Rachel Daly FCMA CGMA

Operations Associate

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom18 yrs 2 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Led pricing for bids over £300M.
Saved over £100k through implemented controls.
Vice Chair of CIMA Northern Ireland Committee.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Commercial Finance expert in the Manufacturing and SaaS sectors.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Commercial FinanceBid PricingFinancial PlanningBudgeting & Forecasting

Other Skills

Analysis (FP&A)VolunteeringChartered accountantWebinarSocial MediaCorporate FP&APricing StrategyFinancial proposalInternational FinanceGhostwritingPodcastPublic SpeakingThought LeadershipPodcast guestWriting

About

I lead pricing of UK & international bids over £300M - partnering with commercial, sales and operations. Owning pricing, financial modelling, and risk assessment to maximise profitability and bring clarity to decisions. I have 18 years experience operating across >£500M global manufacturing and SaaS businesses across FP&A, commercial and project finance. I present to and advise Directors and C suite on bid pricing financial proposals to influence business growth. I’ve owned and led over head budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning cycles over £70M (700+ employees). I have a track record of securing EBIT improvement, cost optimisation, margin analysis and financial controls. I have saved the company >£100k through controls I implemented and reduced the annual budget cycle by 2 weeks through dynamic modelling. I write a weekly LinkedIN newsletter to 4k people (Qualified). I am passionate about helping accountants use their transferable skills to explore non traditional finance roles. I’m the current Vice Chair CIMA Northern Ireland Committee. I support member engagement and representing CIMA across regional events and media activity. All views are my own.

Experience

18 yrs 2 mos

Total Experience

3 yrs 10 mos

Average Tenure

1 yr 2 mos

Current Experience

Cima

2 roles

Vice Chair - CIMA NI Committee

Promoted

Jan 2026 – Present · 4 mos

Committee Member - Northern Ireland Branch

Mar 2025 – Dec 2025 · 9 mos

VolunteeringChartered accountant

Thales

3 roles

Commercial Finance Manager

Promoted

Nov 2023 – Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

Lead finance on UK and international bids exceeding £300M, owning pricing strategy, financial modelling and executive decision support for go/no-go approvals.
Finance lead within cross-functional bid teams, safeguarding margin integrity and commercial risk exposure.

Commercial FinanceBid Pricing

Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

Jun 2020 – Nov 2023 · 3 yrs 5 mos

Overhead controller - Led annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting cycles for 700+ employee cost base within a £500M+ global business, improving forecast accuracy and financial transparency.
Delivered EBIT improvements through cost optimisation and enhanced financial controls.
Implemented a dynamic budget cycle model, reducing planning cycle time by 2 weeks.
Partnered with executives across functions to consolidate, challenge, and interpret financial data for strategic decision making.
Documented and improved internal controls to strengthen governance and operational effectiveness.

Financial PlanningAnalysis (FP&A)Budgeting & Forecasting

Management Accountant

Mar 2014 – May 2020 · 6 yrs 2 mos

Supported overhead budgeting and forecasting, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Developed detailed monthly reports and variance analysis for executive decision-making.
Led the integration and testing of the TM1 CRM forecasting tool, improving forecasting accuracy and process efficiency.
Managed monthly accruals, prepayments, and payroll control, ensuring compliance and accuracy

Financial PlanningAnalysis (FP&A)

Intel corporation

Finance Business Analyst

Jan 2013 – Jan 2014 · 1 yr · Belfast Metropolitan Area

Post acquisition of Aepona, managed monthly management accounts and financial reporting across multiple entities in the USA, UK, and France, reporting directly to a US based team.
Delivered comprehensive variance analysis and prepared dynamic monthly dashboards to provide clear insights into business performance.
Oversaw project accounting activities, including percentage complete revenue recognition and sales forecasting, ensuring accurate and timely financial tracking.
Led data migration and systems integration efforts following the acquisition, successfully navigating the complexities of systems transition during a critical period of change.
Demonstrated resilience and adaptability in managing financial processes throughout the takeover, supporting seamless business continuity and financial control.

Aepona

2 roles

Management Accountant

Jan 2011 – Jan 2013 · 2 yrs

Management Accountant overseeing financial reporting for three group entities across the UK, USA, and France.
Prepare monthly management accounts and dashboards, delivering detailed variance analysis to support business decision making.
Lead revenue forecasting and project accounting processes, alongside rolling cash flow forecasting to ensure liquidity management.
Manage international exchange rate exposure and negotiate agreements with banking partners to optimize foreign currency risk.
Played a key role in the successful implementation of Netsuite, transitioning from Sun Systems to enhance financial systems and reporting capabilities.

Assistant Accountant

Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 · 1 yr

Financial PlanningAnalysis (FP&A)

Irwin donaghey stockman llp

Trainee Chartered Accountant

Jan 2007 – Jan 2009 · 2 yrs

Annual accounts preparation for sole traders, medium and large businesses. Audit of medium and large entities. Management accounts. Stock counts. Tax computations and VAT returns.