Head of Corporate Finance (Acquisitions)

Profile.

Education / Qualification

Academy | Prince2 – Project Management Course – 2024

Samaritans | Level 2 Safeguarding Digital Topic: Recognise, Respond and Report – 2022

FLS | Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt – 2014

CIMA | Qualified as an Accountant – 2010

University| BSc 1st Class Honours in Business Studies with Financial Management – 2006                                                                                                                                  

Systems used

Microsoft word, Power Point, Excel

About

CIMA-qualified finance professional with over 15 years’ experience across business development and M&A. I’ve helped shape finance strategies that support business goals, identified and developed new growth opportunities, and played a key role in bringing acquisitions into different businesses. thrives in fast-paced, high-volume environments, working with busy teams to keep things moving and deliver results.

Competencies

People Leadership & Training

Business Development

Achievement of KPIs & Targets

Cross-functional Collaboration

M&A Management

Process Improvement

Relationship Building

Strategic Planning

Financial Reports

Career Summary.

Providing a range of transportation solutions including private hire, corporate travel, tourism, and scheduled services.

Currently in a senior leadership role overseeing the full acquisition lifecycle, from strategic sourcing right through to execution. Working closely with the Director of M&A and the executive board to lead on the deal origination, evaluation, and the successful transaction delivery. Works with internal stakeholders, external advisors, and the target companies to make sure they’re driving real value and that every deal aligns with our broader business strategy.

Key Responsibilities & Main Achievements:

• Scope and evaluate acquisition opportunities across the travel sector, including market mapping and initial screening
• Manage a live M&A pipeline, progressing opportunities from first contact through to completion
• Maintain close workings relationships with the operation teams with regular interaction and updates 
• Lead internal due diligence, covering commercial, operational, and strategic analysis
• Coordinate external legal, financial and compliance due diligence, acting as the central point between advisers and internal stakeholders
• Build investment appraisal models and valuation analysis to support board-level investment decisions
• Prepare board papers and presentations for transaction approval
• Support deal execution, including SPA negotiations and completion mechanics
• Supporting role in the successful integration of acquisitions
• GDPR group lead
• Project lead for the following work streams; the consolidation of group insurance, private hire costing models and policy updates and usage
• Successfully executed 6 acquisitions within 12 months totaling c£40m revenue (including one large acquisition divested from a larger group)
• Created a pipeline of opportunities, currently 15 live deals at various stages, EBITDA between £250k-£3.2m
• Appraised over 100 opportunities

Mid-sized private healthcare offering diagnostic, inpatient, day-case, and outpatient services across specialties like orthopedics and ENT.

Helped lead on the financial strategy, planning, and operations of the Hospital, working for the Hospital Director as part of the Senior Management Team to drive commercial and clinical excellence.

Key Responsibilities & Main Achievements:

• Lead on the capital investment projects to expand several departments within the Hospital
• Built relationships which helped educate Management about financial impacts of decision making
• Identification and control of cost on operations, within cataract procedures
• Securing funding for a specialist x-ray machine for the radiology department 
• Collaborate with the Hospital Director and SMT to develop and implement the hospital’s business strategy, translating plans into operational practice to meet P&L and working capital objectives
• Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting that supports decision-making
• Foster a commercial mindset across the hospital, encouraging innovation and continuous improvement
• Support business development initiatives
• Oversee the collection and delivery of accurate monthly performance data, ensuring systems and processes support robust management information
• Ensure efficient and profitable delivery of patient services

Key Responsibilities & Main Achievements:

• Creation of a finance team of 8, including both part-qualified and qualified members
• Supported the strategic plans and direction of the company
• Sourcing and implementation of finance, dentist pay and payroll systems
• Key support in the acquisition and integration of 25 dental practices
• Led and trained the finance team, ensuring the successful delivery of all set team targets
• Managed investor relations, including monthly board reporting and quarterly investor/bank reporting
• Managed relationships between the operations teams and finance, ensuring the sharing of relevant data in a timely manner; including monthly management accounts
• Provided financial training to Practice Managers and key leads within different departments
• On-site support for the first 10 acquisitions, whilst the finance and operations teams were being grown
• Reporting, budgeting, forecasting, handling cashflow, management recharges, supporting departments, and signing off on all capital projects
• Overall management of statutory accounts and audit for multiple Limited Companies/LLPs
• Integrated processes and procedures and creation of financial reports
• Sourced key suppliers, including negotiation of terms and contractual requirements
• Key contact for the 50/50 partnerships, assisting the principals in the running their practices by providing key financial information

