CIMA-qualified Finance Manager with close to 10 years’ progressive experience built entirely within a large, complex retail group — spanning core accounting, FP&A, strategy, transformation, and working capital. A self-made finance professional who started as an apprentice, earned sponsorship through their CIMA qualification, and has consistently been recognised as top talent throughout their career.
Deliberately broad in their experience, having chosen roles that build commercial and strategic capability rather than staying in one lane — and it shows.
What makes them genuinely different:
- Started as a finance apprentice with no degree and worked up through every level — bringing a rare combination of technical grounding and genuine commercial instinct.
- Reported directly to Finance Director and Managing Director level throughout the latter stages of their career — board and investor-level exposure including production of exec presentations and board meeting content.
- Led financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and 3-year strategic planning for a mid-sized retail business within a major group structure.
- Financial lead on large-scale transformation programmes — from procurement and investment appraisal through to delivery and post-implementation review.
- Hands-on experience across a wide range of finance disciplines: FP&A, strategy, working capital, cashflow, margin, VAT, treasury, internal audit, and controls.
- Strong people leader — managed and developed teams of qualified accountants and analysts across multiple functions.
- Recognised by executive leadership with a Colleague of the Year award — standout for both performance and culture.
Best suited for: Finance Manager or Senior Finance Business Partner roles within an SME or mid-sized business where breadth matters as much as depth. The ideal hire for a business that wants someone commercially sharp, people-focused, and genuinely ambitious — who will grow with the organisation rather than just manage the numbers.
