Regardless of your business stage, we aim to empower you to the correct financial structure and technology in creating opportunities.
AYSTREE CONSULTING limited
Aystree Consulting Limited (“AC”) leverages Leslie Whiteford's experience from over 30 years working at the Board level in a large variety of organisations across the globe. This website sets out AC’s key experience and competencies together with the value that AC can bring to different client categories. Leslie is a Scottish Chartered Accountant with a degree in Law.
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The Opportunity
Businesses are struggling to cope with market changes brought on by digital talent and persuasion.
The problem is that the social, demographic and technological landscape is evolving faster than businesses can.
In other words, organisations need a new DNA for business success.
If a company wants to succeed, especially as we enter an era of technological advancements that is rapidly changing our world, it has no choice but to rethink its strategies from within outwards: How do they engage their customer base? What does the workforce need to move forward? And what must be changed about mindsets, so people don't get left behind by this rapid shift towards automation and technology-fuelled advancement?
Why Us?
Regardless of your business stage, AC aims to empower you to correct financial, operational and technology structure in creating new opportunities, both domestically and globally. We present a non-biased view on what you should expect and the steps required to take you from today to a better tomorrow.Experience gained in Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore and India ), Europe ( UK and Ireland ) and the USA have provided AC with an efficient understanding of building successful business relationships among diverse ethnic and corporate cultures. This experience with start-ups, Private Equity-owned groups, and Listed Companies have been supplemented with an extensive range of operational solutions that leverage technology as a differentiator.
Adapting your business to cope with a landscape that is transforming at a pace can be unsettling for even the most mature businesses.
AC can assist you in responding to the challenges from new-age disruptors and in pushing boundaries, not only domestically but globally.Start-ups taking advantage of this new landscape also face the challenge of conforming to an environment where regulations and infrastructure are trailing. Still, demand for increased corporate governance and ESG compliance is growing.
AC leverages experience disrupting and providing services across borders in highly regulated markets as well as taking traditional domestic businesses into the international arena.
Private Equity, Corporate Acquisitions and Exit Preparations
Critical success factors for Private Equity includes corporate acquisitions; AC is a valuable go-to source for M&A enabling private equity firms and corporations to acquire target companies, saving them considerable time, money and wasted effort by providing:
- industry knowledge: a deep understanding of the industry in which the target operates, combining with the ability to glean critical insights from a detailed analysis of publicised data and past deals
- insight into operating procedures through detailed contact with the senior management team
- a clear assessment of the synergy and integration opportunities recognising the respective organisational cultures of the buyer and seller
- fair valuation taking into account the client base and the range of products and services.
Exit preparation is also critical to maximise value. Preparation needs to start years before the planned exit to ensure that all relevant information and data is in place to demonstrate the ability to enhance and expedite future growth and profitability. AC can supplement existing finance teams in this process by:
- collating all the necessary financial data and metrics that support the Exit story and maximise value
- managing the due diligence process to reduce the time and effort to negotiate a successful transaction
- working with the management team to prepare them for dealing with the investment analysts.
Assisting with corporate acquisitions and Exit preparation leaves key management to focus on what you do best; manage and run the business.
Venture Capital and Start-ups - Scale up your finance team!
For start-ups, cash is king, and there is no room for expensive seasoned CFOs but rather relatively young, energetic finance professionals or outsourced solutions, where they may struggle to keep on top of all the opportunities and challenges that start-ups face. AC looks to partner with the owners and assist the existing finance team to identify and monetise the opportunities, overcome the challenges and most importantly, develop the skills to take them and your business to the next level.
What's in it for me?
We want your business to succeed because you will be our business partner. We plan to help you grow your business and take advantage of the opportunities available in the market. One of those opportunities is where AC comes in. Whether you are looking to respond to the disruption in this new landscape or lead the disruption, our processes for assessing and managing the threats and opportunities empower you to be financially sound – so that you can focus on what matters most within your business.
