James Reed

I have previously travelled and worked in the Asia-Pacific region continuously from September 2014. I had travelled through most of South East Asia, which includes Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea & China. Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2019 I returned to the UK from working in Toronto, Canada, as well as travelling through the Quebec province.                                                                                                                                                              

November 2024 - January 2025 Apetito / Wiltshire Farm Foods - Assistant Commercial Accountant (Trowbridge, UK) Lead finance business partner for the Wiltshire Farm Foods North region Working closely with the Regional Manager for the North providing key commercial acumen with robust support and challenge Analyse and review financial performance of portfolio of depots Key involvement in the monthly period end close Involvement with key projects Ensure strong financial controls are in place including balance sheet reconciliations, identifying key risk and opportunities November 2019  – October 2024 Lloyds Banking Group – Sourcing Assistant (Bristol, UK) Processing work orders and sponsorship agreements aligned to the Business Sourcing Process (BSP), engaging and working with business and suppliers to achieve the best commercial outcome Handling the life cycle of your work orders in the SAP Ariba sourcing system Providing information and clarification on processes and procedures to business contacts and suppliers Developing personal capabilities aligned to YourBest and the training offered as part of the role and informally as opportunities arise Supporting colleagues in team by mentoring in areas of own expertise March 2022 – October 2023 Lloyds Banking Group – Finance Analyst (Bristol, UK) Performing the month end process, including preparation, and posting of manual journals, the monthly balance sheet reconciliation and substantiation process, including Integrity certification and supporting the assurance of the ledger at month end Ensuring that all work is completed accurately and adheres to specified Group policies, processes and procedures and relevant external regulations as required Driving forwards the resolution of control issues or balance sheet breaks which may include proactively identifying where improvements are required to existing processes, systems, and procedures. Developing and maintaining contacts to identify customer requirements and provide appropriate support and guidance Providing guidance on a range of technical queries, using own judgement and interpretation, to ensure the timely provision of high-quality information and guidance Embracing change: Assist in the planning of projects, scheduling of implementations, maintenance of project plans, liaising with technical departments, users, and other colleagues as required. Minimising operational risks by using sound judgement to determine where issues require escalation, including raising data quality issues Developing personal capabilities using existing formal and informal training opportunities. Demonstrating core Lloyds Banking Group values & behaviours as an active and collaborative team member October 2018 – June 2019 IA Clarington Investments Inc – Client Administrator (Toronto, Canada) Responsible for providing accurate, timely and efficient account administration for IA Clarington’s clients with regards to investment account requests Duties and activities that contribute to the effective operation of the client administration area by adhering to quality and productivity standards, by taking responsibility for monitoring both personal and team/function-based workloads Took personal responsibility for knowing and understanding current work processes, policies, and procedures as well as relevant corporate and/or industry regulations. Entry and quality control of all daily work October 2017 – February 2018 Bank of Ireland – Customer Advisor (Bristol, UK) Communication via phone & email, data protection (DPA) questions with borrower to confirm identify Resolution of mortgage queries, adept in Matterhorn/MASS, SAM summit, Image software systems Processing of monthly mortgage payments, fees, part redemption and full redemption via EFT/Worldpay Providing information to borrower on methods of payment, arrangement of full redemption statements by post, direct debit mandate or proof of payment correspondence by post August 2016 – April 2017 Southern Cross Travel Insurance – Insurance Administrator (Auckland, New Zealand) Offer exceptional customer service, organised and able to manage time and workload efficiently and independently Recording and maintaining accurate customer and policy information, adept in Microsoft Office, Reflex, Nordic WebAgent/NIS, DPS, CMA/GoTrex software systems including Pivot Tables/Vlookups Processing of internet and manual applications, medical letters, amendments, and refunds for all Southern Cross Travel Insurance products Completion of various other administration tasks e.g., filing, mail and reporting in a timely manner to ensure service & accuracy levels are achieved, testing and project work, commitment to help achieve process and business improvements Supportive to all other areas of the business, required to assist other areas of the business at times of reduced workload, ability to adapt and work effectively under pressure and during change, supportive of other team members, promotes and helps to achieve team harmony

PGCert Finance                                              Bachelor of Science (BSc) Business Administration University of Leicester                                   University of the People 
Graduation Date: June 2024                         Graduation Date: January 2021