My Career Path
Some people drift into a job and make the most of the opportunities presented to them; others have a clear career strategy. My career has been a hybrid of making the most of the opportunities presented whilst having an underlying strategy that develops its own opportunities. On this page I am provide an insight into the reasons that lead to my decision to join the different organisations that have formed my career.
Please contact me to learn how I was able to achieve the objectives listed below.
Summary:
The story of my career is one of determination, and perseverance on the journey to achieve my full potential and exceed the restricted expectations that others have defined. Along the way I been there to help others, share my knowledge, learn from others, make good friendships and have fun.
The first 13 years of my working career was in a number of roles advancing through the Finance Department of GKN Axles (subsequently acquired by Dana Corporation and renamed Dana Spicer Europe) from entering as a Management Accounts Clerk through to becoming a Management Accountant. I achieved the successive promotions through a combination of hard work during the day and evening study of a BTEC National Certificate, BTEC Higher National Certificate culminating in a BA(Hons) Business Administration.
I entered the Finance function because I was naturally good at it arithmetic, analysing and reporting financial statements and using spreadsheets, although my real interest has been in the general management of organisations and be able to make decisions that have an impact on the whole organisation thereby adding value to all stakeholders. This is why the majority of my qualifications have subsequently included Finance whilst focusing on the wider elements of Management and Business Administration. A thorough understanding of Business Finance still remains at my core.
Personal development and continuous learning has always been important to me and a key driver for my current success. Indeed I am one of the few people you will see who has had such confidence in my own development and capabilities that I have invested OVER *£100,000 in my own educational and personal development. If an opportunity does not exist, I am not afraid to create an opportunity.
*HENLEY EXECUTIVE MBA:- £100,000 = £34,000 Course Fees, 15 months voluntary loss of salary, 15 months subsistence.
The Start Of The Journey:
Having been in the top 10% of my middle school, I found myself placed in the lower half of my first high school year. Although I made progress during the 3 years of high school I wasn't able to reach the academic level that I had achieved at middle school. Knowing that my abilities were far greater than my high school qualifications suggested, I continued my education at a Further Education College where I obtained a BTEC General Diploma in Business & Finance (equivalent to 4 O'levels). After a summer looking for work I started a Youth Training Scheme for 6 months until I my first full-time permanent job with GKN PLC at the Heavy Axles Factory in Leeds. From that moment onwards in chronological order (most recent first) the factors for each career decision are shown below.
Leaving Sally Beauty:
1) REASON: All of the objectives listed at the time of joining Sally Beauty had been achieved; although there was 1 country to migrate onto the new ERP system within mainland Europe.
2) REASON: Risk maturity of the European businesses had reached the same level as that of the North American business units therefore there was less of a need to have someone embedded within the business units. This combined with a change of strategy that focused upon organic growth rather than acquisitions which removed the need for integration of new acquisitions made it more effective to manage all internal audit operations from the Corporate office in Texas.
Having achieved all of these objectives, and without an opportunity to grow the function or develop, it was agreed that I would leave as part of the reorganisation to centralise the Internal Audit function.
Joining Sally Beauty:
1) OBJECTIVE: To develop the current Store Audit function into a Risk Based Store Audit in the UK and create a Store Audit function in the mainland European operations.
2) OBJECTIVE: To establish an Internal Audit function in one UK operation and the mainland European operations.
3) OBJECTIVE: To use my Corporate Finance and Strategy knowledge and experience to perform pre and post acquisition due diligence, and post acquisition integration work.
4) OBJECTIVE: To implement the comprehensive Sarbanes Oxley Compliance for all in-scope European entities.
5) OBJECTIVE: To learn the drivers and challenges of the Beauty sector and the retail industry in order to provide value to my stakeholders.
6) OBJECTIVE: To provide project governance and subject matter expertise on business transformation projects including outsourcing, and ERP introduction.
7) OBJECTIVE: To recruit and develop a team.
A career break to obtain a Henley MBA:
At a time of recession when professional services businesses were reducing the size of their teams; I had been retained by Grant Thornton and continued to have high utilisation percentage than many of my peers though the types of assignment were less challenging than previously and promotion opportunities were extremely limited.
1) OBJECTIVE: Faced with a virtual freeze on promotion and my ambition to continue to develop my career this was the ideal time to invest in myself for the future. I would then be equipped with better qualifications when the economy was back in growth.
2) OBJECTIVE: To have the opportunity to give something back to the community through working with the charitable sector.
3) OBJECTIVE: To improve my team working skills by working in non-hierarchical teams from diverse cultures and business sectors.
4) OBJECTIVE: To gain wider knowledge during the MBA through premier experiential learning from both faculty that were academics and practitioner consultants and members of the cohort with average managerial experience of over 15 years.
