Article
What AI Actually Does to a Finance Function: An Honest Assessment
Placeholder — a practitioner's view of how AI tools are changing the day-to-day of finance. What works, what's overhyped, and where the genuine gains are.
Current
Finance Director
Aura Technology Group (100 staff, £11m turnover) · Basingstoke, Hampshire
2021 — Present
Appointed following a £1.5m acquisition to integrate finance systems, controls and processes across the enlarged group. Principal financial adviser to the board, providing commercial insight, risk analysis and scenario-based forecasting to support strategic decision-making within a multiply ISO-certified environment. Full ownership of statutory, management accounting, tax, treasury and company secretarial matters, including oversight of an overseas subsidiary in India.
Transitioned the main trading company from £326k operating losses to £220k profit in under five years.
Successfully managed a £1.6m legal claim.
Led financial due diligence and execution of a further £600k corporate acquisition.
Built and developed a post-acquisition finance team of 6 from the ground up — no undesired headcount losses, no recruitment costs.
Leveraged AI-driven scenario analysis to reduce reporting lead times and deliver forecasting models for banking, HMRC, and public sector tenders.
Group Finance Director
The Protection Specialist Ltd Group · Multi-site
2010 — 2020
Long-tenured Group FD across a period of exceptional growth — scaling the business from c.£60k monthly revenue to over £3m, and from 30 to 350 staff across two sites. Concurrently managed finance, compliance, and reporting across a Claims Management Company, Mortgage & Insurance Broker, Recruitment Company, Debt Collection Company, and IT Company.
Led shareholder exit via Employee Ownership Trust, delivering c.£12m in tax savings for owners.
Designed and executed long-term tax planning strategies generating c.£2.5m of savings for senior management.
Built and led an 18-person finance and credit control function, sustaining a 98% collection rate.
External Audit & Assurance
HWB Chartered Accountants · Southampton
2006 — 2010
External audit and assurance across a range of SME clients, with particular specialism in Hotel & Leisure and Solicitors. Qualified as FCA (ICAEW) during this period. This grounding underpins strong technical judgement around statutory accounts, audit readiness, and engagement with external auditors.
BSc Management Science with Accounting
University of Southampton
Graduated 2006
Foundation in both management disciplines and accounting practice.
Full career history and references available on request — use the CV button above.
AI Growth Alliance
Aligning regional talent to ensure Hampshire & the Solent leads on AI adoption
The AI Growth Alliance (AIGA) is a regional partnership bringing together business, education, government and civic leaders across Hampshire, the Solent and the wider South Central region. Its role is to align effort, reduce fragmentation, and make it easier for organisations to adopt AI confidently and responsibly.
Working towards a formal launch at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026, the Alliance has formed four working groups: AI Skills & Leadership, AI Infrastructure & Investment, AI Ethics & Inclusion, and AI Ecosystem Coordination.
As a member, I contribute to the Alliance's mission of ensuring the South does not simply observe the AI revolution — but helps shape it.
"AI-driven growth cannot be delivered by data centres alone. It will come from our people understanding how to deploy AI responsibly, from our SMEs being confident enough to adopt it, and from our institutions being able to apply it in real-world industrial sectors across our region."
David Patterson — Chair, AI Growth Alliance
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