Ian Oldham
Background
Ian is an experienced senior manager/financial controller focussed on providing support across all disciplines to Business Owners/Managers and their teams. He qualified with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and initially worked in Europe and South Africa. In Australia for the last 24 years he continued to build a solid experience with major corporates/multinationals and in the last 10 years has specialised in supporting SMEs through startup and critical growth stages, as well as planned exits. As an experienced Financial Controller/CFO he has also worked in Customer Service, Distribution, Information Technology and HR.
Testimonials
“Ian understands the myriad of pressures and competing priorities that make life difficult for an SME owner. He adds value by quickly understanding the financial idiosyncrasies and placing them in a practical context that the owner can understand and act upon” SH, Canberra
“Ian is determined, methodical, disciplined and focussed. He has extensive experience covering not only accounting but IT, Strategy and Organisation” EC, Sydney
“Ian understands business ethics, KPIs and client requirements/market conditions very well and is able to communicate these in simple terms” NS, Sydney
Core skills and personal experience
- Implementing and improving management reporting systems to ensure that businesses can make informed financial and business systems at the right time
- Working with Business Owners/Managers and their teams to improve understanding of business drivers and Key Performance Indicators and in turn facilitate improvements in profit, cash flow and long term growth
- Improvements in operational and production computer systems to better meet customer requirements and measure service performance and thereby increase revenues
- Supporting Business Owners/Managers in profitably adapting to change and planning for the future
- Standardising operational and reporting procedures across multiple similar business units in order to provide comparative benchmarking and improve overall profitability
- Supporting the business management and documentation needs associated with obtaining and managing loan and equity finance and business disposals.
Industry experience, including
- Publishing
- Printing (conventional and digital) and Content Management
- Transport, Warehousing and Logistics
- Financial Services
- Direct Marketing
- Membership Based Businesses
- Internet Business Services
What is a CFO – Chief Financial Officer?
You have a bookkeeper to process your paperwork and give you reports each month. You have a tax accountant to tell you how the last year went and lodge your returns with the ATO. But you also need financial advice that looks forwards not backwards, that looks well beyond the numbers to find opportunities for improvement and growth.
A CFO will focus on how efficiently a business is operating by looking at the numbers in conjunction with all other operating practices and performance. In doing so they are able to guide the business to ensure that financial performance matches the vision and aspirations of the business owner. Putting sound financial controls in place will ensure that growth is successful and profitable. A good CFO can substantially improve a business’s bottom line.
A CFO, even a part time one, can share the load of the astute but busy business owner and free them up to focus on areas of the business that match their knowledge and strengths. Experience shows that businesses need this expertise before they can justify a full time role.