“…we found ourselves without a CFO at a certain point and urgently needed to fill the breach. Through a recommendation from an ex-Big 4 Partner friend, we met Leslie and hired him as interim CFO. He did a fantastic job, quickly gelling with the finance team, and adding value in terms of the additional work we had on hand, including several acquisitions and preparation of our business for a listing process. Our Private Equity owners were highly appreciative of the job Leslie did. In the end, Leslie stayed with the Group far longer than was originally intended, but all the while ready to take on roles that needed doing. I would have no hesitation in recommending Leslie for interim CFO roles and, should the right situation arise, for a permanent role where his skills in finance and overall project management come to the fore.”
Martin Crawford
Former CEO of Vistra Group
"I have worked with Leslie during one of the more challenging assignments in my career. Leslie was always able to bring much needed pragmatism into his advice which could only come from a deep yet broad experience across many industries. I have no doubt he would be able to bring value to many organisations that seek out his advice.”
Lawrence Tsang
CFO Asia Pacific, Grosvenor Group, (former CFO of Vistra Group)
“I have worked with Leslie in a number of capacities for nearly 10 years. Leslie worked in a variety of senior roles in international and institutional finance during the time that I was the Chief Financial Officer of E*TRADE Financial. Leslie has always proven himself extremely reliable and capable in his roles. He was able to negotiate a very challenging settlement with an important counterparty with which we had a long-standing dispute--and remain in good standing with them after it was done. He has always been flexible and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. When we needed someone to be Chief Executive of an investment we made in India, Leslie was our go-to guy for the job. When I needed someone to take a divisional CFO role in a very challenging situtation, with a very difficult business head, Leslie was able to manage the situation brilliantly. I can't speak highly enough of Leslie's integrity, capability, and his charming style.”
Robert Simmons
CFO Sky West Inc, (former CFO of E*TRADE Group)
“I have worked with Leslie for much of the past 20 years. He was CFO and an Executive Committee member of a company, TIR Securities, which I helped found in 1989 and ran as CEO through 1999. During those years, Leslie was not only a dedicated finance executive but also an extremely valuable business executive who helped shape and run that company from its start to its eventual sale to E*TRADE in 1999. At E*TRADE, Leslie showed that he was as effective in a large global organization as he had been in a small start-up environment. He held many key roles at E*TRADE, including the head of International Finance and the head of Global Institutional Finance. In the end, E*TRADE took a strategic stake in a large financial services firm in India and inserted Leslie as CEO of that business. Once again, Leslie showed his skills as both a finance executive but also as a valuable business executive capable of shaping and running a business. Leslie is hardworking, innovative, trustworthy and of the highest integrity and would be a valuable asset within any organization.”
Jarrett Lilien
President & COO, Wisdom Tree, (former CEO & President of E*TRADE Group)
“Leslie was instrumental in preparing our business for an IPO which was a rather complex project where Leslie oversaw, amongst others, the compilation of key business drivers and metrics, competitive benchmarking and the implementation of the employee incentive program.”
Remko Hilhorst
Partner IK Investment Partners, (Former PE Owners of Vistra)
Key Experiences
Global experience across 4 continents
- Asia – Hong Kong; Singapore; India; Japan; Malaysia; Philippines
- Europe – UK; Ireland; Scandinavia; Germany
- US – New York; Silicon Valley; Arlington
- Australia – Sydney; Melbourne
Broad service industry experience
- Financial services: funds; brokerage; banking; investment banking
- Professional services: accounting; secretarial; legal; payroll; corporate formation
- Online and offline distribution channels
M&A
- Sale of an international brokerage business to E*TRADE and subsequent integration of their international businesses
- Sale of a listed Indian brokerage business to HSBC
- Acquisition and subsequent integration of a Singapore Corporate service provider
Exit preparation and execution – IPOs and trade sales
- Listing of a start-up Hong Kong fund on the New Zealand Stock Exchange raising NZ$30 million
- Sale of private international brokerage group to E*TRADE for ~US$122 million
- Sale of listed Indian financial services group to HSBC for ~US$300 million
- Leading the HK IPO stream of a PE-owned global trust and corporate services group that sold for a reported US$1.1 billion to another PE firm 5 days before the listing hearing
Business Strategies & Transformations
- Strategy review for a global trust and corporate service provider with a leading international consultancy group
- Global procurement review with a leading international consultancy group
- Strategic plan and subsequent service integration to internationalise a domestic Indian brokerage business.
