Awards

Throughout her 10-year career in finance, she has experienced both FTSE 100 companies and SME’s which has led to extensive skills in management accounting and driving process improvements. As a strong communicator, she has a wealth of leadership and business partnering skills.

Samina is a bubbly individual and enjoys mountain biking. She has previously been chosen to represent CIMA on International Women’s Day and the Young Professional’s Webinar Panel.

David Williams qualified in 2009 and is now a proud Fellow of CIMA. David is currently the VP of Finance & Corporate Services at Hartlepool College as well Trustee Treasurer of Teesside MIND, where he is a champion and ambassador for mental health. David is a strong advocate of personal, professional and workforce development.

One of the core tenets at the college is to “strive to improve yourself and others”, and he is honoured to be involved in the rising star of the year category, recognising the amazing finance leaders of the future.

Nick leads the transactional, banking and process finance teams within Marshalls plc having joined them in 2019, in addition he leads their internal controls work. Prior to Marshalls plc, he held senior finance roles in FTSE 100 companies across, FMCG, Oil & Gas, Media and Consulting. He has experience in transformational change programmes including ERP implementations and process improvement, outsourcing and offshoring, business disposal and Sarbanes-Oxley implementation.

Outside of work Nick has been an active member of the CIMA North West England & North Wales Learning, Education & Development Committee for several years and joined the Area Board in 2022.

Fred has built his career in finance across 3 global FMCG companies (Gillette, Procter & Gamble & Coty), both in the UK and internationally. He gained experience across functional areas in roles of increasing seniority, including positions as CFO of a market & region, and he now leads the global Finance SSC operations and transformation projects. He has a track record of strong commercial partnerships, driving improved profitability and cash results, as well as leading transformation & strategy development. He has a passion for developing talent through building high-performing teams and coaching and mentoring individuals to achieve their career goals.

Starting out in practice as an apprentice Accountant straight from school, Neil Douglass wanted a role within industry, so he progressed through CIMA and qualified in 2005. Neil moved to RENOLIT the same year as a Management Accountant and has progressed to a Board role with responsibility for Finance, IT, Purchasing and Logistics. The has seen him lead projects that replaced our ERP system with SAP and a new MES system.

RENOLIT currently embraces new digital tools and rolling solutions out across the site which has seen valuable new insights into their processes along with exciting opportunities being discovered.

Nick leads the transactional, banking and process finance teams within Marshalls plc having joined them in 2019, in addition he leads their internal controls work. Prior to Marshalls plc, he held senior finance roles in FTSE 100 companies across, FMCG, Oil & Gas, Media and Consulting. He has experience in transformational change programmes including ERP implementations and process improvement, outsourcing and offshoring, business disposal and Sarbanes-Oxley implementation.

Outside of work Nick has been an active member of the CIMA North West England & North Wales Learning, Education & Development Committee for several years and joined the Area Board in 2022.

A CIMA qualified (15 years) Finance Director for a private equity buy and build business. William has extensive experience in Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and Commercial business partnering at director and board level. A pragmatic and highly motivated finance professional with wide-ranging experience across business functions who is proven in the development and execution of strategic plans.

Katrina spent over 30 years in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, where as FD/CFO she led the financial and strategic agenda for a list of household retail names such as Selfridges, Asda, and Pentland Brands. She brings a wealth of experience from public and privately owned commercial enterprises, that have dealt with considerable change, necessitating the need for the leadership team to adapt and evolve.

Nowadays she enjoys sharing her financial, commercial and leadership experience as a NED on a number of small UK boards in the medical, engineering and charity sectors.

Oliver is the CFO and an Executive Director at Funding Circle, the UK’s leading listed small business lending FinTech. At Funding Circle he leads finance, capital markets and investor relations.

Prior to Funding Circle, Oliver was CFO of Vanquis Bank and before that spent 14 years at Barclays Bank and its Barclaycard division. He was latterly the global CFO of Barclaycard Oliver graduated from Oxford University, where he studied politics, philosophy and economics. He is a Chartered Management Accountant and holds an MBA from Warwick Business School.

Priscilla is a qualified Chartered Accountant, bringing a wealth of experience from various strategic finance roles.

Previously, she worked as a Finance Business Partner at the Department for Culture, Media and Sports and as a Finance Advisor for the G7 summit in Cornwall.

In her current role at GFF, she is committed to nurturing a collaborative space for civil service finance professionals to exchange insights and pioneer innovative solutions. The GFF is a leader in defining the future of finance, and she is excited to help continue this tradition, connecting with peers dedicated to the finance sector's advancement.

