Paula Downey Jones

Paula Downey Jones In 60 Seconds

I’m an award winning CFO with over 25 years experience both within the UK and internationally. I enjoy working closely and collaboratively with CEOs and leadership teams using financial skills to identify opportunities, manage risk and ensure the business is positioned to reach its full potential. My background is in large multinational companies and I made the shift to SMEs in 2014.

Specialist Skills

Business Planning

Extensive experience across a range of scenarios, using financial models and commercial strategic focus to guide the organisation's growth.

Cash flow Improvement

Providing insightful analysis, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and management information to enable informed decision making.

Exit Planning

Working with owners and leadership teams to build up the business in anticipation of sale.

Profit Improvement

Understanding the business operations, margins and pinch points to optimise profitable growth.

Policies & Procedures

Experienced in increasing corporate governance across organisations both in terms of financial controls and also FCA regulated processes.

Track Record Highlights

Owner managed company exit. Prepared a Fintech company for sale, taking Finance from a basic company function to a strategic business partner, increasing the value of the company leading up to and through sale, including leading the due diligence, investor liaisons (management presentations, fireside chats, etc.,) through to completion.
Developed and mentored Finance teams to increase capacity and capability, embedding robust processes, financial controls and management information.
Championed and led a strategic overhaul resulting in repositioning of the sales strategy allowing the business to achieve strong revenue growth in the face of growing competition. Restructuring the sales team incentives making sure that their pay is matched with profitable value brought to the company; repositioning the marketing strategy, bringing insight to the Board around understanding the customer base, developing profitability models.
Turnaround from potentially fatal financial position: Deep dive into the financial feasibility of the organisation’s activities; refocused the income capability and implementation of a strong solution to the struggling income generation; review and repositioned the growth strategy; sourced funding to support the organisation through transition period; restructure of the finance function; development of the provision and management of information to ensure total audit compliance and build credibility with external stakeholders as well as provide the Board of Directors with key information to drive the organisation forward. Winner of the Financial Business Leader of the Year for this work (CIMA in assoc. with the Financial Times).
International business set up. Establishment of international finance functions for a large multinational. Full legal and logistical set up of Middle Eastern office in Qatar. Building and managing finance teams in Nigeria, Norway, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Sudan in both industry and humanitarian sectors.
Financial modelling and cost efficiencies. Development of cashflow models, economic evaluations of major international investment opportunities. Financial management of an agile development of a core IT system, optimising financial value (minimising cost while maximising benefit), R&D tax credits, etc.

Sector Experience

Banking & Financial Services: Fintech, Payment Services
Mining & Resources Energy
Retail & Consumer Products: FMCG, Automotive, Music
Not for Profit

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What's next?

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FD/CFO

Thames Valley