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Rob Jones left school at 16. Now he’s chief finance officer for five start-upsWORDS = MARK ROWLAND

FD at 26042-043_AAT47_profile.indd 42 20/10/2015 15:16

AT 16, ROB JONES left school with no qualifications, working odd jobs where he could. By 26, he was finance director (FD) of a multinational corporation. So how did his career change so dramatically?

Start of the journeyJones fell into accountancy at a young age. He left school at 16, and worked in various construction jobs to help his mother pay the bills. His mum was a credit controller for a company that wanted to change accounting systems, and he joined to do data entry. The company noticed his aptitude for accounting and recommended he study with AAT.

He took evening classes, completed his AAT course and moved on to ACCA. The hard work paid off. At the age of 25, Jones was head of finance for a civil-engineering company with a £30m turnover.

A year later, he became FD for Alstom Spain, based in Madrid. He then moved within Alstom to different regional offices, working in Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

“By the time I was 26, I’d got a lot more practical experience than the people who’d gone through university, who had the qualifications.”

Since then, he has worked for several companies as FD, as well as becoming an interim chief financial officer (CFO) for hire for start-ups.

“A lot of small businesses can’t afford full-time FDs, but they could do with the expertise. My background working overseas and in mergers and acquisitions [M&A] could offer these companies a lot, so I decided to dip my toe into that market.”

He has now built up a portfolio of companies that he works with when needed. At the moment, he is CFO for five companies. “It’s lots of different industries: training consulting, software technology, creative design, fashion retail. It’s quite a varied portfolio of assignments.”

Hire calling Jones also runs a recruitment company for finance professionals, RJF Recruitment, which offers a hands-on, personalised approach.

“I was being asked to do other FD roles and didn’t have the time, so I was referring people on. Recruiters make quite a bit of money out of that, so I decided I should do it through a recruitment company and make money out of it myself.”

The business has grown and clients have responded well: “A lot of the FDs like the fact that I’m an FD and know what I’m talking about. I interview people as if I’m taking them on myself.”

Candidates also appreciate the service. Jones speaks the same language as them, and carefully selects roles that he thinks will be as good a fit for the jobseeker as possible.

“I keep in contact with all the FDs and, when they get a job, they ask me to recruit their teams. So, of late, there have been a lot of junior people.”

People personHis accountancy career has taught Jones that experiencing different cultures – in life, as well as work – better prepares you for working with different people and environments.

At Alstom’s Swiss head office in Baden, for instance, Jones says there were so many different cultures and nationalities that it felt like the UN: “It was good working with them and learning how they worked, as all people work differently. When you’re dealing with such different personalities in your day-to-day life, you can be more understanding.”

All of this, Jones says, translates into vital people-management skills, which make you a more rounded leader.

Mentors matterAnother key to Jones’ progression has been mentorship. He had two mentors at crucial periods in his career: Jim Reid, his boss at Antler Homes, who helped him with his studies in his first real accounting role, and Deryk Hesford, who first took him on at Alstom.

“It’s a real plus – someone who can advise and help, who you can go to when you’re stuck. I still go back to Deryk now and ask his advice. If you have someone to back you up, it really helps.”

Get stuck in Hesford was full of wise words, and many have become part of Jones’ philosophy: “One thing Deryk said was: ‘Don’t be afraid to take anything on. If you get asked to do something and you don’t know how to do it, say “yes” and then learn how to do it.’”

Jones ended up taking that advice when he moved to Alstom’s Netherlands office and found himself thrust into the world of M&A, which was completely beyond his experience.

“If I’d said ‘I’ve never done M&A, so it’s not for me,’ I wouldn’t have got that extra experience. You need to be brave, take the opportunity and you’ll learn fast.”

Having currently taken on five CFO roles, as well as running his recruitment agency and playing drums in two bands, it’s clear that this lesson has been at the heart of Jones’ professional life.

IMPROVE YOUR PROSPECTSRead Rob Jones’ CV and interview tips

on AAT Comment: bit.ly/RJones_AATtips

“A mentor is a real plus – someone who can advise and help, who you can go to when you’re stuck”

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