Meet the Team

DAVID HERD

David has a long running association with the Shared Services Forum UK being one of the founding members stemming back to 2001 and remains an active and dedicated Director, proud to be part of its heritage in how it has evolved over the years into what it is today as a thriving pedigree of shared service organisations all sharing a common collaborative passion for sharing and knowledge exchange 

David’s day job is Director of Business Shared Services at Amey Ltd leading a talented team providing multi-functional support services for internal Business Units and Group operations. Services cover Customer Services, Finance Transactional Services, People Services and Business Reporting & MI. The business having recently aligned with new shareholders, the role is accountable for shared service strategy & delivering effective synergies aligned with enabling and supporting a business growth agenda.  

David is a FCCA qualified Finance Professional, having held various Director of Shared Services/GBS positions built upon a bed rock of Change Leadership with over two decades of experience enabling effective & best practice front to back-office functions & ERP implementations. Offers a wealth of insight & value acquired across a career in operational leadership, expertise in optimised organisation design strategies, functionally and operational, with an ability to execute on the creation of effective shared service centre operations and performance improvement. 

Previous positions include GBS Delivery Director, Head of Shared Services, Head of BPO, Finance Director and Consultant 

Member of APA Top Influencers Index 2020, 2021 & 2023. 

LYNSEY OAKES

As the Director of Operations Lynsey oversees all operational, administrative, and financial aspects within SSF UK. Her focus is always on enhancing and evolving our exclusive events program, creating new and exciting networking opportunities, and ensuring member engagement and satisfaction across all of our member organisations.

Over the last 7 years Lynsey has worked hard to prioritise, develop and maintain good relationships with members by ensuring they have a safe space to connect, network and share. Lynsey is passionate about curating valuable experiences and exclusive events through relevant content, networking, and best practices to continue the evolution of Shared Services Forum UK.

Lynsey has strong leadership and problem-solving skills, she is self-motivated and always prepared to go the extra mile. With a Certificate in Global Business Services and over 25 years experience in event planning, marketing, and project management, Lynsey makes sure to prioritise and invest time and research into new and creative incentives and opportunities that can be introduced to the membership to support continued growth and innovation. She works hard to build relationships with trusted collaborators to provide relevant industry insights and up to date resources to support members learning and professional development.

Outside of work Lynsey loves to keep fit, travel and spend time with family and friends!!!

ALEXANDRA LOMAS

As Member Engagement Manager at SSF UK, Alexandra is dedicated to cultivating a vibrant, connected membership community. She works closely with our members to build meaningful relationships, understand their evolving needs, and ensure they gain maximum value from their annual membership. 

Alexandra leads the management of six practitioner networks and oversees the seamless delivery of both in-person and virtual events. From coordinating logistics and managing communications to curating engaging experiences, Alexandra ensures every touchpoint adds value and strengthens member engagement.

Alexandra takes pride in planning, scheduling, and executing all SSF UK events, delivering experiences that are not only well organised but also enriching and impactful for members.

Outside of work, Alexandra is an avid tennis player and a passionate Manchester City supporter you’ll often find her at matches cheering on the team! She also enjoys long walks with her seven dogs and spending quality time with her family, which keeps her feeling energised.

NICHOLA GATES

Head of Payroll at Network Plus 

With a remarkable career spanning over 25 years in the field of payroll, Nichola Gates stands as an esteemed leader and innovator in payroll management. Currently serving as the Head of Payroll at Network Plus, Nichola is known for her exceptional ability to drive improvement and spearhead payroll transformation initiatives.

Nichola has been instrumental in leading her team through significant changes, consistently achieving operational excellence and enhancing the efficiency of payroll processes. Her strategic vision has supported the implementation of new systems, which has significantly increased accuracy within the payroll team.

Nichola's dedication to her craft is matched by her commitment to her team. She fosters an environment of collaboration and continuous improvement, empowering her team members to excel and embrace change. Her leadership style, characterised by transparency and effective communication, has earned her the respect and admiration of colleagues and stakeholders alike.

As a forward-thinking professional, Nichola remains at the forefront of industry trends, ensuring that Network Plus's payroll operations are always aligned with the latest advancements and best practices. Her passion for payroll transformation and her unwavering focus on driving positive outcomes make her an invaluable asset to the organisation.

