Huzaifa Patel
Batley
Summary
Strategic finance professional with extensive experience in P&L management, financial reporting, and business partnering across multi-million-pound businesses. Proven track record in margin improvement, cost savings, and operational efficiency, with expertise in budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and balance sheet integrity. Skilled in leading and developing finance teams, liaising with auditors, and delivering insights that drive strategic decision-making. Experienced in post-acquisition integration and cross-functional collaboration, providing actionable financial guidance that supports business growth and operational excellence.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
13
13
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Finance Business Partner
Ipsum
Wakefield
12.2022 - Current
- Produced P&Ls and detailed workstream reporting for business units with combined revenue of £53m (Ipsum £38m, SES £2m, Matrix £13m), providing actionable insights that enabled a business unit restructure and operational efficiency improvement.
- Led the integration of SES and Matrix acquisitions into Ipsum's financial processes, ensuring consistent reporting and controls
- Increased operational utilisation from 83% to 90%, enhancing margins through strategic labour planning for field staff
- Achieved cost savings via disciplined recharge management, ensuring only business-relevant costs were allocated
- Owned budgeting, forecasting, and reforecasting for all business units, providing accurate, forward-looking financial intelligence
- Maintained full balance sheet integrity, reconciling all assets and liabilities with 100% accuracy
- Managed payroll (salaries, wages, overtime), implementing robust processes that eliminated recurring errors and ensured timely, accurate payments
- Developed macro-based timesheet trackers, saving ~30 minutes/day and improving productivity and utilisation reporting
- Served as primary contact for external auditors, supporting statutory audit preparation and delivering timely, successful completion
- Built and maintained strong collaborative relationships with HR, SHEQ, and Operations, supporting cross-functional decision-making
- Presented financial performance insights and recommendations to local SLT and Divisional MD, influencing strategic business decisions
- Led, mentored, and developed a team of 3 finance professionals (1 graduate, 2 part-qualified close to completion), enhancing team capability and accountability
Finance Manager
Liberty Global
Bradford
11.2022 - 12.2023
- Responsible for the administration and maintenance of the General, Project and Fixed Assets ledgers.
- Ensure fixed assets and WIP is correctly accounted for in line with accounting standards and government guidance.
- Responsible for assets with a cost of €855mn and a net book value of €305mn. Also responsible for WIP which amounted to €45mn
- Recording the cost of newly-acquired fixed assets (both tangible and intangible), tracking existing fixed assets, recording depreciation, and accounting for the disposals of fixed assets.
- Perform assessments of useful life to determine the accuracy and reasonableness.
- Ensure fixed asset reconciliations at entity and account level are prepared on a timely basis with any issues resolved or escalated.
- Responsible for assets in EUR and GBP and accounting for foreign exchange differences.
- Responsible for leases and ensuring adherence to IFRS16 for current, new and expiring leases.
- Adhere to a month end process and ensure strict deadlines are achieved to support group reporting requirements.
- Provide timely, complete and accurate information to all stakeholders.
- Maintain internal controls and ensure controls meet SOX requirements.
- Assisted in moving to the cloud based version of Oracle and providing training on the ERP system.
- Review of finance processes and accounting treatments to maintain best practice and adherence to legislation.
- Lead projects to enhance processes.
- Prepare all fixed asset schedules for audit and assist auditors with any queries.
- Preparing financial statements for 3 entities and ensuring that any new reporting requirements, group accounting policies and accounting standards are correctly reflected in the financial statements.
Assistant Manager
Deloitte
Leeds
09.2021 - 10.2022
- Performed audits on statutory accounts for clients in the Betting ($2.2bn turnover) and Logistics (€572mn turnover) industries.
- SOX control testing for all areas covering revenue recognition to budgeting and forecasting.
- Manage high turnover audits from planning to completion including field work.
- Completing due diligence on existing and potential clients.
- Increased effectiveness and efficiency of audit by completing detailed, accurate working papers.
- Facilitated managerial decision-making by creating audit findings reports.
- Reviewed disclosure checklists to verify accuracy of financial statement disclosures.