5) OBJECTIVE: To have the opportunity to re-connect with myself and take the opportunity to take time to enjoy many of the things that made me happy and the time to reflect on what was most important to me and how I wanted to spend my time in the future
6) OBJECTIVE: To achieve a superb qualification from a premier Business School rated in the top 1% of Business Schools Globally that have triple accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS, and AASCB) and that the research Excellence Framework rank in the top 10% for Internationally Excellent and World Leading Research..
7) OBJECTIVE: To improve the size and quality of my professional network
Joining Grant Thornton:
1) OBJECTIVE: To receive investment in personal development through being a 'profit generator' rather than a 'Cost Centre'. Previously when working in a non-core support function I had found personal development budgets were focused on operational functions or for trainee accountants within the finance functions.
2) OBJECTIVE: To complete last 2 stages of the 'Institute of Internal Auditors' professional qualification.
3) OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Internal Audit processes and techniques that I had previously learnt and followed in industry (which were the Institute of Internal Auditors Professional Guidance) were the very 'Best Practise'.
4) OBJECTIVE: To bring the knowledge and experience of the manufacturing sector that enable Grant Thornton Risk Management Services to enter this sector and obtain new clients.
5) OBJECTIVE: To learn all the multitasking skills needed to manage a portfolio of assignments and clients.
6) OBJECTIVE: To have the opportunity to manage, coach and develop larger teams both on assignments and within my client portfolio.
7) OBJECTIVE: To learn and practice the skills of commercial customer engagement and client management.
8) OBJECTIVE: To gain experience working within as many different business sectors as possible in addition to manufacturing.
9) OBJECTIVE: To spread my knowledge of end-to-end manufacturing business drivers throughout the department from trainee to partner level.
10) OBJECTIVE: To gain commercial skills of writing and presenting new business proposals and up selling to existing clients.
Joining Cinram:
1) OBJECTIVE: To establish the first Internal Audit function for Cinram within Europe.
2) OBJECTIVE: To learn the technical elements of Sarbanes Oxley that I had not previously been exposed to.
3) OBJECTIVE: To further develop my project management skills through ensuring that Cinram can comply with the Sarbanes Oxley Act within 15 months.
4) OBJECTIVE: To lead the implementation of Sarbanes Oxley in Europe.
5) OBJECTIVE: To recruit and develop an Internal Audit team.
6) OBJECTIVE: To learn the drivers and challenges of a different type of manufacturing business and the media sector
7) OBJECTIVE: To continue the opportunity to work in France and use my French language skills.
8) OBJECTIVE: To be able to work in Germany and with Germans and develop my German language skills
9) OBJECTIVE: be able to work in and with cross-functional teams in Canada and the USA.
Joining Dewhirst:
1) OBJECTIVE: To resurrect the dormant internal audit function and update its purpose to fit the new needs of the business from a PLC to private ownership.
2) OBJECTIVE: To expand my experience of the manufacturing sector into apparel and to work within and learn the drivers and challenges of the wholesale and retail sectors.
3) OBJECTIVE: To be given the opportunity to manage and run all aspect of the Internal Audit Department and report directly to the Audit Committee and the Board Of Directors.
4) OBJECTIVE: To work in a company with a different culture that has a majority of female employees rather than the majority of male employees encountered in the Engineering sector.
5) OBJECTIVE: To have the opportunity to apply my skills in countries and cultures in Africa and Asia that have different practices and religions.
6) OBJECTIVE: To continue to develop and apply my written and verbal communication skills in French within the North African operations.
Joining Dana Internal Audit:
1) OBJECTIVE: To make a move out of operational financial roles but still having exposure to the financial operations of the business.
2) OBJECTIVE: To learn the new skills required to perform audits, manage my time, develop client management and assertiveness skills.
3) OBJECTIVE: To learn how other business units operate across all of the European operations.
4) OBJECTIVE: To learn about Sarbanes Oxley, and work on projects to test the effectiveness of SOX controls.
5) OBJECTIVE: To continue to develop my French and German language skills.
6) OBJECTIVE: To work with the global audit team based in the Corporate Headquarters in Ohio.
Joining Dana Perfect Circle - Moving To France:
1) OBJECTIVE: To develop a single standard product costing system and stock valuation system for the merged operations of 2 businesses that provided engine products to automotive manufacturers.
2) OBJECTIVE: To provide the subject matter expertise in the product valuation and stock control of products produced in foundries and factories.
3) OBJECTIVE: To embark upon my first international assignment as an expatriate.
4) OBJECTIVE: To learn the customs and practices of working in France and to develop my verbal and written communication skills in French.
Joining GKN Axles / Dana Spicer Axles:
1) OBJECTIVE: To apply the finance and bookkeeping skills learnt at college.
2) OBJECTIVE: To join a company that had the capacity to offer a satisfying career.