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Paul Deehan

FD/CFO

I’m a commercially focused CFO with more than 25 years’ board-level experience, including 16 years in an employee-owned professional services business. I work with founders and leadership teams as a trusted adviser, helping them improve financial performance, strengthen governance and make confident decisions that support long-term growth, succession and sustainable value creation.

Paul-Deehan-Fractional-CFO-Manchester

Track record highlights

  • Led the financial strategy and cost transformation programme that successfully steered a professional services business through both the 2008/09 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, protecting cash, maintaining profitability and supporting long-term growth.
  • Delivered £3 million of working capital improvements by strengthening management information, redesigning KPI reporting and improving the management of work in progress and debtor collections.
  • Supported boards and leadership teams through periods of significant change, including CEO and Finance Director succession, organisational restructuring and governance transitions across the professional services, education and housing sectors.
  • Designed and implemented long-term incentive arrangements, including EMI, CSOP and deferred bonus schemes, helping align employee reward with business performance, retention and succession objectives.
  • Led the commercial, financial and legal aspects of a strategic acquisition, securing acquisition funding and overseeing integration to support future growth.
  • Strengthened organisational resilience by leading major commercial contract reviews, overseeing professional indemnity risk and claims management, and delivering over £1 million of property and procurement savings through strategic estate and supplier reviews.

Sector Experience

  • Employee Ownership: Employee-owned businesses, governance, reward structures, succession and long-term value creation
  • Professional Services: Planning consultancy, legal services, consultancy, architecture, engineering, board advisory and owner-managed businesses
  • Education & Not for Profit: Multi-Academy Trusts, education governance, public sector funding, charities and cultural organisations
  • Property & Construction: Housing associations, land promotion, mixed-use developments, estate management, commercial property and infrastructure projects
  • SMEs & Growth Businesses: Founder-led and owner-managed businesses across a range of sectors, supporting growth, performance improvement, funding and strategic development

Paul's specialist skills

Cash flow Improvement

Helping business owners quickly regain control of cash flow with a blend of immediate tactical fixes and longer-term sustainable forecasting models.

Profit Improvement

Redesigning KPIs and management reporting frameworks to drive action, sharpen decision-making, and deliver measurable improvements in profitability and working capital.

Managing Risk

Advising boards and leadership teams on reducing exposure through governance, contract reviews, and practical risk mitigation.

Leadership

Supporting business leaders through complex transitions - whether succession, restructuring, or rapid growth - by bringing calm, clarity, and challenge to help them lead with confidence and accountability.

Strategic Thinker

Helping business owners step back from day-to-day pressures to clarify long-term goals, make informed trade-offs, and align financial strategy with business ambition.

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