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.
