Ref: FYF-JM-070

Jess

Finance Director (FD)

📍

North West

Roles Available

Finance Director

Expertise

Board Meeting
Commercial Analysis / Strategy
Finance Strategy
Forecasting
Growth Strategy
Operations Strategy

Introduction

I work with business owners whose recent growth has outpaced their internal reporting, leaving them exposed in conversations they need to win. I diagnose what's actually causing the problem and transform the reporting and the narrative around it so that the real story of the business is visible, defensible and clearly told. The result is business owners who understand their numbers, trust them, and can stand behind them confidently with whoever needs to hear it. I do this through Cairn Insight Consulting, working on a fractional basis with established, owner-managed businesses, typically on a 1-2 days per week retainer or day rate and usually across a mix of hands-on reporting work and senior advisory.

Key Achievements

Led end-to-end restructure of 26-person finance function, introducing new leadership layers and a business partnering model, resulting in improved team engagement and driving real momentum for finance transformation, alongside approval and initiation for £2m finance systems transformation project. Delivered 30-year business plan and half-year refresh, achieving board and regulator assurance with scenario planning, stress testing and funder engagement. Established finance infrastructure for a new £600m turnover business, including SAP system design, offshore team integration, and policy creation to support TUPE transition and operational scale-up.

Qualifications

ACCA Fellow IFA Fellow BSc (Hons) Mathematics