“Lesley equipped our organisation to scale”
The client: TEDI London, a new design-led engineering school being created by three global partners: King’s College London, Arizona State University and the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
The challenge: As a brand-new organisation, TEDI-London needed to set up its finance function from scratch but because it had high-growth plans, it couldn’t afford for its finance function to develop slowly…
…It needed the more formal systems that a larger organisation would have in place, in order to scale.
What I did: As Chief Finance Officer, I was responsible for setting up every aspect of the organisation’s new finance department.
Following some research, I recommended an outsourced solution for the finance department. I defined the scope of the role, reviewed possible providers and managed the tender process. When we settled on a provider, I helped them set up so that our bookkeeping and accounting were running smoothly.
To ensure that the department would be run professionally, we needed robust systems and processes and good governance in place. I created those systems.
I ensured that there was financial discipline, turning the overarching financial plan into a functional budget with strict controls and reporting systems.
What the client says: “I was interim COO for TEDI-London, but when I was taken back into King’s College, Lesley had to take lead of the finance function by herself very quickly – and that’s exactly what she did,” says Annie Kent, currently interim CFO at King’s College London.
“In fact, she worked so well that I didn’t have to worry about the finance function at all, and could devote my attention to other important issues.
“She made sure our systems were set up correctly from the start, got everything sorted and ensured financial discipline.
“How she went about it was every bit as important as what she did.
“She has a very good, engaging manner and works with people easily, even though she is a strong personality who doesn’t get rolled over. This was really important because in start-ups there are always tensions.
“Integrity is also very important. When you’re starting up a new organisation, controls over cash may not be as strong as they could be, so you need someone you can trust strongly to maintain that integrity. I would recommend Lesley wholeheartedly.”