We monitor and post transactions to help ensure the company’s incomings and outgoings are accurately and appropriately recorded, and treated in accordance with the appropriate accounting technical guidance. We also collate and summarise these transactions so that we can report externally, to the public markets and our regulators on the financial performance and soundness of the company.

We act as a trusted and knowledgeable service function to business and to management. We work collaboratively with business areas to craft and agree financial budgets, prepare forecasts and deliver sensitivities to accountable executives and leaders, and for the Group boards. We prepare action-focussed reporting on financial performance against targets and work with the business to identify opportunities to improve financial performance.

We review and challenge day to day decision making, providing advice to dozens of senior management meetings. We support the business as partners and advisers in crafting business cases, ensuring that change delivers the best value for the Group. We also offer independent insight into risks to these plans to ensure decision making is well-informed. We support the business in monitoring benefits and costs from projects throughout delivery.

We support the company’s daily transactions through five teams: banking, payables and receivables, sales ledger and reconciliation, purchasing and purchasing ledger.

As well as reporting the half year and annual results and communicating with external stakeholders, we handle technical accounting issues such as the application of accounting policies.

We maintain all of the key finance systems to ensure they run smoothly, troubleshooting and fixing problems when they occur. This includes upgrading and developing the systems to accommodate changing requirements and continuous improvement. This often involves defining user requirements, working with other teams across the organisation and then testing systems changes prior to launch.

From dealing with tax returns to monitoring tax changes and their potential impact and liaising with HMRC, we handle all tax matters. These include ensuring that we comply with all legal requirements, both in the UK and in other countries where we operate, and collect and remit taxes on behalf of the relevant tax authorities.

We manage the company’s banking relationships and treasury activities, always making sure that there is enough cash in order to meet the company’s obligations. As part of this, we allocate the excess funds that we have between banks and other counterparties, always ensuring that monies are safe, earn an appropriate rate of interest and are accessible. We oversee the main cash payment and receipt processes throughout the company and keep detailed cash flow forecasts, ensuring that there is sufficient cash flow to meet the working capital needs of the business.

As a public limited company, our shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. This gives us an obligation to publically report our financial results on at least a half year and annual basis. We also communicate with market analysts that follow our results and with current and potential investors, providing analysis and responding to enquiries regarding our financial performance.