Carol McGregor
Glasgow, willing to relocate for the right role
Summary
Over the last 6 years I was a Business Process Manager within the Procure To Pay area. I demonstrated success in leading teams to implement automation solutions, achieving significant cost reductions and improved operational efficiency. Prior to this I have spend the last 22 years as an AP/AR Manager
Successful Manager using methods for improving organisational efficiency, resource utilisation whilst analyses performance to devise and action improved operational processes who is committed to developing staff, policies and processes for enhanced business operations. I build strong relationships with cross-functional teams to build trust and collaboration enabling project goals to be achieved.
Proficient in data analysis and compliance, with strong leadership and strategic planning skills. Utilizing analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, experience and continuous improvements to enhance business processes and drive measurable outcomes and delivery of KPI excellence whilst lowering costs and boosting efficiency
Skilled in analysing workflows, implementing improvements, and managing cross-functional teams to achieve strategic objectives whilst working with stakeholders across multiple functions
I lead a transformative P2P programmes to streamline supplier management and payment processes with an outcome of significant supplier reductions and standardises of payment terms across regions, enhancing the operational effectiveness.
Development and support of Shared Service teams through strategic recruitment, staff development, strong, achievable objectives and conducting team reviews whilst implementing continuous improvement culture across the team.
Streamlining of business processes to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Utilises excellent organisational skill to enhance efficiency and lead teams to achieve outcomes across Procure to Pay, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable
Establishment of effective training programs that ensures high level team performance and compliance across regional operations.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Process Manager – P2P
DS Smith Ltd
11.2022 - 12.2025
- Subsequently I moved to the DS Smith Procurement team working as part of a P2P Finance/Procurement Improvements Programme with a global reach.
- Focus was initially given to EMEA sites around:
- Reviewing and, where missing, creation of strategic P2P goals and initiatives resulting in:
- Review of all software to identify process and best practice improvements to the current processes in place and make improvements when identified
- Stakeholder Partnering across Procurement, Accounts Payable, Shared Service Centre, Governance, Tax, Compliance, Sites and IT to deliver the improvements identified
- Supplier rationalisation programme to identify multiple suppliers and multiple payment terms with the resulting in 65% supplier reduction.
- Member of the DS Smith AI team to drive use of AI within the P2P Community
- Formulisation of supplier payment terms to ensure they follow an agreed process and are standardised across all regions, countries and business units, where appropriate, with an outcome of 495 payment terms condensed into 24 main terms covering all 24 EMEA countries.
- Tailspend – focus on suppliers with annual spend <10k to move spend to P’card where appropriate spend type. Introduction of Billhop software to ensure all cards can be accepted, inc circumstances if supplier does not have a payment terminal. Resulting in 21k suppliers, with a spend of £45m, reduced to 1.5k suppliers.
- Creation of procurement based Procure to Pay KPI’s to ensure regions are aware and can deliver, with an outcome of the Procure To Pay KPI’s reported were in the upper quartile of delivery. The First Time Match report is more than 65%.
- Reviewing of data based on the KPI’s and identifying improvement opportunities across the regions – i.e. improved goods receipting, update of supplier prices, controlled and reduced supplier Master Data
- Creation of a P2P Training & Compliance Programme and subsequent user guides to be delivered to each site across the European region. This resulted in the upper quartile improvements for the KPI reports
- Delivery of the P2P Programme across all UK sites
- Identification and ongoing implementation of data mining tool to increase the quality of the data being used through the business
- Manufacture boxes
Continuous Improvements Manager
DS Smith Ltd
04.2017 - 11.2022
- To engage with the DS Smith business, Procurement and P2P team to identify improvements required make proposals and implement changes across the EMEA region
- Leading and management of the PTP and Accounts Payable function for the EMEA region – 24 countries
- Team Restructure to ensure best working practices as well as being adaptable to ensure all tasks completed within the AP KPI – setting daily priorities of workloads and staff redistribution to where workload requirements are
- Development of the Team Leaders and Senior staff to ensure that they are operating at the correct levels expected of management
- Introduction of Artificial Intelligence to undertake repetitive, manual invoice processing – Automation Anywhere
- Review of all P2P controls in terms of payments and supplier set up
- Identification of non-compliance tasks within the P2P process. Review of the process, identification of the FTE and training provided to enable them to follow the end-to-end process
- Review of SAP tables to ensure correct workflow management
- Rationalisation of the supplier database, reducing the suppliers from 8.5k to 2.4k
- Management and review of the payment process and the tools used. Identification and implementation of new software and upgrades to software resulting in 2.5 days per week time saving
- Introduction of duplicate software to identify potential duplicates prior to payments. £1.2m of duplicate payments recovered
- Rationalisation of the PO Exempt table, overseeing a reduction from 2.9k suppliers to 430
- Introduction of new processes to deliver the P2P process
- Working in conjunction with the Procurement team, Category Managers, Finance, Treasury, SSC and the IT Project teams to identify and drive change over the P2P platform
- Supporting all business streams to identify and address issues whilst providing support to users
- Monthly calls with sites to review performance and address DPO/aged unpaid invoices.
