Global financial executive with expertise in Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures and Greenfield start-ups in US, Europe and Asia. Superb post-acquisition integration skills creating profit generating companies producing over $2B sales revenue in six major business sectors in 20 counties. UK Chartered Accountant with affiliated membership of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. British citizen & USA Green Card holder.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Vice President Finance & Business Development. 2001 Present
Responsible for global financial management, information technology, cost control, operations analyses and planning of an international company with sales revenue exceeding $1 billion. The organization comprises 29 companies operating in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Sweden, China and Thailand.
Position Focus
Recruited into company to ensure profitable growth and establish global presence. Under my financial leadership the company transitioned into a $1bn global supplier within a highly competitive industrial sector, culminating in a successful public listing.
Achievements
Led the pre and post management of six acquisitions, encompassing ten companies with annual sales revenue of $400m. Initiated, managed and implemented radical financial management and control integration process with the outcome of improved profit performance.
Finance lead in the formulation and implementation of a global restructuring plan which reduced costs, simplified structures and closed uncompetitive capacity. This performance turnaround ensured profitable business growth during a period of rising raw material prices, over capacity and market pressures.
Implemented shared services operation in the USA for Finance, Purchasing, Customer Service and I.T. Achieved $5m annual cost saving in overheads through elimination of work flow duplication and reduction in transactional processing.
Led organizational design conversion from multi system environment through to a single integrated ERP platform which improved production planning, control, reporting, customer services and asset utilization. Reduced working capital requirements by $10m together with an annual cost reduction of $5m.
Established a capital expenditure prioritization and control process which ensured project justifications were realistic and consistent with short and long term company objectives.
Managed the global conversion of financial reporting on three continents to reflect the recent adoption of the International Accounting Standards. Designed and organized international training programs for accountants from 12 countries in the new accounting standards.
Finance leader of team that established a fully owned green field operation in China which resulted in current annual revenue of $50m and double digit ROS % from a base of zero in three years.
Supplemented company P & L reporting with profitability by customer, product range and business sector utilizing activity based costing techniques. Attention was focused on the underlying drivers of overhead cost and highlighted those products requiring additional work, design, marketing and customer service.
Finance Director - Aviation Sector 1997 2001
Responsible to Operations Director for planning and implementing a number of key strategic initiatives during a transformational period for this $3 billion international company.
Position Focus
Assigned into this specific role to ensure strong financial leadership to a number of specific assignments following the strategic decision by the group to focus on two core business divisions.
Achievements
Implemented profit improvement program and regular financial performance review process to proactively drive short term and long term profit targets. Strategy created a focused profit and cash aware organization consistently achieving year on year improvement in key financial parameters.
Instrumental in leading the successful divesture of non core divisions from the group, following a critical analysis of the financial performance, technologies, capabilities, capacities and strategic options. Proceeds from the sale exceeded ensuring funds were available for investment in the remaining two core businesses.
Led financial team in the post management integration of eight international acquisitions and the consequential management of change to ensure financial expectations were delivered. Established a sound internal due diligence and strong post management integration process, ensuring profitable and controlled growth outcomes.
Finance lead in a due diligence team that provided evidence to support negotiations regarding a significant reduction in the asking price of an acquisition.
Divisional Finance Director Automotive Sector 1992 1997
Responsible for financial management and control of this $600m global company supplying automotive components. Led and managed financial aspect of operations in the UK, USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Sweden.
Position Focus
Recruited to identify and initiate financial performance improvements in the highly competitive automotive sector. Remit achieved resulting in year on year profit improvements and the company being sold for $750m.
Achievements
Finance lead in the planning and implementation of a global restructuring plan resulting in greater asset utilization through site consolidation, headcount reduction in excess of 600 and closure of five low profit margin international plants contributed to turnaround. (UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada). This performance turnaround increased company operating profit to over 12% ROS and significantly improved free cash flow.
Implemented and managed overhead cost control process which resulted in 10% reduction of non payroll overheads.
Finance leader of team that established green field operations in the USA.
Established a cost accounting system that greatly increased the accuracy of product cost reporting and provided significant savings through greater visibility of product profitability.
Implemented Hyperion financial consolidation software; accelerated business unit closing reporting reducing monthly closing cycle by four days. Strategy ensured more time for operational analyses thus allowing the finance function to be more of a value-adding contributor to the business
Divisional Finance Director - Electronics Sector 1986 - 1992
A $600m electronic systems company operating in the USA, UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Australia.
Recruited to introduce commercial awareness, create a tight financially controlled environment, initiate profit and gearing improvements, and build a robust information management reporting system in a strong technical but commercially naive company transitioning from a cost plus to fixed selling price environment.
Achievements
Reduced borrowings through introduction of effective management of Working Capital, resulting in a 25% reduction in Receivables and Inventory. Instrumental in the successful completion of a $50m disposal of a non-core business during a critical stage of the companys history.
Finance leader of the senior management team responsible for introducing Total Quality Management (Crosby); identified organization and production inefficiencies and implemented strategies that resulted in a 20% improvement in profit performance and transformation to a cash aware organization.
Successfully decentralized the accounting analysis and control to business units heightening the finance functions commercial awareness and improving the financial proficiency and accountability of business managers. Launched and conducted financial awareness training courses and established monthly business reviews which included key tasks to achieve plan. These actions resulted in the creation of a focused profit and cash aware organization and were a key contributor to the company achieving a 15% operating profit improvement year on year in an increasingly competitive and demanding market
Designed, built and implemented systematic planning and reporting systems linking long term and short term goals to daily performance metrics; processes effectively aligned all functions on common goals.
Financial Controller - Engineering Sector 1982 1986
A UK top 100 conglomerate holding company.
Financial responsibility of $300m engineering group comprising six multi site companies. Recruited to improve cost controls and assist with change management following acquisitions.
Achievements
Established pricing policy and introduced a contract costing system for a successful new product range which achieved sales growth of $20m in first year of operations.
Developed, implemented and managed the merger of two major businesses resulting in 40% reduction in cost base in one year.
EARLIER CAREER HISTORY
Positions included: Finance Manager & Cost Controller of a Construction company for 6 years and 3 years with a major public accounting practice.
EDUCATION
BA (Hons) Business Studies (Leeds University - UK)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Fellow - Institute of Chartered Management Accountants. (FCMA)
Associate - Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales. (ACA)
International Affiliate - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. |
