providers, including appointments, fee negotiations and service-level agreements, strengthening service accountability and commercial oversight.

Career break

(2021-08 - 2022-01)

Looking after my son and completing DIY projects

Senior Manager – Real Estate Financial Operations - Aberdeen Standard Investments (previously Standard Life Investments)

(2018 - 2021-07)

• Led and developed a six-person finance team, including three qualified accountants, with accountability for real estate financial operations and reporting delivery.
• Maintained robust monthly, quarterly and annual reporting across a diverse portfolio of real estate funds and investment structures.
• Led major finance operating-model changes following the Standard Life Investments / Aberdeen Asset Management merger, including migration of the source accounting ledger from Agresso to Horizon and outsourcing of accounts payable and receivable.
• Strengthened controls and processes during significant organisational change, helping maintain reporting continuity while responsibilities, systems and service models changed.
• Presented board-level accounts, cash-flow forecasts and fund models, turning financial performance and forecast information into decision-useful insight.
• Oversaw audit delivery, balance-sheet reconciliations, month-end close, VAT/CIS, fair-value calculations, acquisition/disposal calculations, daily pricing and FCA liquidity reporting.
• Supported development of new and existing funds and the finance systems and processes needed to operate them effectively.

Finance Manager – Real Estate Specialist Funds - Aberdeen Standard Investments

(2012 - 2018)

• Managed a team of three qualified accountants and led financial reporting across a varied portfolio of real estate funds.
• Led financial accounting for real estate debt funds, including loan fair-value calculations, quarterly sensitivity analysis and KPI reporting for the Fair Value Pricing Committee.
• Produced and presented board accounts, cash-flow forecasts and fund-level forecasts, giving senior management and boards visibility over performance and future funding requirements.
• Managed year-end audit delivery and maintained compliance with applicable accounting standards across the funds within the team.
• Used fund-level forecasting and analysis to support strategic decision-making by senior management and board members.

Fund Accountant - Aberdeen Standard Investments

(2007 - 2012)

• Produced consolidated monthly and quarterly accounts for complex UK and European real estate structures, building the technical and reporting foundation for progression into finance management.
• Developed cash-flow forecasting and supported annual financial statements and audit delivery across Guernsey and UK structures.
• Trained European outsourced accountants on reporting requirements and processes, enabling effective consolidation by the Edinburgh fund accounting team.
• Provided client and fund-manager reporting across recurring and ad-hoc information requirements.

Finance Assistant / Purchase Ledger Assistant / Accounts Payable Assistant

(1991 - 2007)

Earlier career

• Built a broad finance foundation across transaction processing, accounts payable and financial operations before progressing into fund accounting and management roles.

BSc (Hons) - Applied Accounting - Oxford Brookes University (2013)