matthew ayres

deputy financial controller

About

Head of SpecFin Finance at Octopus Investments

Country

united kingdom

City

london

Industry

investment banking

Skill

financial analysis, financial reporting, microsoft excel, internal controls, business process improvement, financial modeling, corporate tax, investment banking, tax, managerial finance, financial accounting, valuation, restructuring, accounting, private equity, financial services

Experience

finance director, specialist finance

octopus investments

2014-4 - 2017-10 · 3 yrs 7 mos

Headed a c.50 strong finance team within the unquoted division of Octopus Investments, with areas of responsibility that cover departmental strategic direction, team leadership and financial control of c.£3bn assets under management (AUM). I was also a member of the Specialist Finance and Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) Valuations Committees, Bad and Doubtful Debt Committee and advisory member of the Investment Committee. My principal role involved ensuring our c.£1.8bn IHT, c.£600m VCT and c.£400m EIS funds (correct as at 2017) were protected and controlled, both commercially (e.g. returns, structuring and qualification status) and also from an infrastructure/operational view point (people, process and technology). Having helped build one of our ‘new’ IHT product vehicles from a £180m single entity in 2011 to a multi-national 242 entity c.£1.8bn group in 2017, I became a specialist in working within high growth, complex environments with a proven track record of building teams and delivering strategic and corporate objectives.