Peter Haslam

Business with 3 sites, 30 employees and annual revenue of £3m providing watersports clothing, technical equipment & marine electronics, specialist in optical equipment to retail, private & trade customers in UK & Europe.

• Took over Financial Management of the company, from interim to permanent.
• Reviewed & developed budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow and liquidity management processes to maximise progression and profitability.
• Identified & assessed potential financial risks to meet challenges, propose solutions, mitigate outcomes & ensure stability.
• Oversaw financial reporting processes, maintaining accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Led the team & oversaw supplier payments, VAT returns, bank & payment engine reconciliation & payroll processes.
• Analysis of monthly and quarterly numbers and presenting findings to the board.
• Key contact for completion of Year End Accounts, HMRC, Government grants & furlough scheme throughout the pandemic.

• Devised and implemented annual plans & long-term strategy to drive progress in key areas & mitigate potential risks.
• Led & oversaw dealings with key accounts & suppliers to maximise opportunities for commercial growth (exclusivity deals etc).
• Oversaw establishing and running multiple branches, with remote outlets in Selfridges and the Isle of Wight.
• Commercial oversight including analysis of key performance indicators to generate & develop departmental revenue goals.
• Supervised projects, budgets and timelines, to ensure progress met project scope targets.
• Led & mentored department managers to cultivate a cohesive leadership team. Managed team performance, identifying areas to improve & celebrating successes.
• Undertook lease negotiations for multiple sites.
• Key contact for external providers: technology & security systems, bank, insurances, risk assessments.
• Kept accurate company records, upholding compliance with regulations and company policies.

• Collecting & analysing stock & sales data to predict trends.
• Negotiating with suppliers to agree prices, quantities, delivery schedules.
• Planned daily operations to maximise productivity, monitoring KPIs to promote consistent progress towards sales targets.
• Interviewed, hired and trained staff; liaised & built productive working relationships at all business levels, from floor staff to directors.

• Data analysis & problem-solving, producing various stock reports through Futura retail systems & Excel analysis.
• Identified redundant and short expiry stock lines, providing valuable insights to Sales and Supply Chain teams.
• Prevented overstocking and running out-of-stock (OOS) through accurate forecasting of supply and demand.

• Sailing Department lead, maintained advanced product knowledge on technical clothing & key marine electronics with supplier liaison.
• Managing a team of 5, trained department & seasonal staff on product knowledge to improve customer service, productivity and quality of work.
• Keyholder, responsible for opening & closing procedures, cashing up, cash, card statement & receipts after each shift.

• Delivery skipper on European passages (leisure vessels < 200tons)
• Passage planning & navigation chart calculations.
• Inspected equipment regularly to maintain good working order.
• Managed potentially highly stressful situations with a level-headed approach.

• Kayaking; Windsurfing; Dinghy Sailing
• Taught wide variety of courses to clients of diverse ages & experience.
• Ensured client satisfaction & safety, remained calm in stressful situations, resolving conflicts and solving issues with ease.