Expert Details
Financial Management, Business Processes, Innovative Problem Solving, Bank relationships
ID: 730139
United Kingdom
officer for one of the largest industry wide pension scheme in the world, with over 350 participating employers. His experience covers the depth and breath of business financial management and working as
a business partner to his CEO's and other senior executives. This has involved the training and development of teams, and is experienced at providing "fit for purpose", finance and other operational
functions including compliance and risk management. Mostly recently this has involved working with major advisory firms in putting in place a ground breaking £408m deficit collection programme, including
negotiating credit terms and contingent asset support from a wide range of participating employers.
Expert has over 25 years of work experience of which the past 10 years have been at Finance Director level. This has covered the operational and strategic management of a number of businesses including
one that more than doubled in size through a number of successful acquisitions and organic growth to £50m over a three year period. Most recently being interim Chief Financial Officer of a complex industry
wide multi-employer (350 plus) £3billion pension fund, where amongst other requirements he successfully worked with well known senior advisors to put in place a ground breaking £408m deficit collection
programme including assessment of employer covenants and leading negotiations at board and shareholder level. Expert has developed and implemented financial controls, including "fit for purpose"
finance and other operational teams. He has successfully controlled the cash and financial management of a number of separate businesses. In his career Expert has implemented a tight control
environment over the handling of client monies under a number of different regulatory regimes.
Expert has been involved with a business that had merged with another, and the merged business needed expertise in both integration and improvement of financial processes at a time of difficult industry market conditions
which lead to a crisis within the business own cash flow. Expert as a result of previous experience was able to introduce improved financial control over both operational finance and client monies, including closing an office
and moving the finance function to a new location, along with the successful migration to a new accounting system. Expert successfully ensured appropriate cash management at a time of severe crisis for the business,
long beyond the bankers expectations of survival. Whilst leading re-financing negotiations in the event after these finished successfully managed an orderly break up of the firm to a number of successor businesses.
Expert has applied his accounting and operational experience to help in the design of new processes, most recently for a complex industry wide pension scheme which resulted in the successful underpinning of a £408m
deficit collection and employer credit assessment programme. Previously Expert has also successfully designed processes to allow the wind up of a corporate self-invested pension plan (SIPP), involving 3,500 members
and over 100 different investment funds.
He was consulted by another expert organisation to give an (confidential) insight into pensions for a private equity house looking into buying a particular company.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1985 | Degree: BA(HONS) | Subject: Accounting and Finance | Institution: University College of North Wales (Bangor) |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2010 to 2011 | Employer: Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund Trustees Limited | Title: Interim Chief Financial Officer | Department: Executive |
Responsibilities:Employed as the first appointee into a new position created to provide effective financial leadership and to contribute to the overall success of the Group in meeting its strategic objectives. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2009 to 2009 | Employer: Preference (SIPP) | Title: Project Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:Employed to complete the wind up of a corporate SIPP 'Preference', on behalf of the Operator, as required by the Financial Services Authority. This involved a full member and unit reconciliation going back over ten years, and involving over 100 investment funds. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2008 to 2009 | Employer: Bluefin Group | Title: Finance Director | Department: Finance |
Responsibilities:Persuaded to take on three new roles post the takeover by AXA of the SBJ Group Limited: Finance Directorships of the Bluefin Private Client(IFA), and Wealth Management Businesses, and Group Head of Management Information. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2008 | Employer: SBJ Benefit Consultants Limited | Title: Finance Director | Department: Finance |
Responsibilities:Responsible for the development of the financial management of the business, at a time of accelerating growth through a buy and build acquisition programme. Included compliance and risk management. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2002 to 2005 | Employer: Merricks LLP | Title: Finance Director | Department: Finance |
Responsibilities:He was the first appointee and responsible for the development of the financial control and management of the business, at a time of failed merger and resulting severe cash and business conditions. Later responsible for managing the orderly break up of the firm. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 2001 | Employer: W M Mercer Limited | Title: Group Manager | Department: Operations |
Responsibilities:Orignally joined Sedgwick as an Accounts clerk in 1987, worked up to Divisional Financial controller by 1997 and post the takeover of Sedgwick by Marsh in 1998, became a Group Manager in the Mercer Witham Division in 1999. |
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Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Led a mediation between my employer SBJ Benefit Consultants and a client in 2005. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Provided on the job training/mentoring over many years. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| Experience in turning around bank relationships leading to successful re-structuring of bank facility.Experience in selecting IT providers for accountancy software. Property searches. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| Over 25 years of experience within Financial Services, especially within the consultancy,advisory and pensions related arenas. Direct experience of dealing with clients, and senior level negotiations at board level. |
| Other Relevant Experience |
|---|
| Excellent at improving processes and problem solving, including for example turning around bank relationships enabling the successful re-structuring of loan facilities. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| French | He can speak very basic french, however ability to read and understand it, slightly better than basic. |