Richard Owusu-Cyrus
Summary
Versatile and multidisciplinary professional with progressive experience across diverse industries; investment banking, asset management, mining, telecommunications, top 4 consulting and yacht manufacturing.
Combines senior management experience with a continuous improvement mindset to optimise the performance of finance functions and support business growth. Strong leader with a track recording of building and developing cohesive, high-performing teams and experience leading multi-site, global Finance teams. Adept at heading digital transformation and key strategic projects.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Strategic Projects Director
Fairline Yachts
London
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Set Out to assist in taking the company through a significant financial and operational restructuring
- Led end-to-end strategic operations, and set-up PMO to firm, whilst ensuring proper allocation of resources
- Drove key initiatives for the company for operational effectiveness
- Working closely with senior management team to devise, shape and evolve the long-term strategy of the firm
- Led and successfully implemented an ERP on time and under budget saving $800k, providing strategic guidance in support of business goals
- Coordinating with key stakeholders to deliver optimal outcome
- Led and successfully implemented an electronic booking system to provide a real time insight into the assembly and manufacture of all Yacht build process.
Associate Director
Ernst & Young
London
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Delivered visionary leadership to empower a team in financial and organisational complex matters
- Fostered coordination with Partner and defined engagement scope; executed in compliance with policies/protocols
- Managed project lifecycle and escalation point for all stakeholders both internally and externally
- Presented engagements reporting to engagement Partner, project managed the team, coordinating deliverables from teams tasked to deal with discreet aspects of assignments and communicating issues
- Directed a team to simplify a global media/advertising company’s operating model
- Achieved 15% operating margin by reducing brand from c.150 to 6 in near term under 3 LOBs.
London Business School
Sloan
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Fellowship – MSc, Leadership & Strategy, Leadership, corporate turnaround, private equity, corporate strategy, and strategy for growth.
Deputy Group Finance Director
Metallon Corporation Ltd
London
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Established, managed and contributed to numerous finance and IT-related projects/investments, encompassing a 5-year forecasting, budgeting and planning project in collaboration with group finance director
- Ensured financial operations optimally aligned with wider business requirements and strategies to working capital and improve cash
- Accomplished a range of cost reduction and business optimisation initiatives by spearheading turnaround, restructuring and modernisation at Metallon Corporation Limited (4k employees)
- Led an accelerated turnaround of mining operations to enhance EBITDA by 25% and implemented end-to-end transformation of back office In Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania
- Served as Key advisor to Board by providing analysis and input into long-term company viability, financial implications of transactions, and corporate strategy
- Steered 7 senior executive direct reports, with 250 indirect reports in Finance, Procurement and HR.
Executive Director
Kazimir Partners
London
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Delivered investment advisory services, whilst serving in Kazimir Partners Limited (private equity company)
- Led business-critical finance transformation project within stringent timeframe during merger with Kazimir Partners and de-merger from Renaissance Capital
- Achieved cost synergies by 18% via effective post-merger integration planning and implementation
- Directed all external service providers, encompassing Fund Administrators, Custodians and Banks.
Executive Director (Vice President)
Renaissance Capital
London
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Directed restructuring and re-domiciliation of $180m Renaissance Russian Infrastructure close-ended fund from British Virgin Islands to Guernsey and listed on London stock exchange
- Played a vital role as member of private equity and special situations team for restructuring $650m and corporate acquisitions
- Achieved successive promotion to lead financial management, reporting and control of legal entities and asset management of 25 funds (Closed Ended and UCITS) maintaining compliance with IFRS and US GAAP
- Secured up to $250k year-on-year in audit fees through complex negotiation and preparatory work and reduced auditors’ review time
- Achieved 18% cost synergies by effective post-merger integration planning and implementation.
Interim CFO
Standard Telecom Congo S.A.R.L
- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Grovemill (Propriety) Limited: CFO - Botswana
Education
MSc - Leadership and Strategy
London Business School
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme -
Said Business School, University of Oxford
MBA -
University of East London
FCCA – Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (CPA Equivalent) CFA Level 3 Chartered Financial Analyst (in progress) PRINCE2 Project Management - Foundation and Practitioner -
Skills
- Cash and Working Capital
- Revenue/Profit Optimisation
- Project Management
- Strategic planning & Execution
- Corporate Strategy
- Post-Merger Integration
- Operational Due Diligence
- Performance Improvement
- Chartered/ Qualified Accountant
- Team Building & Leadership
- Financial/ Debt Restructuring
- ERP (systems) Implementation
- Technical Knowledge
- US GAAP, IFRS – Syteline ERP, Coda Dream, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage X3 ERP, Concur, Sun Systems
- Continued…
Timeline
Strategic Projects Director
Fairline Yachts
01.2022 - 01.2023
Associate Director
Ernst & Young
01.2021 - 01.2022
London Business School
01.2018 - 01.2020
Deputy Group Finance Director
Metallon Corporation Ltd
01.2014 - 01.2018
Executive Director
Kazimir Partners
01.2013 - 01.2014
Executive Director (Vice President)
Renaissance Capital
01.2010 - 01.2013
Interim CFO
Standard Telecom Congo S.A.R.L
MSc - Leadership and Strategy
London Business School
Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme -
Said Business School, University of Oxford
MBA -
University of East London
FCCA – Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (CPA Equivalent) CFA Level 3 Chartered Financial Analyst (in progress) PRINCE2 Project Management - Foundation and Practitioner -
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