Capital allocation
Competing business proposals were being evaluated on inconsistent assumptions.
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Chief Financial Officer · China · Global perspective
A selected perspective
A forecast is a map of assumptions
Revenue, margin and cash forecasts depend on choices about demand, pricing, capacity and working capital.
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Start a conversationThe portfolio
From idea to consequence.
Finance transformation
Finance reporting had become a collection of local processes rather than an enterprise view.
View the case study ↗Value creation
During a portfolio review, I worked with business leaders to distinguish reported growth from the quality of the economics behind it.
View the case study ↗Finance earns trust by making the economics of a choice visible. I combine discipline in cash, controls and reporting with constructive challenge on investment and growth. A clear explanation of uncertainty is more valuable than precision that the underlying assumptions cannot support.
The journal
Further reading.
- 02
Capital allocation needs a common language
Two investment cases can appear comparable while using different assumptions about risk, time and resource demands.
- 03
The finance transformation beyond faster reporting
A faster close creates capacity, but the value depends on how that capacity is used.
- Capital raised
- $2.4 bn
- Equity, debt and a cross-border listing
- Margin expansion
- 380 bps
- Over four reporting years
- Qualified audit opinions
- 0
- Across twelve reporting periods
- Transactions closed
- 11
- Acquisitions, divestments and JVs
Beyond the page
The record behind the perspective.
In the boardroom
- Calder LogisticsIndependent Director · 2021 — Present
- Westmoor Housing FinanceNon-Executive Director · 2018 — Present
- The Lakeshore FoundationHonorary Treasurer · 2016 — 2022
Recognition
- CFO of the Year — Large EnterpriseThe Finance Leaders Forum · 2024
- Best Investor Relations, Mid-CapCapital & Governance Quarterly · 2023
In conversation
- “Capital allocation is a leadership decision, not a spreadsheet”Capital & Governance Quarterly · 2025
- “Inside a cross-border listing in eleven months”The Finance Leaders Forum · 2024
- “What audit committees should ask about cash”The Boardroom Review · 2023
Turns a complex balance sheet into a decision the whole board can own. Investors trusted the numbers because they trusted the person.
Continue the conversation
Ideas are tested in conversation.
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