Experience of high growth start-up, private, PE-owned & listed companies/groups
- Listing of a start-up Hong Kong fund on the New Zealand Stock Exchange raising NZ$30 million
- Start-up of a global brokerage business in Hong Kong with US$3m capital that sold for ~US$122 million while handling US$30 billion transactions annually
- International CFO / Division Lead for NYSE/Nasdaq-listed Financial Services Group
- MD & CEO of a full-service brokerage group listed on the Indian Stock Exchange
Key Competencies
High EQ
- Built, led and maintained finance teams in multi jurisdiction and cultural environments
- Successfully partnered owner CEOs and seasoned corporate CEOs with different personalities and styles
- Introduced as a new CEO to an Indian-listed financial services group and immediately engaged with existing management team
- Committed to mentoring and developing team members and peers
Commercial awareness
- Support owners and other functional heads in understanding all of their relevant commercial revenue and cost drivers
- Development of reports and dashboards to ensure timely distribution of financial and non-financial metrics to business owners
- Experience of multiple distribution channels: online, franchise, bricks & Mortar, etc
- Experience of outsourcing and offshoring models with both in-house and third-party service providers
Regulatory, governance & risk awareness
- Worked with regulators in over 10 jurisdictions
- Chaired the international risk committee of a US listed group
- Led the implementation of the international Sarbanes-Oxley compliance for a US listed financial services group
- Participated as a non-executive director on both an independent basis and on regulated group entities including banks
Digital awareness
- 30 years with companies leveraging technology as a differentiator
- Almost 10 years with a leading online financial services pioneer
- Managed complex platform conversions and integrations
Services for PE-owned / AIM-listed Companies
NOMAD
Pre-listing
- Reviewing financial models
- Identifying all key metrics
- Sensitivity impact of assumptions
Post-listing
- Optimising reporting timetable, processes & procedures
- Cash flow management & reporting
- Debt & capital needs monitoring
Management
CEO
- Ensuring management reporting meets CEO needs
- Developing dashboards with early warning signals
- Competitive benchmarking
Finance Director / Controller
- Streamlining and standardising processes and procedures to minimise scope for errors and providing timely information
- Identifying opportunities for automation and digitisation
- Coaching / Mentoring
Investor Relations
- Ensuring transparency, consistency & timeliness in communications
- Standardise reporting templates
- Early communication of trends & anomalies
- Identification of key metrics for investors
- Assistance with MD&A
Services For Owner-managed Companies
Owner
- Identification of key revenue, cost and cash flow drivers
- Documenting business plan & strategy
- Preparation of financial models; p&l, balance sheet & cash flow to reflect business plan
- Agreeing format, content & frequency of reporting and forecast updates
- Competitive benchmarking
- Ensuring accounting software and accounting team are fit for purpose
- Exit & succession planning
Finance
- Streamlining and standardising processes and procedures to minimise scope for errors and timely information
- Cash flow management & reporting
- Debt & capital needs monitoring
- Highlighting key risk areas
- Advising on banking needs & facilities
- Advising on dealing with regulators, auditors and other professional advisers
- Coaching & mentoring for finance lead/team
Margin Enhancement
- Objectively review procurement practices
- Expense processes & procedures
- Facilities; location, alternative workplace models etc.
- Alternative vendors
- Identifying opportunities for automation and digitisation
- Identify opportunities for offshoring & outsourcing
- Use of social media for marketing & recruiting
