Securing an interim Finance Director for Steer

The Situation

Steer’s Chief Executive Officer, Hugh Jones, was looking for a highly capable interim Finance Director to stabilise and improve the department’s core processes and functions.

In a firm that is committed to joined-up thinking and has strong client relationships at its core, it was also imperative that the hire was a good cultural fit for the business.

The Solution

Simon Moore, Managing Director in BIE's CFO & Financial Leadership team, worked closely with Hugh Jones to establish a clear mandate for the role.

Having worked with Steer Group previously on HR and IT roles, BIE were well-versed in the intricacies of the business. The next stage was to invest time getting to the heart of what the business needed in terms of an effective hire.

Robert Pearce, an experienced CFOP/Group Finance Director, was subsequently presented to the Steer Group within four days of the initial instruction. Shortly after the initial interview, he was offered a 6-month assignment and was delighted to accept.

The Results

During his 6-month placement, Robert had a significant impact on the business. His key achievements included:

• Established an efficient group finance function with newly implemented ERP systems, enhanced processes and practices, and a high-performing team of 14 members through strategic planning and leadership, mentoring and training staff, and process enhancements.
• Turned around a global finance organisation by training and mentoring the finance team, and implementing new systems, processes and practices.
• Consistently met all deadlines in financial reporting, board reporting, project reporting and working capital management while navigating business restructuring, process realignment and new team building.
• Collaborated with the CEO, COO, and Country Directors/Divisional to develop and deliver a comprehensive budget, strategy, and five-year business plan with clearly structured expenses, as well as to define the strategic investment plan in new IT systems and key people to drive business growth.
• Determined and agreed on current contract fee rates for consultancy projects by industry sector/employee grade and international industry sector/employee grade.
• Maximized business profitability through long-term business restructuring planning and evaluating the company’s performance.