The Portfolio Executives

After more than 25 years in senior corporate finance roles, I realised I wanted something different. I took a six-month sabbatical and travelled across South East Asia, giving myself the time and space to reflect on what I wanted from the next stage of my career.

The journey made me realise that I wanted greater flexibility and the opportunity to work more closely with different leadership teams, applying my experience where it could make the biggest difference. With my three sons now grown up and independent, it felt like the right time to take what was, for me, a significant leap. Coming from a family of professionals who valued security and long careers, stepping away from the corporate world wasn’t a decision I took lightly. But becoming a Portfolio Executive has given me the opportunity to combine the strategic finance experience I’ve built over 25 years with the variety, independence and impact that I was looking for.

When I decided to become a Portfolio Executive, one of the first things I did was set up my own business. I chose the name Integrate Finance because it reflects something I’ve always believed: that finance should be fully integrated into the business, not operate as a function that simply reports the numbers. I also reached out to my network of former colleagues to let them know I was starting this new chapter. My first assignment came through a fellow Trustee from my time at Milton Keynes Parks Trust, reinforcing something I’ve always valued: relationships built over many years are often the foundation for new opportunities.

My first assignment was with Childbase Partnership, who were looking for a Fractional Finance Director. They had a capable finance team, but they were looking for greater clarity around the organisation’s financial strategy. Key questions included where to invest for long-term growth, how to benchmark the performance of individual nurseries, and how to balance profit distribution to employee owners with continued reinvestment and acquisition opportunities. Over the past year, I’ve worked closely with the leadership team and Board to bring greater clarity, structure and confidence to those decisions. Together, we’ve developed a clearer financial strategy that supports sustainable growth while ensuring the organisation is well positioned to invest in its future.

Along the way, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that building a portfolio career requires discipline and adaptability. Alongside my Fractional Finance Director role, I’ve delivered leadership workshops and undertaken advisory projects, balancing different clients and priorities. More importantly, I’ve learned that every client relationship starts with trust. It’s not enough to have the technical expertise. Clients need to see value quickly, know that you understand their business, and have confidence that you’ll bring practical insight and constructive challenge from day one.

It’s working for me now because I’ve found the right balance. My portfolio combines Fractional Finance Director roles with delivering finance and leadership workshops, giving me the variety and flexibility I was looking for while allowing me to draw on more than 25 years of experience. Each role complements the other. Working with different organisations keeps my thinking fresh, and I enjoy helping leadership teams not only make better decisions but also build greater financial confidence and capability.

Looking ahead, one of my ambitions is to spend more time coaching and mentoring emerging finance and non-finance professionals. Throughout my career, I’ve seen many talented people with excellent technical skills who lack the confidence to influence decisions or challenge constructively. I’d like to help develop the leadership, communication and commercial skills that enable finance professionals to become valued business partners and future Finance Directors.