CLAIRE MEADOWS

Director of HR Shared Services, Mitie

Claire is the Director of HR Shared Services at Mitie. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Claire leads the People Support team, which includes Employee Relations, HR Services, and Payroll for 62,000 colleagues. Throughout her career, she has held multiple roles across HR Shared Services and has been instrumental in driving change and transformation projects within the department.

Claire has played a key role in company-wide initiatives that have transformed ways of working and has been particularly influential in offshoring services over the past two years. One of her notable achievements includes leading the Onboarding transformation at Mitie, which was shortlisted for four awards in 2024. Claire is passionate about sharing ideas and best practices, and she is known for her innovative thinking and ability to think outside the box.

JOE SELLWOOD

Head of Source to Pay at Amey Group Shared Services

Joe has over 10 years of experience in Group Finance and Shared Services, with deep expertise in Accounts Payable. He played a key role in the significant relocation of the Accounts Payable function within Amey.

Currently, Joe leads the Accounts Payable function at Amey, overseeing a large team responsible for processing high volumes of transactions each month, including invoice processing, payments, statement reconciliations, and supplier communications.

Joe has extensive experience in process improvements and change management, collaborating with stakeholders across the business to build constructive, impactful relationships. He is also highly knowledgeable in government payment reporting and the deployment of E-Invoicing systems.

CHLOE JONES

Head Of Accounts Payable (UK & Ireland) at Breedon Group PLC 

Chloe is an award winning Accounts Payable professional, working within the Finance Sector for 12 years. Chloe specialises in Accounts Payable, with experience across Automotive, Construction, and Construction Manufacturing industries.

Chloe is experienced in complex business integrations, acquisitions/mergers, strategic leadership and team development.

Chloe is currently leading the Accounts Payable Department (UK & Ireland) at Breedon Group, with large volumes of transactions and is highly knowledgeable with taxes such as Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), and Relevant Contracts Tax (RCT)

Chloe is passionate about automation, process improvement, and people management.

ANDY POWELL

Head of Source to Pay, Co-op Group

With over 20 years’ experience working in and around Shared Service, Retail Operations and Technology, Andy has a unique perspective on end to end operations and how to tie together business process performance to balance sheet results.

Now at Coop Group, he leads the Source to Pay Team and is Global Process Owner for Purchase to Pay. He’s been instrumental in embedding Coop’s new SAP solution for managing Food supply chain operations and invoice matching over the past year. His team serves all Coop’s diverse businesses including Food, Funeralcare, Legal Services and Insurance services.

Andy’s previously worked at M&S HR Shared Services, Capita and Logica (now CGI). He’s held several different positions during his career, in Technology Service Management, Automation Deployment, Operational Excellence, Proposition Development, Project Management, Retail Operating Model Deployment and Retail Commercial Transformation.

IZABELLA HOCKENHULL

Head of General Accounting at Ipsen

Izabella joined Ipsen in 2022, following a strategic decision to merge the UK, French, and North America Shared Service Centers into a single location in Wrexham. She successfully led her team through a significant period of transformation, which included changes in management, development of her department structure, a SAP 4 HANA pilot, integrations of corporate acquisitions, and the expansion of services’ scope.

With over 20 years of diverse experience, Izabella has excelled in various roles such as heading finance departments, business partnering, cost accounting, commercial and quality functions. After completing top education in Poland and gaining professional experience, she moved to the UK in 2011, where she had to restart her career – a challenge she embraced and overcame through hard work and determination. Her broad experience spans multiple functions in global businesses, providing her with cross-sector and cross-functional expertise. Her consistent top performance ratings and recognition with a Global CFO award highlight her dedication and success in each role.

Izabella’s journey is a testament to her authenticity and desire to learn, driving process efficiencies and implementing innovative solutions to build world-class finance functions, and ultimately enhance bottom-line results. She is passionate about creating an environment where great learning and sharing can thrive through the network of SSC professionals, inviting others to join her on this remarkable journey.

