New SSF UK Member Culina Group wins the ‘Finance Transformation & Change’ Category at the Finance Awards North West

Culina’s Finance team has been recognised with a Finance Transformation Award for delivering one of the most ambitious, people‑centred and operationally impactful finance transformations in 2025 / 2026.

Over the past decade, Culina has grown rapidly through acquisition, expanding to 36 legal entities, 12 trading business units, and 18,000 colleagues. While this growth strengthened the Group’s market position, it also created a fragmented finance landscape with multiple systems, inconsistent processes and siloed teams. As one colleague reflected, “Finance was chaotic, unstructured and undocumented… we were fire‑fighting all the time.”

A Transformation Triggered by SAP – and Powered by People

Following the implementation of SAP S/4HANA in March 2025, Culina seized the opportunity to go further; restructuring the finance organisation, optimising processes and establishing a new Finance Operations Centre in Warrington. This was not simply a systems project; it was a fundamental redesign of how Finance works.

The transformation set out to:

• Break down silos and standardise processes
• Create a positive, productive “one team” culture
• Provide clear career paths and development opportunities
• Improve process quality & control
• Increase efficiency and scalability
• Lay the foundations to deliver long‑term cost savings
• Build a platform for future growth

A Bold Shift to a Capability‑Based Operating Model

Culina moved away from traditional business‑unit‑aligned finance teams, reorganising instead around capabilities. This shift required:

• A full TUPE transfer of all finance colleagues, out of local business units into a central function
• A new operating model and leadership structure
• Embedding SAP consistently across all entities
• Designing and delivering best‑in‑class training and knowledge transfer
• Mapping and standardising end‑to‑end processes

• Launching the Warrington Finance Operations Centre: a major milestone covering location strategy, site selection, site design and fit‑out, and the transition of teams into a single, collaborative environment.

People at the Heart of Every Decision

What set Culina apart – and what ultimately secured the award – was the unwavering commitment to people.

The programme prioritised transparency, engagement and fairness. Everyone was engaged and involved even if not directly impacted. Finance Directors and senior leaders were supported to become change leaders, and colleagues were treated with respect whether they were transitioning roles or leaving the organisation.

Key people‑focused achievements included:

• Extensive knowledge‑transfer training to empower colleagues
• Clear career pathways, resulting in 16 internal promotions
• Recruitment of 42 new team members
• Strong retention through consolidation into a single location
• Project exposure that developed home‑grown SME talent
• Outplacement support for impacted employees

Delivering Measurable, Sustainable Impact

The transformation has already delivered tangible benefits:

• 25% reduction in invoice backlogs
• Increased collaboration and innovation
• A scalable, standardised operating model
• A confident, skilled Finance team
• A foundation for continuous improvement and future automation

Despite challenges – from programme fatigue and competing transformations, to SAP limitations and resourcing pressures – the team remained focused, knowing that if we got the people and the process right, the benefits would come.

A Finance Function Built for the Future

Culina now has a Finance function that is stable, standardised and ready to support the Group’s long‑term ambitions. The transformation has created:

• One team
• One system
• One way of working

This award recognises not just the scale of the change, but the people focus behind it. Culina’s Finance team has shown that when people thrive, business thrives – and that is the true hallmark of a winning transformation.