- Creation of visual management material to enable daily management of the team
- Involvement in creation of a SSC based in Spain, covering Iberian regions
Interim Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable Manager
ASOS
12.2014 - 02.2016
- Management, development, motivation, leading and training a team of 65, with 4 Direct reports at management level, team leaders and seniors whilst also being a focal point for developing the existing staff within the business through cross training on to various ERP systems
- Overall responsibility of AP, AR and Expenses team
- Create and deliver the relevant strategy for the AP/AR teams, whilst ensuring that there are clear objectives set for both the transactions teams as well as the Stakeholders
- The AP team have an annual ledger in excess of £1b and a staff headcount of 29
- The AR portion has only been developed and currently has 1 FTE. This role was only introduced when I joined the business as prior to that stage; it was an add-on to several people’s roles.
- Identifying risks and ensuring that proper controls are in place, documented and adhered to
- Overall responsibility for Open Accounts upgrade as well as AP/AR Project Manager for a new system implementation
- Defining and agreeing processes and identifying where these processes do not work
- Building relationships with the Buying & Merchandising teams to ensure all invoices are paid on time
- ASOS is an on-line clothing business with a focus on the age range of 20 – 30-year-olds
Transaction Centre Manager
Wolters Kluwer UK Ltd
02.2014 - 11.2014
Transactional Processing Manager
Keepers Choice
11.2009 - 10.2013
- Keepers Choice was a manufacturing and packaging organisation, dealing with major accounts throughout the UK
Finance Project Manager
G1 Group
07.2008 - 10.2009
- The G1 Group owns several entertainment venues around Scotland from as far afield as Aberdeen through to Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Locations include the Corinthian in Glasgow city centre.
P2P Transaction Manager
Power
01.2004 - 01.2008
- Power is one of the top 6 energy companies within the UK providing both gas and electricity in homes and businesses throughout the country.
BAA Business Support Centre
01.2001 - 01.2004
- BAA was the operators of 6 of the largest airports within the UK. Their shared service centre has now been in operation since early 2001 and covers Heathrow, Stanstead and the 2 main Scottish airports.
Accounts Payable Team Leader, moving to Accounts Payable Manager
Aon Risk Services
01.1990 - 01.2001
Education
Higher National Diploma - Accounting
Reid Kerr College
Paisley, Scotland1994
Skills
- Process optimisation and improvement
- Continuous improvement
- Data analytics and analysis
- KPI development and tracking
- Stakeholder management
- Project management
- Change management
- Understanding of ERP systems
- Software implementation
- Compliance oversight
- Team building initiatives
- Training program development
- Team leadership
- Employee management
- Performance tracking
- Relationship-building
- Strong leadership skills
Custom Section
Oracle 11.5/R12, SAP PP2/PER/4HANA, Readsoft, Open Accounts, SUN Financials, Wolcen, Business Objectives, Discovery Reporting, Power BI, Tableau, Amex Egencia, Concur, Peoplesoft, Workday, Coupa, SAP Ariba, Basware, Proactis purchasing system, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Intelligent Capture Invoice Scanning solution, Excel, Word, Databases, PowerPoint, Various Packages, True
Timeline
Business Process Manager – P2P
DS Smith Ltd
11.2022 - 12.2025
Continuous Improvements Manager
DS Smith Ltd
04.2017 - 11.2022
Interim Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable Manager
ASOS
12.2014 - 02.2016
Transaction Centre Manager
Wolters Kluwer UK Ltd
02.2014 - 11.2014
Transactional Processing Manager
Keepers Choice
11.2009 - 10.2013
Finance Project Manager
G1 Group
07.2008 - 10.2009
P2P Transaction Manager
Power
01.2004 - 01.2008
BAA Business Support Centre
01.2001 - 01.2004
Accounts Payable Team Leader, moving to Accounts Payable Manager
Aon Risk Services
01.1990 - 01.2001
Higher National Diploma - Accounting
Reid Kerr College