Senior Manager Lead Generation and Integration

• Development of a balance score card to assess new acquisition opportunities within the market; aligning to business and operational needs
• Maintenance of CRM system with key information on dental providers within the industry
• Reviewed, validated and made amendments to the historic integration process updating and streamlining the processes including building relationships with key stakeholders
• Strengthening relationships with potential sellers and brokers as a result of consistent communication
• Management of the full practice scoping and analysis including practice valuation
• Managing the relationship with the Director of Regions and Area Managers
• Managing relationships with newly acquired practices, including being on-site as and when required
• Produced executive reports, board reports, target analysis and growth models whenever required

Business Development Manager/Tender Manager                                                              

A varied role, leading the tendering of new contracts, defending existing contracts, rationalization of practices including the sale of those that sat outside the business strategy. Heavily involved in the creation of a Target Operating Model which was used by the executive team to go out to market for reinvestment.

• Led the national orthodontic procurement process focusing on direct executive team relationships, strategy development, project planning, practice visits, presentations and document review
• Subject matter expert in the creation of a Target Operating Model
• Led on flexible commissioning in the Northeast, converting a number of contracts to offer oral health in exchange for a partial reduction in UDAs
• Collation of Tender documents including liaising with key stakeholders to ensure subject matter experts were used in the writing of the bids, ensuring full sign-off from the board and submission of bids
• Evaluated, planned and tracked loss-making sites; presented disposal business plans to management
• Managed the sale process via PFM, from initial valuation to sales, including managing the relationship and viewings by potential buyers
• Managed the closure of practices, including working with contract managers to ensure the transfer of patient data back to the NHS or identified providers
• Managed the tendering for new specialist services, and new business opportunities, including the modelling and presentation of these opportunities to the Operations and Executive teams
• Contract mobilization and de-mobilization, where applicable
• Led a core team of 8 to regularly deliver key projects; reported directly to the Managing Director
• Undertaking additional duties such as identifying sites, scoping best practices, introducing reviews, reviewing specialist contracts, facilitating the renegotiation of contract value and handling best practices
• Involvement in key business projects, including technological innovations within the private & specialist team

Corporate Analyst (Acquisitions)                                                                                                  

Reported to the Executive Director of Acquisitions; worked closely with a team split into 3 areas; Acquisitions (including Lead Generation), Due Diligence and Integration providing key financial assistants in each stage of the acquisitions process. During the three years we acquired in the region of 150 practices over 100 transactions. Average EBITDA between £200k-£350k. M&A within {my}dentist was put on hold in 2017 and restarted partially in 2020.  

• Assessed the acquisition pipeline and presented key KPIs to the board of directors
• Responsibility for the financial model used in practice valuations, including working closely with Finance to ensure all models aligned with current business KPIs
• Reviewed all financial due diligence and maintained the due diligence pack structure
• Attended investment committee meetings, taking actions, outcomes and next steps
• Provided and reviewed all financial integration templates to collate open courses, NHS income splits, bad debt, invoices, salary splits and standing orders on acquisition
• Carried out post-acquisition reviews on practice performance
• Completed specialist projects, including analysis and review of other business sectors, e.g. veterinary

Finance Business Partner                                                                                                          

Working within the finance team, reporting to the Finance Director, with the responsibility of managing an assistant management accountant

• Production of key Operational reports, including P&L, budgets and forecasting
• Attended area meetings, reporting on practice performance, highlighting potential issues
• P&L trainer; finance for non-finance
• Production and analysis of central office spend, assisting heads of department in managing their financial responsibilities
• Finance project lead, including assisting in the automation of banking control and the implementation of a purchase to pay system