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Paul Hamilton, Finance Expert in Granada, Spain
Paul Hamilton

Finance Expert in Granada, Spain

Member since July 13, 2020
Paul is a seasoned CFO and chartered accountant. As a CFO, he guided a loss-making SME to profit-making within the first year. His Big 4 experience includes dozens of M&A transactions, including buy-side, sell-side, and IPOs. Paul uses his diverse and complementary range of skills, including financial modeling, financial reporting, financial management, and M&A, to help his clients make strategic decisions and achieve their goals.
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Career Highlights

Education

Select Certifications

Case studies

Expertise

Employment

  • CFO and Co-Founder

    2020 - PRESENT
    CellBio Limited
    • Built a financial forecast model to support the organization's strategy and to allow the founders to evaluate multiple scenarios.
    • Led the identification and submission of grant applications.
    • Developed the methodology and led the negotiation between the three co-founders for the initial allocation of equity.
    Focus areas: Finance Strategy, Part-time CFO

  • Founder

    2020 - PRESENT
    Firebrand Finance
    • Identified a cash flow shortage for a client and developed and implemented a cash flow tracking process to flag future shortages on a timely basis.
    • Developed a budgeting process and an integrated budgeting model for a client to allow it to formalize its budgeting process.
    • Designed a pricing model to allow a client to analyze and compare pricing options.
    • Created a financial reporting framework to streamline reporting and introduce more meaningful KPIs, allowing the client to better understand its current profitability and critical drivers of profitability and growth.
    • Reviewed a budget prepared by an NGO for a donor, highlighting additional project and administrative costs they were entitled to recover.
    • Prepared a five year forecast model for a biotech client to support a fund raise / review of strategic direction.
    Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Profitability Analysis, Financial Reporting, Financial Management, Budgeting, Cash Flow Management

  • CFO

    2014 - 2019
    Akros, Inc.
    • Introduced contract management processes to identify and mitigate risks of new contracts and to monitor these throughout implementation, which served as a critical driver to enable the achievement of profitability.
    • Strengthened systems and processes that allowed the organization to pass 11 donor audits and obtain clean opinions on its external audits every year.
    • Established management reporting, budgeting, and forecasting to support decision making, and provide long-term visibility.
    • Provided cross-functional training sessions for all staff in a number of areas, including project management, finance processes, personal finance, and Microsoft Excel.
    • Upgraded financial software and introduced new software to streamline finance processes and reporting.
    • Built and mentored a finance team that now operates with limited day-to-day oversight.
    • Reduced the timetable for external audits from 15 months year-end to two months.
    • Helped drive growth, increasing income by over 100% in four years.
    Focus areas: Audits, Financial Reporting, Financial Management, CFO, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)

  • Group Financial Controller

    2009 - 2014
    Melrose Resources, Plc.
    • Redesigned the monthly financial reporting pack for the board of directors, assessing, constructing, and distributing critical information and KPIs.
    • Streamlined the head office finance function, reducing staff requirements by 30% through automating systems, eliminating unnecessary tasks, training staff, and redistributing roles.
    • Developed the group’s internal audit framework, manual, and plan.
    • Acted as the Melrose representative in identifying and implementing a financial software solution for the group post-merger.
    • Established the group's subsidiary in Romania, including hiring finance staff, setting up bank statements, and appointing tax advisors.
    • Led the finance aspects of the group's disposal of its US operations.
    • Led the head office finance function, as well as the oversight of finance teams in local offices in Egypt, Bulgaria, Romania, and the United States.
    • Led the IFRS accounting adjustment requirements on the group's merger, presenting these to the board and obtaining buy-in from the external auditors.
    • Led jointly the integration of the finance departments when Melrose Resources merged with Petroceltic International.
    Focus areas: Cash Flow Management, Strategy, Audits, Financial Modeling, IFRS Financial Reporting, Financial Reporting, Interim CFO, Financial Management

  • Associate Director

    1997 - 2009
    KPMG
    • Established KPMG’s M&A modeling practice in Scotland and led successful IPOs on the main London Stock Exchange and on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
    • Led the UK reporting accountant role on Heineken's joint £7.8 billion acquisition with Carlsberg of Scottish & Newcastle, as well as Melrose Resources' $265 million acquisition of Merlon.
    • Developed a turnaround plan for a client and helped them implement it during a six-month secondment.
    • Led financial due diligence for clients across industries including banks, corporates, public sector entities, and private equity houses, and operated in a range of sectors, including oil & gas, public sector, manufacturing, and biotechnology.
    • Seconded to KPMG's Philadelphia office for two years, managing the external audit of AstraZeneca's North American operations.
    • Developed a financial model to allow a client with growth driven via modular bolt-on acquisitions to assess the timing and impact of 15 investments planned in the following five years.
    Focus areas: Refinancing, Initial Public Offerings, Cash Management, IFRS Financial Reporting, Audits, Management Reporting, Financial Reporting, Chartered Accountant (CA), Financial Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Finance
    1993 - 1997
    University of Stirling - Stirling, UK

Certifications

  • Chartered Accountant
    SEPTEMBER 2000 - PRESENT
    Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

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