In addition to providing a senior CFO resource on a part time basis to SME firms, CFO & More will focus on strategic opportunities including acquisitions, disposals and restructuring as well as providing senior executive resource to manage regulatory challenges arising from regulator supervision or intervention.

Watson, a qualified Chartered Accountant, has strong financial services experience, having been UK Group Finance Director for IFG Group plc from 2000 to 2015, during which time he helped lead the acquisition and integration of James Hay from Santander. John sat as Finance Director and as regulatory Controlled Function for all the Group’s UK regulated businesses, including James Hay and the prestigious City-based IFA Saunderson House. He was most recently Chief Operating Officer for the regulated Division of Equiniti plc.

John commented: “The launch of CFO & More has been received extremely positively by the SME community. We identified a gap in the market where growing and dynamic firms would benefit from senior CFO resource with all round industry knowledge on a part time basis as opposed to the more traditional option of employing a more junior less experienced Finance Director.”

Watson continued: “CFO & More has exceptional all round experience within the regulatory environment. We also provide senior CFO and specialist executive input to help firms presented with a significant opportunity such as acquisitions and restructuring where it is unlikely their existing management team have the experience or capacity to capitalise on the opportunity. In addition, we are able to help firms navigate through ‘stress’ events such as regulatory intervention.”