- Built and maintained effective relationships with internal and external clients.
- Used professional judgment and UK GAAP knowledge to determine materiality of transactions within financial statements.
- Manage different teams, ranging from 2 to 10 members.
- Provided leadership and direction for employees, supervising activities to drive productivity and efficiency.
- Reviewing of work prepared by other members of staff.
- Mentor and train junior members whilst creating a positive environment.
- Ensuring that the firm's quality control procedures are adhered to and the firm's professional standards are met.
- Provide professional and personable client-facing communication skills.
Senior Associate
Deloitte
Leeds
09.2020 - 08.2021
- Performed audits on statutory accounts for clients in the Betting ($1.7bn turnover) and Logistics (€485mn turnover) industries.
- Focused on significant areas such as long-term liabilities, provisions, share issues and revenue.
- Accurately identified audit scope, staff requirements, timetable and budget to consistently meet project goals.
- Completed audit documentation, including audit scopes and audit reports with faultless accuracy.
- Facilitated efficient audit execution, acting as principal contact for clients during on-site fieldwork.
- Led and supervised on-site teams to achieve client satisfaction across all categories of audit engagement.
- Investigated and promptly addressed technical accounting issues to maintain high standards of process efficiencies.
- Established working relationships with controllers and accounting staff to complete audits in line with client specifications.
Associate
Deloitte
Leeds
09.2019 - 08.2020
- Performed audits on statutory accounts for clients in the Betting ($2.4bn turnover), Plumbing (£1.65bn turnover) and Logistics (€497mn turnover) industries.
- Focused on cash, accounts receivables, accounts payables, fixed assets and P&L costs.
- Interpreted financial statements, account records and detailed numerical data to make accurate audit assessments
- Minimised risk by maintaining up to date knowledge on industry and regulatory changes impacting audit operations
- Logged audit work, noted findings and compiled evidence of misdeeds
- Supported senior auditor in creating audit objectives and project scope for progression towards audit targets.
Demand Planning Analyst
Cummins Turbo Technologies
Huddersfield
07.2017 - 08.2018
- Supporting demand processes for establishing annual and five year forecast plans for Global OE line of business sales.
- Preparations of reports using tools such as Oracle, Demantra, Excel & PowerPoint.
- Documented business processes and analysed procedures to meet changing business needs.
- Conducted interviews with key business users to collect information on business processes and user requirements.
- Reviewed files, records and other documents to obtain information and respond to requests.
- Performed data analysis and provided recommendations to achieve more accurate forecasts.
Peer Mentor
University of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
09.2016 - 05.2017
- Ability to guide and influence a class of 20 students in order to accomplish a certain achievement orientated objective.
- Analysing the views of students and producing judgment's based on personal experience and then having the ability to communicate these views with the students.
- Planned and led activities to develop students' physical, emotional and social growth.
- Fostered meaningful relationships among students through team-work projects.
Education
ACA -
ICAEW
Leeds 09.2019 - 08.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Accountancy and Finance
University of Huddersfield
Huddersfield 09.2015 - 07.2019
A Levels & GCSE's -
The Mirfield Free Grammar & Sixth Form
Mirfield 09.2008 - 05.2015
Skills
- Reporting and documentation
- Statutory accounting
- Leadership
- Strong communication
- Attention to detail
- Reliable
- Problem solving
- Analytical
- Financial statement auditing
- Audit reporting
References
Available on request
Timeline
Finance Business Partner
Ipsum
12.2022 - Current
Finance Manager
Liberty Global
11.2022 - 12.2023
Assistant Manager
Deloitte
09.2021 - 10.2022
Senior Associate
Deloitte
09.2020 - 08.2021
ACA -
ICAEW
09.2019 - 08.2022
Associate
Deloitte
09.2019 - 08.2020
Demand Planning Analyst
Cummins Turbo Technologies
07.2017 - 08.2018
Peer Mentor
University of Huddersfield
09.2016 - 05.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Accountancy and Finance
University of Huddersfield
09.2015 - 07.2019
A Levels & GCSE's -
The Mirfield Free Grammar & Sixth Form
09.2008 - 05.2015