Fiona MacCarthy

Mobile: +44 (0) 7789 801 816    Email: fiona@fionamaccarthy.com

Professional Profile.

A versatile, accomplished and commercially astute Chartered Accountant with extensive experience providing strategic financial planning and management accounting advice leading to maximising revenue and cost savings across industry and sector.

•Dynamic, results and target focused professional.

•Relied upon by senior colleagues to improve performance & orchestrate seamless operational efficiency.

•Expert at nurturing key client and stakeholder relationships.

•Calmly meeting deadlines under pressure.

•Providing complex, clear financial details to non-financial people.

•Thrives on unifying diverse groups across specialties’.

•Building, leading and inspiring others to achieve their highest potential working together as a productive and cohesive team.

•Expertise in multi-year forecasting and budget modelling.

•Competent at cash management including renegotiation facilities with finance providers/ suppliers.

•Experienced in optimising Working Capital.

•Capital spend planning, forecasting and control.

•Implementing financial controls and systems resulting in successful business transformation.

•Experienced in delivering full lifecycle project management in diverse multi-cultural environments.

Industries & Sectors.

Social Housing / Property Management.Outsourcing    Education & Health Wholesale /

Retail Consumer Goods           Manufacturing and Packaging     Private Public Partnership / Charity

AutomotiveConstruction              Sustainable Support Services

Key Achievements

•Project managed Oracle R12 Finance systems upgrade through to successful completion

•Delivered improvements to outsourced payroll services to European operations of P&G using global resources.

•Regularisation of 5yr reconciliation process for a £70m pa account allowing the company to receive a 7figure write-back.

•Financial Lead for new Open Contractor system to enhance operational and financial management of a £5.6m maintenance business.

•Designed budget models for complex Group £600m t/o, pre LSE listing.

Career history

Interim Accountant. (Interim Contract)         NHS: QE Hospital Gateshead       July 2015- December 2015

•Providing support to Financial Management team (Surgical & Medical) during a period of change.

•Investigating a complex 3rd party contract, identifying process weaknesses, and implementing new mechanism for improved cost recoveries within contract.

•Investigating the causes of a problem in Purchase accruals (Oracle Payables), developing solutions, making recommendations & follow through to resolution.

•Investigating accounting processes for lease & maintenance contracts, identifying operational issues and recommending process improvements with follow through to implementation.

•Investigating existing GL cost coding utilisation and making recommendation to improve reporting potential using Oracle GL.

Interim Accountant. (18 month Contract)               University of Sunderland             Nov 2013 – May 2015

•Central finance lead for a portfolio of Service Departments and 2 Faculties with total t/o £55m pa approx. with 4 direct reports.

•Project managed Oracle R12 Finance systems upgrade. Led cross function team of 20 in testing including extensive report customisation. Project impacted 45 Finance users plus app 100 non Finance. Reported to Project oversight committee on progress through to successful completion.

•Implemented new processes to enable reporting on Profitability by Building across Campuses. (Critical input for Business Planning).

•Significantly improved financial reporting on Residencies (£5m t/o).

•Finance lead on a portfolio of Commercial projects working closely with Head of Commercial Services.

Project Manager (Contract) IBM, Newcastle                                           Mar 2011 – Aug 2013

•Appointed to manage a portfolio of projects, improve client communication and deliver improvements to payroll services to European operations using global resources.

•Reported to senior management & client on project performance; identified improvement opportunities; planned and set priorities in a complex environment.

•Delivered project successfully across all objectives and received client commendation.

•Key Client: P&G Belgium with 7 legal entities and 3.5k employees with a project value of circa £230k.

Governance Accountant (Contract)                                    IBM, Newcastle              Oct 2009 – Feb 2011

•Selected as Special Project Team member within the Governance function providing payroll services to Procter & Gamble.

•Led regularisation of 5yr reconciliation process for a £70m pa account allowing the company to receive a 7figure write-back.

•Worked with complex processes across countries; improved understanding, identified weaknesses and opportunities, designed proposals for improvements, made recommendations to senior management followed by implementation,

•Follow-up review and continuous improvement.

Finance Manager (Contract)      Milecastle Housing Ltd. (Isos Group), Newcastle   Decc 2007 – Jun 2009

•Acted as Financial Lead defining requirements for new Open Contractor system to enhance operational and financial management of a £5.6m maintenance business.

•Defined reporting templates, leveraging opportunity to maximise business benefits of new system.

•Recognised by Board Chair for ability to portray complex financial information in an easily understandable format.

•Supported internal stakeholders to ensure the financial success of a £12m operation with 100 staff.

•Produced statutory accounts (2 year-ends), monthly management accounts, quarterly and rolling forecasts, annual budgets, strategic business plans including 30-year forecast and regulatory returns.

•Provided extensive financial input to sensitive re-organisation project involving an in-house building services operation.

•Enhanced cash planning and forecasting for short and medium term.

Management Accountant (Contract)               Grainger plc, Newcastle                          Jul 2007 – Dec 2007

•Key player in the Equity Release division, managing financial operations during and following period of major growth.

•Managed monthly and year-end (Sept. ‘07) accounts with book value assets of £400m+.

•Coordinated, submitted and liaised with group finance and Excel model development team to ensure the successful production of the divisional budget.

Group Accountant (Contract)              Eaga plc (Carillion Group), Newcastle              Aug 2005 – Jun 2007

•Championed the design and development of group budget models to facilitate consolidation of group budgets. New models incorporated 8 operating divisions, recognised by the Board as the “best budget” ever presented. Supported the Group Financial Controller with development of new monthly reporting framework to enhance internal reporting in the run up to LSE listing.

•Selected initially for operational finance and following success, selected for renewal and interim position in group finance, consolidating monthly accounts for departments and legal entities (70 BU across 24 LE. £600m pa group).

•Developed new group budget models using Excel supporting rapid business growth and in line with requirements for LSE listing.

•Project managed reconciliation of a backlog of bank and general ledger reconciliations across 90 schemes.

Accountant (Contract)              Angel Foundation, Sunderland                                                   2004-2005

•Project managed introduction of new computerised accounting system and identified significant issues with cost and functionality of existing system.

•Captured business requirements and authored business case for replacement, accepted by the Board.

•Led the seamless integration and migration of information to new system.

•Led, motivated and developed a team of 3, delivering timely statutory and monthly management accounts for international charity/television producer.

•Enhanced cash planning. Negotiated with key suppliers a temporary re-scheduling payment commitments to align with receipt of donations.

Education and Professional Qualification.

•Project Management.                 IBM

•Chartered Accountant (First time passes, 1st place FE1)          Ireland

•Member of the Irish Institute of Chartered Accountants.

•Leaving Certificate (equivalent to A Levels).                   Waterpark Secondary School, Waterford, Ireland

•Fluent in English with elementary French.

IT / Computer:  MS Office Suite (advanced Excel pivot tables & lookups), Sage Payroll 50 / 500, Access Accounting, Citrix, Oracle, SAP (GL & Payroll)

Personal:  Have lived and worked in Africa and prepared to travel within and outside UK.