Ryan Powell-Cullingford
Eastbourne,East Sussex
Summary
ACCA accountant with a degree in Applied Accounting. Currently hold the position of Label Finance Manager at Universal Music, looking for an opportunity to develop my business partnering skills and add to a strong accounting and management skillset.
A highly accomplished and dedicated accountant with sound financial focus and commercial awareness with experience in improving and establishing controls, compliance and operational efficiencies. Fully able to draw upon a wealth of knowledge in financial management to undertake a wide range of financial tasks, such as management accounts, payroll management, month and year end processes, commercial profitability and driving change. E
xperience in managing two offshore and one onshore team simultaneously to drive process efficiencies and meet deadlines, whilst pursuing both in-house and outsourced software developments. Possessing a high degree of initiative in identifying and solving problems with innovative thinking, alongside the capacity to deal simultaneously with many rapidly changing and competing priorities.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Label Finance Manager
Universal Music Group
01.2023 - Current
- Universal Music Group is the world’s leading music company, with the UK group being comprised of nine record labels along with a multitude of profit centres across varying commercial areas
- The Label Finance function is charged with providing month end reporting to all labels (using our outsourced team in India) and managing relationships with the label Finance Director’s (FDs)
- Their feedback, along with our observations, are used to identify operational efficiencies – driving standardisation KPI’s against which my performance is measured.
- Key Responsibilities:
- Management of the Credit Control function for all UK Universal entities, comprising all labels along with music licensing, royalties, and catalogue.
- Management and development of 3 UK based trainees, all studying or looking to begin studying for ACCA/CIMA.
- Further management of a team of 22 in India, 10 in Credit Control with a further 12 in Label Finance.
- Monthly reporting for record labels, along with performing balance sheet reconciliations post-month end on Blackline.
- Main contact point for Label FD’s and Financial Controllers, holding monthly feedback meetings to identify development opportunities and garner positive/constructive development areas.
- Streamlining and standardising tasks where possible, using either an in-house development team or outsourced software solutions (often both using APIs to integrate the two).
- Mapping of Process Flows for established and newly implemented processes, liaising with Internal Controls to ensure course is maintained for SOX compliance.
Head of Finance
Ginx TV Ltd
03.2022 - 01.2023
- Ginx TV is primarily a TV channel, however they are undergoing an exercise to reposition their offering into being a website with the capability to make tailored content, leveraging their existing television agreements and capabilities.
- Key Responsibilities:
- Creation of monthly management accounts, presented to the board as part of a monthly reporting pack.
- Management of distribution contracts, including negotiations of both renewals and acquisitions alongside the CEO.
- Line management of two employees, with leadership responsibilities covering over twenty both salaried and contracted (based abroad) team members.
- Oversight of end-to-end finance function, including having recently overseen a transition from Sage & Expensify to Xero & Dext (amongst others), saving the business circa £16k per annum and improving automation and efficiency in doing so.
- Head of the HR function within the business, I have overseen redundancies whilst liaising with the CIPD to ensure legal compliance is partnered with compassion and kindness.
Head of Finance
Jigsaw Business Solutions Ltd
04.2018 - 03.2022
- Jigsaw is a fintech start-up that launches, manages and drives gift card programmes for a range of national and international clients, including Nike, ASOS, boohoo, Costa and Hotels.com.
- Key Responsibilities:
- Creation of monthly management accounts, presented to the MD and founder
- Introduction to clients at the onboarding phase, gauging requirements and advising on processes and tax treatment.
- Every day management for more than 60 bank accounts across multiple territories.
- Training of one ACCA and one AAT trainee, providing a platform for ‘on the job’ learning.
- Undertaken a management skills course for nine months with other members of the senior leadership team.
- Weekly meetings with both the senior leadership team and (separately) the Managing Director to lend a financial perspective to business decisions.
- Setting up and leading the finance function whilst completing ACCA.
- Liaising with partners and national & international clients to establish settlement processes and appropriate tax treatment.
- Responsibility for invoicing and settlement of funds for Jigsaw and more than 20 clients.
- Creation and implementation of travel and expense policies.
- Management of the payroll and expense processes.
- Consulting with external accountants and tax advisers, where appropriate.
Trainee Accountant
Watson Associates
10.2016 - 04.2018
- Key Responsibilities:
- Accounts preparation for both high return and loss-making businesses
- Working within specified time limits
- Speaking to clients to retrieve missing records
- Completing stock takes
- Assisting on audits with Corporate Team members
- Preparing accounts from receipts/invoices as well as Sage & Xero
Trainee Accountant
Acuity Professional
02.2015 - 10.2016
- Key Responsibilities:
- Accounts preparation for SME’s
- Bookkeeping at client premises for VAT returns
- Majority of jobs performed using SAGE
- Attended money laundering and FRS 102 seminars
- Monthly bookkeeping for small clients
Education
Degree in Applied Accounting -
Oxford Brookes University
09.2017 - 06.2021
ACCA Qualification -
First Intuition
09.2017 - 06.2021
AAT Qualification -
Sussex Downs College
09.2015 - 06.2017
Skills
- Proficient use of Microsoft Office and Google Sheets
- Suggested and implemented the use of internally and externally developed integration tools
- Confident use of Xero and SAP, as well as software such as Dext
- Full clean UK driving licence
- Managing Credit Control and Label Finance functions for all entities within Universal Music Group in the UK
- Valued member of leadership teams within start-ups, scaling companies and a multi-national corporation, with a voice in the day-to-day operations of those companies
- Data focused, creating the business’ first set of management accounts and cashflow forecast, using spreadsheets of my own design
- Set up a successful finance function as the first finance hire
- Built a scalable finance process and liaised with internal and external software providers in order to implement controls and maintain operational efficiency during the subsequent growth phase
- Taking VAT advice from PWC, passing on information and suggested processes to clients including ASOS, Hotelscom and Nike, internationally
- Managing a team of trainees whilst holding sole responsibility for both the client and commercial finance function within the business
- Identified the company was eligible for R&D tax credits, which has saved the business in excess of £70,000 in the two years following
Custom
Enjoy spending time with my wife, sons and dog, playing football for a local side, going to the gym and reading.
Affiliations
- Spending time with my wife, two sons and my dog
- Coaching my son's U10s football team
- Playing football and going to the gym
Languages
Spanish
Beginner
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Label Finance Manager
Universal Music Group
01.2023 - Current
Head of Finance
Ginx TV Ltd
03.2022 - 01.2023
Head of Finance
Jigsaw Business Solutions Ltd
04.2018 - 03.2022
Degree in Applied Accounting -
Oxford Brookes University
09.2017 - 06.2021
ACCA Qualification -
First Intuition
09.2017 - 06.2021
Trainee Accountant
Watson Associates
10.2016 - 04.2018
AAT Qualification -
Sussex Downs College
09.2015 - 06.2017
Trainee Accountant
Acuity Professional
02.2015 - 10.2016
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