FATIHA BOUGRASSA

Assistant Controller, Nutrition and Health at SPX Flow

Across 14 years with SPX FLOW Fatiha has acquired a wealth of knowledge, taking on multiple roles, including SSC AP manager, SSC FA&R manager and Audit and SOX lead. Fatiha is currently the EMEA Nutrition and Health Assistant Controller for SPX Flow. Fatiha is highly experienced within blue-chip organisations and demonstrates proven skills in innovative organisational change programmes. Fatiha brings an established track record of embedding financial controls, processes & KPIs to drive efficiency. Fatiha’s strengths include leading BAU teams within challenging / change-centric environments, managing large and diverse financial project teams all whilst demonstrating the ability to remain calm under pressure.

Fatiha is an enthusiastic, assertive, innovative, and practical business Leader, with a range of transferable skills acquired during a career across Shared Services & Financial Controllership. Fatiha speaks French, Spanish and is a trustee for a local charity.

ZUZANA SIDDALL

Global Process Owner, Financial Accounting & Reporting

Zuzana has been working within SSC industry for the last 17 years. Zuzana’s area of expertise has predominantly been within FA&R. Prior to completing her CIMA professional qualifications and moving to FA&R, she also held roles within PtP and OtC.

Zuzana currently works for SPX Flow, global manufacturing company. Zuzana joined the company 9 years ago following a strategic decision to merge US SSC based in Charlotte, North Carolina to the EMEA SSC based in Manchester, UK. In her current role she is responsible for the FA&R function within the EMEA, APAC and US region.

Previously Zuzana worked in M&S Shared Services where she gained a lot of experience within the retail industry.

Throughout her career in SSC's she has been leading and supporting teams during times of change while delivering on business as usual commitments. Zuzana has been involved in multiple ERP implementations and system integrations, business acquisitions & divestments as well as driving global standardisation and continuous improvements initiatives.

Having worked in change-centric environments across various functional areas within different industries enabled her to understand the end to end process. Zuzana is very passionate about developing high performing teams and encourage cross functional team working to provide the best service experience to our customers.

JAYNE GREENWELL

Head of Financial Services at Cadent Gas

Jayne Greenwell FCCA is an accomplished finance leader with over 25 years of experience, currently serving as Head of Financial Services at Cadent Gas. Jayne has transformed the Financial Services function into a high-performing, award-winning team, with successfully onshoring all financial operations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, the team now manages high-volume financial transactions and communications with exceptional service standards.

Jayne is recognised for delivering strategic, people-focused transformation, driving efficiency through automation, simplifying complex processes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and inclusive leadership. Recently, she has introduced a suite of digital tools to modernise financial operations, including automated payment allocation, electronic invoicing, and a mobile post-scanning solution, which together have eliminated paper handling across teams. Jayne also led the transformation of a complex billing process by implementing a centralised, automated system, removing manual duplication, streamlining workflows, and significantly improving debt management for Cadent.

A passionate advocate for talent development, Jayne takes pride in championing Cadent’s Finance Graduate and Apprentice programmes. She creates an environment where people feel supported to grow, collaborate and thrive, embedding wellbeing, inclusion, and career progression into the everyday culture of her team.

KERSTIE BLATCHLY

Head of Order to Cash at Shared Services Connected Limited

Kerstie brings a wealth of experience and expertise after working in Order to Cash for the last 19 years. For the last two years, she has been Head of Order to Cash at Shared Service Connected Limited, responsible for the end to end Order to Cash process for 23 Government departments. She has worked to create a workplace culture that thrives on collaboration, innovation and employee well being.

This strategic focus has resulted in improved morale, increased productivity and lower turn over rates.   Her current focus is the implementation of new technologies and innovative solutions to stream line existing processes, reducing costs and accelerating debt recovery.

PAUL QUINTI

Transactional Manager at Rhenus Logistics

With over 20 years’ experience in European Shared Services, Paul has led strategic initiatives, optimised processes, and fostered ensured continuous collaboration across various industries and diverse departments to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our order fulfilment and cash management functions. With a background in Transactional Finance and banking, my leadership focuses on driving seamless transactions, customer satisfaction, and financial excellence within the organisation.

Now at Rhenus, we are working together to improve the current processes through innovation, the use of technology and close working with the business and stakeholders to ensure the right outcomes. All this is

Aside from the new network chair for Order to Cash, Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management and vice-chair and active member on the Northwest branch of the CICM. He has also received the designation of Certified International Credit Professional from the Finance (CICP), Credit and International Business Association.

