Skills Description

Back to Home Page

Skill areas
Skills cover the full range of FD responsibilities, from hands-on data entry through to strategic matters, with emphasis on providing information to animate and control an organisation, facilitate decision making, reduce risks, and ensure regulatory compliance. In line positions I generally concentrate on the wealth-creating process, finding that the twin barrels of "building the systems - and growing the people" leads to superior organisational performance.

Reporting
Excellent skills in the basics of reporting - eg full financials on the first working day of each cycle. Experience of using information successfully to bring an organisation to have the highest ROI in its sector.

Significant IT skills
Strategic and hands-on, covering mainframes, mid-range, PC's and networks. As specifier, implementor, project manager, user. See separate schedule pp6 below for specific packages.

Systems Recovery Management
In collapsed accounts departments, or where there are large backlogs of transactions, take the senior Finance role and a Project Management one, until up-to-date processing & reporting is restored. Projects mix Accounting, IT issues (both technical and commercial) as well as Finance (nervous bank managers), and Organisational matters (staff are usually demoralised, decision processes often flawed). Over 25 such assignments completed, all successful.

Safe hands
This means that in every case I have succeeded where previously others have failed; or have led /coached to success, teams and individuals who had failed, until shown how to succeed.

Systems Installation
Almost all the above assignments involved installation or re-installation of software packages.

Modelling
The best Financial Modelling skills I have encountered. I combine Accounting, spreadsheet, and statistical techniques, to integrate P & L, cashflow, balance sheet, key ratios, etc. Used as part of forecasting in routine control cycles, these models can become the keystone of the company control system. Useable also for project evaluation, bank borrowing, etc. Experience in physical modelling eg of engineering production processes.

Charting
Expert at flowcharting using manual and computer packages, and several conventions. For process mapping, BPR, clerical efficiency, systems documentation, auditing, Workflo etc

Innovations - track record of innovation for competitive advantage eg.
Debugged and developed an accounts package in a software house, installed it, then sold it to House clients
Developed comprehensive report generator integrated to ledgers, years before such facilities became common. Made finalising accounts elementary.
Introduced B/Ledger register in 1985, 3 years before Tetra issued theirs. Cut days off accruals & reporting.
Developed concept of Document Image Processing as the next competitive advance. Novel approach ensured suppliers tendered on basis of cost, not portrayed benefits, earning their (rueful?) congratulations.
Proposed "account popping" for a Call Centre in 1990/91, at the advent of clients ISDN facilities.

Manufacturing and Supply-Chain
Skills in MRP and related production control techniques, especially where linked to the accounting side (hence costing systems including ABC, pricing, stock control etc). I think optimising factories one of the more interesting management problems. Worked extensively in the courier and express parcels industry, and so have good exposure to the logistics area allied to excellent personal customer service skills.

Project Management
Most Systems Recovery Management assignments need an element of project management. I have special techniques for these. Track record demonstrates ability to run difficult situations under constraints.

Organisational
Experience in a large number of organisations, in manufacturing and services, from heavily unionised to very entrepreneurial, and some of the fastest growing businesses in the country. The advantage of working as a line member of, rather than consultant to, many management teams. Record of leading individuals and departments through periods of difficulty and change. Significant experience of what makes for effective results - at all levels from overall culture, through administration, to dealing with individuals.
Again, for Systems Recovery Management situations I have evolved specialised approaches for hiring and handling the large teams sometimes needed.
A specialism is the transfer of experience in mature blue-chip firms with established, proven, high quality systems of management, to new fast growth organisations. Utilising this experience can shorten learning curves, reduce risks, eliminate the wrong turnings companies can take when they develop policies in-house.

Commercial
Wide experience of contractual matters, buying and negotiation, and a large range of useful contacts.

Software Experience includes
For full list, please click here.

General
At one time I claimed programming skills. I have worked in many areas of the IT industry, for VARS, distributors, software houses and hardware manufacturers. I relate well to technical people, and can get the best from them. From these exposures I have gained excellent experience of the factors which drive the economics and technologies of the industry, and of the