Thomas Shutt

Background

About Thomas Shutt

I am a commercially minded FD/CFO with a real focus on business partnering. After qualifying as an ACA at PWC, I spent a number of years in industry, working in the Agriculture and Defence sectors. In 2024 I moved to a portfolio role working with a number of SMEs to help achieve their goals.I focus on strategy formulation & execution with the belief that "Superior performance comes from translating an excellent strategy into superb execution". A defined strategy helps to focus the business to stay on the right path when there are multiple options available. Finance is the enabler for this success, by providing forward looking transparency, leading an effective approach to strategic planning, with a clear understanding of revenue drivers, risks and opportunities, I have helped to steer companies toward achieving their goals by:1. Maximising efficient use of resources: i. Business model & focussed, aligned financial reporting - Accountability & focus drives improved deliveryii. Challenge the organisation to improve asset utilisation, reduce costs and deliver strong cash conversion – the first step to improve performance is to put the margins back by reducing costs, realising efficiencies and improving working capital turns. This gives the platform for execution in order to…. Expanding commercial activities:i. Develop tailored strategic initiatives for each business, nurturing & expanding existing strengths to organically grow the core and scale up emerging opportunitiesii. Harness core competencies to fuel growth through innovative approaches and market expansionI use clear and effective communication (visualisation, trend analysis, KPIs, etc) to dissect & present financial data, providing actionable insight with transparency that fosters trust and facilitates better decision making and collaboration. I have advanced analytical, financial planning and new business development skills in order to fully assess the market landscape and business financial health, collaborate with management to define strategic financial objectives, and continuously monitor & evaluate implementation of strategic initiatives via regular performance reviews.Through my experience in the corporate sector I know “what good looks like” which I bring to my SME clients. I am drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit of SMEs with a continuous improvement mindset, constantly looking to increase quality and efficiency across the organisation. I do this by bringing out the best in people - building rapport at all levels & providing structure for the team to excel.