Sarah is Chief Financial Officer at Pub People, a regional pub company with approximately £12m revenue. Sarah and her CEO are driving a massive growth strategy over the next 5 years to at least double the size of the business and create a strong back office and operational team.

Sarah started her career as a Graduate in Bombardier Transportation where she had the opportunity to work and live globally, favouring her time in Berlin. She then moved on to UBS in Zurich before returning to the UK where she has progressed through her Finance career in different industries.

Natalie Brown is a qualified CIMA accountant since 2014, specialising in the construction industry. With over a decade of experience, she has dedicated her career to making impactful contributions to various sectors within construction, including infrastructure, housebuilding, and design. She has held pivotal roles in esteemed organisations such as a national infrastructure company, a PLC housebuilder, and an NYSE listed design company.

Currently, she is proud to lead the finance team at Highwood Group. In her role, she leverages her expertise in financial management and strategic planning to drive the company's success in delivering high-quality projects that positively impact communities.

Farha is a Senior Chartered Global Management Accountant within the commercial and construction industry and she feels passionately about giving back to the community.

She is an avid advocate for the development of technology and the future of finance and the changes it brings to organisations. Her role is to ensure technology and information are utilised in the most impactful way possible.

Farha is currently a football coach in training for young girls and if she is not volunteering she is jumping out of planes for amazing causes.

Claire is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience across diverse industries, such as media, technology, PR and events. She has held financial leadership and commercial roles in both large multinationals and independent SMEs, where she serves as a current board member.

She also has a track record of governance from her previous role of non-executive director of a multi-academy trust, where she participated in the finance and audit sub-committees.

In 2009, she achieved 4th place in the world in her TOPCIMA exam.

David Williams qualified in 2009 and is now a proud Fellow of CIMA. David is currently the VP of Finance & Corporate Services at Hartlepool College as well Trustee Treasurer of Teesside MIND, where he is a champion and ambassador for mental health. David is a strong advocate of personal, professional and workforce development.

One of the core tenets at the college is to “strive to improve yourself and others”, and he is honoured to be involved in the rising star of the year category, recognising the amazing finance leaders of the future.

Since late 2023, John’s role is Chief Finance Officer (CFO) at the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA). Within the public sector, John was CFO for Lothian Pension Fund for many years, together with various roles at the City of Edinburgh Council and also Head of Private Sector Policy Delivery, Communities Scotland.

John has served on membership Committees for PLSA, PASA and CIMA’s Conduct Committee (Investigations).

John is a Fellow of CIMA and also holds a PGC in the ‘Mechanics of Derivatives and Financial Products’.

Jane is a finance professional with 36 years experience in the Civil Service.

A senior leader within MCA and the Government Finance Function, Jane has covered roles as MCA's Director of Finance & Audit, Assistant Director Strategic Finance and Financial Controls, and spent time as a Regional Director managing operational staff responsible for ship survey and HM Coastguard, including Coastguard volunteers.

Alongside her current role, Jane is MCA's Senior Lead for the Agency’s project under the Unity Government Shared Services programme, Head of Profession for finance, Nominated Officer for Whistleblowing and Fraud, and a champion of the agency's Women’s Network.

Katrina spent over 30 years in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, where as FD/CFO she led the financial and strategic agenda for a list of household retail names such as Selfridges, Asda, and Pentland Brands. She brings a wealth of experience from public and privately owned commercial enterprises, that have dealt with considerable change, necessitating the need for the leadership team to adapt and evolve.

Nowadays she enjoys sharing her financial, commercial and leadership experience as a NED on a number of small UK boards in the medical, engineering and charity sectors.

Sarah is Chief Financial Officer at Pub People, a regional pub company with approximately £12m revenue. Sarah and her CEO are driving a massive growth strategy over the next 5 years to at least double the size of the business and create a strong back office and operational team.

Sarah started her career as a Graduate in Bombardier Transportation where she had the opportunity to work and live globally, favouring her time in Berlin. She then moved on to UBS in Zurich before returning to the UK where she has progressed through her Finance career in different industries.

Claire is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience across diverse industries, such as media, technology, PR and events. She has held financial leadership and commercial roles in both large multinationals and independent SMEs, where she serves as a current board member.

She also has a track record of governance from her previous role of non-executive director of a multi-academy trust, where she participated in the finance and audit sub-committees.

In 2009, she achieved 4th place in the world in her TOPCIMA exam.