• A strategically and operationally oriented ex FTSE 250 Finance Director, with considerable UK and US listed company, private equity and international exposure. I have significant experience in transforming finance departments, acquisition planning, negotiation and integration, disposals, tax, treasury, financial controls and shareholder communications.
• Enjoys being a change agent having radically transformed the finance departments at 19 Entertainment, the Engine Group and Bell Pottinger.
• A clear commitment to excellent customer service to the operations, with a proven track record in gaining buy-in from operational management, achieved via an empathetic approach and a detailed knowledge and understanding of the business.
• A highly motivated, loyal and enthusiastic team player, who balances the needs of the business with giving a clear commitment to coaching the best out of his team.
• Successful track-record in cost reduction whilst at the same time focusing resources on the business priorities.
CFO @ Following a profit warning the previous CFO resigned and I was appointed as Interim CFO to provide reassurance to the Board and shareholders with regards to the control environment for this US based PR and Communications agency group. The role was made permanent in March 2014. From November 2013 to Present (2 years 2 months) London, United KingdomNon-exec Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee @ I was recently appointed to the Board and as Chairman of the Audit Committee to this £100m market cap listed plc. The Group isevolving from a traditional bulk printing business into an integrated provider of personalised communication messages.
My role involves working closely with the Finance Director to ensure appropriate risk management and control processes are in place, alongside providing strategic insight to the Board. From July 2013 to Present (2 years 6 months) London, United KingdomInterim CFO @ I was appointed Interim CFO for a six months contract following a profit warning in May 2013 and significant change in senior management. I have supported the ex Finance Director who was promoted to Interim CEO, provided leadership to the Finance, IT and Legal departments and reassured the Board and shareholders with regards to the long-term health and prospects for the Group.
My role has included overseeing the production of the year-end numbers and presenting them to the analysts and shareholders, project managing a bank re-financing and undertaking an audit of the Group's IT systems and processes.
A new CEO has been recently appointed and the ex CFO has reverted to his previous role so I left after four challenging and fulfilling months. From July 2013 to November 2013 (5 months) London, United KingdomInterim Finance Director @ I was brought in to help Bell Pottinger adjust to life as an independent PR agency following their demerger from Chime PLC. It has been a very hands-on role and initiatives undertaken have included a complete revamp of the people and systems in the finance department, introduction of a LLP corporate structure and an upgrade of the financial controls and reporting.
Achievements to date have included leading various cost saving intiatives which have saved 10%, £3m, on an annualised basis and improved working capital by £2m. From August 2012 to July 2013 (1 year) London, United KingdomFinance director @ Engine is the UK’s largest privately owned marketing services Group with operations in the UK, the US and China with over 800 employees.
During my time to date we have integrated and then streamlined the finance, IT and HR operations, completed five acquisitions in the UK, two in the US and one in mainland China.
HIG the US listed private equity group invested £32.5m in the business and we have undertaken two major bank re-financings.
Finally, the UK business was re-constituted as a partnership with considerable savings in employer’s NI and administration costs. I either led or was an integral part of each of these initiatives.
During my time at Engine I have enjoyed a close working relationship with each of our operational heads in the UK, the US and China and my opinion is welcomed on all key operational and strategic matters. From March 2010 to June 2012 (2 years 4 months) Finance Director @ 19 Entertainment was Simon Fuller’s global media and entertainment business, which produced two of the biggest TV brands in America, American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, and managed Sports, Music and Fashion personalities including David and Victoria Beckham, Andy Murray, Roland Mouret and Claudia Schiffer.
19 Entertainment’s operations were based predominantly in Los Angeles, New York and London and the Group was acquired by the US listed company, CKX inc, just before my arrival. This necessitated a transformation in the capabilities of the finance team to cope with the rigours of Sarbanes Oxley and timely and accurate quarterly financial reporting under US Gaap. This was successfully achieved by changing the accounting system, restructuring the team in London and building a finance team in Los Angeles from scratch.
During my four years at 19, I played a full part in driving the profitability of the Group from an estimated $20m in 2005 to over $80m in 2009, through fully exploiting the key brands 19 owned, rationalising the wide range of non-core projects the Group was involved in and by refocusing the group’s resources on properties of truly global potential. We also made a number of bolt-on acquisitions, the latest being the Storm modelling agency. From 2004 to 2010 (6 years) Finance Director @ Directly responsible to the Plc Board for the Group’s financial reporting, corporate communications (city relations, media, internal communications and regulatory), corporate governance and legal affairs and, alongside the other Group Directors, responsible for strategy and development and business performance.
During my eleven years at Capital Radio, the Group grew from two radio stations in London into a national broadcaster, with over twenty analogue stations and 60 digital stations throughout the UK. Following the nil-premium £500m merger with GWR, the enlarged Group had a 40% share of the UK commercial radio market. I was intimately involved in the 10 corporate transactions undertaken to achieve this scale, from target identification, through detailed planning and negotiation of the deals to the ultimate integration of the acquisitions. The GWR transaction included negotiating the raising of £190m of debt finance from Barclays and the disposal of a radio station based in Nottingham for £30m in cash.
I significantly enhanced the group’s capabilities in the areas of tax, credit control and treasury management. I oversaw a tight team of approximately 40 finance individuals who were respected for their knowledge and passion for the business. As a consequence of the close relationship with the sales department, the credit control team reduced debtor days by 10 to less than 32, the best in the industry.
I created an in-house tax department, which successfully managed PAYE and VAT inspections.
I was a trustee on the group’s two final salary pension schemes and I also chaired the trading board of our in-house charity, Help a London Child.
I enjoyed a 12 month stint as a non-executive director of GWR Plc, the publicly radio group, representing Capital’s then 20% shareholding in the business. From February 1994 to May 2005 (11 years 4 months)
Mathematics @ Cambridge University From 1980 to 1983 Maths, Maths and sciences @ Westminster School From 1975 to 1979 Peter Harris is skilled in: Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Reporting, Restructuring, Private Equity, Finance, Start-ups, Mergers, Strategic Planning, Strategy, Business Strategy, Integrated Marketing, Managerial Finance, Due Diligence, Internal Controls, Business Planning