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Gary McDonald In 60 Seconds
I am a Finance Director with over 30 years’ experience, mainly in the retail sector but also in transport and distribution, waste management, full maintenance leasing, food product manufacturing and consulting. I have experience in turning around challenged businesses, finance functions and driving major cost savings. I empower decision making through improving accessibility and reliability of management information, overcoming customer satisfaction issues, driving operational transformation, and implementing effective controls. I have many attributes of value for an organisation, including the ability to lead through my persuasiveness and positive attitude. I am naturally assertive and motivated by challenging situations and likes a variety of challenging assignments. I am curious about the world around me and I love to travel with friends and family embracing new sites and experiences. In my free time I love to be outdoors, that can be hiking up a mountain or braaiing with friends and family under the stars in the bush.
Specialist Skills
Management information
Harvey's Furniture - Enhanced management information quality and consistency through improved weekly reporting and implemented a product profitability analysis.
Business Planning & Change Management
Steinhoff UK - Program Director for Customer Satisfaction Programme - Identified and dealt with the root causes of dissatisfied customers and introduced process and system improvements. Improved NPS scores for the business and reduced customer care costs by £7mil over 3 years. Achieved £3.5mil to date in 2020.
Profit improvement and Cost Savings
Responsible for the Steinhoff UK Retail goods not for resale cost saving program. Achieved £0.5mil savings in 2018 and a further £0.3mil in 2019. This included restructuring the company car fleet.
Governance & Compliance
Trustee of the Dean Close Foundation – Member for the Finance & General Purpose Committee – Chair of the Remuneration Committee - Chair of the Steinhoff UK Group Defined Contribution Pension Fund Governance Committee.
Financial Operations
Harvey's - Restructured the Finance function to enhance governance and risk management, recruited to address skills gaps and increased reconciliation standard and frequency.
Track Record Highlights
- An experienced finance director bringing a diplomatic and involved approach, turning around challenged businesses, finance functions and driving major cost savings including businesses in distress.
- Joined The CFO Centre in October 2020 to provide freelance finance director services for SME businesses.
- Industry experience includes retail, transport & distribution, car fleet management, waste management, chemical manufacturing and consulting.
- Founder and director of a successful financial management consultancy.
- Finance Director for Avis Fleet Services, NCP Food Products division and Waste-Tech ltd.
- Various finance director roles in the Steinhoff UK Group – furniture & beds.
- BCOMM & BACC – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa.
- Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants.
- Empowers decision making through improving accessibility and reliability of management information, overcoming customer satisfaction issues, driving operational transformation, implementing effective controls, enhancing audit functions, and ensuring robust corporate governance.
- Ability to lead through persuasiveness and positive attitude. Naturally assertiveness and desire to win, will result in adding value to an organisation's bottom line.
Sector Experience
- Retail & Consumer Products
- Transport and distribution
- Waste Management
- Not for Profit: Charity
- Full maintenance Leasing
- Food Product Manufacturing
- Consulting
What's next?
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