Permanent CFO opportunities
FCA and Big 4 trained, with 20 years building two international businesses. I lead finance transformation, commercial performance, and ecommerce complexity from inside the business.
Maebh Collins FCA
The brief I am built for
I am suited to permanent CFO roles where the finance function must scale, the board needs clearer commercial insight, and the operating model carries real ecommerce, systems, or international complexity.
Best fit: consumer goods, FMCG, retail, ecommerce, and international businesses across Ireland, the UK, and Europe.
Reporting, controls, people, and processes need to catch up with the size and pace of the business.
Finance needs to improve decisions on margin, cash, investment, channel, and growth, not only record what happened.
Ecommerce, international markets, systems, supply chains, or a changing business model need one joined-up financial view.
Operating record
Three examples of the scale, judgement, and delivery I would bring to a CFO brief.
of revenue recovered within 12 months, at higher margins
Brexit removed the wholesale model that had supported an international consumer business.
I restructured the operation around a digital-first model, rebuilt routes to market, and reset the commercial base.
The business recovered 70% of revenue within a year, achieved higher margins than before, and served customers across more than 25 countries.
faster order processing, with stock errors down 30%
Two international businesses had outgrown their processes and needed a reliable operating backbone.
I led NetSuite and Sage implementations from selection through process design, staff training, and adoption.
Order processing became 60% faster, stock errors fell by 30%, and hundreds of finance processing hours were removed.
tax burden reduction across a major UK PLC
A listed group with more than 1,000 entities needed a transfer pricing structure that could stand up to regulatory scrutiny.
I helped design and deliver the transfer pricing strategy while maintaining full compliance across the group.
The work reduced the tax burden by £125 million and gave the group a defensible framework for continued operation.
A first 90 days
This is a typical operating approach, shaped to the brief and the condition of the finance function.
Build a clear view of cash, reporting, margins, people, systems, risk, and the quality of current decisions.
Close the most material reporting gaps, clarify ownership, and agree the commercial priorities that need finance input.
Put a board-ready plan, operating rhythm, delivery owners, and active execution in place.
Interim and fractional
I consider interim or fractional work when the outcome, authority, and timescale are clear. That can include a finance function rebuild, ERP or automation delivery, commercial reporting, or transition cover.
The work should have a defined finish line and the backing required to reach it.
Discuss a defined briefSelected writing
Finance Transformation
How to build a finance team from scratch: role sequence, controls, reporting and the first 90 days for a scaling business.
AI in Finance
Two thirds of finance hiring managers will pay above market for the right candidate. The three capabilities, and what they mean for senior finance roles.
Finance Transformation
Twenty years as a founder and CEO before moving into finance leadership. What crossing that line teaches you about both roles.
Start a conversation
Tell me the role, sector, stage of the business, and what needs to change.