JOE MOYA

Innovation and Optimisation Director at Shared Services Connected Limited

Joe’s experience spans more than 30 years across core Digital disciplines including Infrastructure, Applications, programme management, supplier and account management. He has led Finance, HR and IT Outsourcing teams. Joe now works at the C-Suite as CIO / CEO advisory, aligning Digital with Business through effective business cases, driving operational excellence through pragmatic digital transformation roadmaps

Currently Joe is working within the SSCL Government Leadership team. Joe’s enjoyed some awards success during 2023, being nominated for six industry awards and successfully winning three for the Digital forms- project which has transformed customer engagement with SSCL. Joe’s focus for 2024 is on AI and Hyper-automation initiatives which will further accelerate operational excellence.

Nicole Green

Operational Lead of Corporate Tax at BDO LLP

Starting her career on a traditional accountancy route, Nicole built up technical industry experience alongside a passion for providing exceptional client service to a portfolio of small to medium sized businesses in the UK across various sectors. Within BDO, Nicole has been responsible for overseeing the operations of the BR Finance team responsible for providing national accounting and treasury services and is currently overseeing the multi-site Corporate Tax team based across Liverpool and Glasgow who provide national tax compliance services. Nicole’s operational roles in BDO have required her to drive operational excellence and transformation, orchestrate business optimisation and technological change projects, strategise internal processes, manage national stakeholder relationships and embed a challenging yet rewarding culture in which people can thrive.

Nicole is extremely passionate about providing high quality operational service delivery through an innovative and client centric mindset and emphasises the importance of Shared Service Centres remaining aligned with the strategy of their wider business to ensure SSC value is solidified throughout ongoing digital disruption and evolution in the industry. Nicole endeavours to undergo continuous improvement to achieve operational excellence, leveraging technology to increase efficiency, produce insightful data to allow for effective reporting and maximise commercial performance.

Outside of work Nicole loves to spend time outdoors walking or hiking on her weekends and spending time with family. She is a big animal lover and is taking part in an upcoming sponsored hike up Mount Snowdon with Animals Asia.

CARRIE RICHARDSON

Head of Reconciliations at Specsavers Optical Superstore Ltd

Carrie is a seasoned finance professional with over 15 years of experience in finance shared services. She has been at the forefront of business transformation, driving change that adds significant value to organizations. Throughout her career, Carrie has worked across all areas of finance, including external & internal audit, financial analysis, reporting and commercial finance. This diverse experience across various industries enables her to understand and address key business challenges and opportunities effectively.

A CIMA-qualified accountant, Carrie recently transitioned from her role as Head of Operations: FSS to the newly established position of Head of Reconciliations at Specsavers. In this unique role, she is responsible for creating a global reconciliation policy and framework, leveraging technology to ensure financial integrity, manage risk, and enhance operational efficiency.

Outside of her professional life, Carrie is passionate about her family and travel, always seeking new adventures around the world. She enjoys the outdoors and often participates in walking and running challenges to raise money for charity.

Daniel Edwards

Head of Customer Centre Operations, Cadent Gas

Dan is a multi-award winning leader with +25 years’ experience in Customer Experience, +20 of those in the utilities industry. He is the Head of Customer Centre Operations at Cadent, and currently leads the National Gas Emergency Service team on behalf of the UK. Dan brings a wealth of leadership, incident management, change management and continuous improvement experience. Passionate about ED&I, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to grow and succeed.

Cathie Fillingham

Head of Customer Service at Amey Group Shared Services

With a wealth of experience in driving exceptional customer experiences, Cathie is proud to serve as the Head of Customer Experience. Passionate about strategic vision and operational excellence, she is dedicated to enhancing customer satisfaction and fostering lasting relationships.

In her current role, Cathie is entrusted with developing and communicating the overarching customer experience strategy across our organisation. Cathie leads a dynamic team focused on continuous improvement, ensuring that our services consistently exceed expectations and align with regulatory standards.

Drawing on her background in contact centre operations management and change leadership, Cathie is committed to driving innovation and embracing emerging technologies to optimise the customer journey. Cathie thrives on collaborating with stakeholders and industry partners to stay ahead of market trends and deliver best-in-class solutions.

As a resilient and forward-thinking leader, Cathie prioritise people development and empowerment, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence within her team. Cathie is driven by a customer-centric mindset and a passion for delivering tangible results that drive business growth and enhance brand reputation.