CASE STUDY:

Strengthening financial clarity for Peterson Solutions.

Peterson Solutions is a global sustainability organisation supporting clients across sectors including agriculture, fisheries, biofuels, textiles and wider supply-chain assurance. Their work helps organisations operate responsibly, from sustainable sourcing and certification to regeneration, waste reduction and supply-chain transparency.

The UK division specialises particularly in agriculture, fisheries and sustainability assurance projects, while also working closely with global teams who cover additional sectors.

The business is project-driven, operationally complex, and heavily reliant on accurate financial information to support both client delivery and international reporting.

When Peterson Solutions’ previous Finance Manager left the business, key system access and information were no longer available, leaving the UK team without full visibility of their financial position. As Operations Manager Vicki Donnelly began reviewing the business finances, it became clear that the issues were extensive.

Within a few days of an internal audit, Vicki uncovered missed statutory submissions, incorrect calculations, incomplete reconciliations and two years’ worth of gaps in reporting. Much of the information needed to understand the true financial position was either inaccurate or missing.

“It was overwhelming. We didn’t know what we were dealing with or where to turn next.”

Without reliable financial data, the team were effectively working without a clear picture of performance or compliance. This created understandable concern about the organisation’s financial health and how the issues might impact global reporting and business direction.

The uncertainty also created friction between teams: everyone was trying to do the right thing, but no one had the information needed to make confident decisions.

“We were at the point where we just didn’t know how serious the issues were. It felt like a make-or-break moment.”

The team initially felt nervous about bringing in an external finance leader. Peterson’s UK operations are complex, with project-based work, WIP billing and sector-specific nuances that can take time to understand. There was a concern that someone unfamiliar with the organisation might struggle to grasp the detail quickly enough or potentially make the situation worse.

The ideal scenario had been temporary support from their global group, but this wasn’t possible. Recruiting internally wasn’t the right fit either. A permanent employee would require extensive training to understand the business model, the global reporting structures and the industry-specific work Peterson delivers.

With financial clarity urgently needed, the team couldn’t afford a long onboarding period or a gradual learning curve.

“We were so nervous about bringing in someone external because we genuinely didn’t know the full extent of the problems. We needed someone who could come in, understand everything quickly and not add to the issues.”

It was at this point that their Regional Director recommended Anna, having worked with her previously. Despite the initial apprehension, the moment the team met her, their concerns began to ease. Anna asked practical, informed questions, understood the context quickly and approached the situation with calm confidence.

Plus, her breadth of experience across different sectors helped reassure the team that she could adapt quickly to Peterson’s project-based, international environment.

Once engaged, Anna worked closely with the UK and global finance teams to rebuild a secure, reliable financial foundation. Her work included:

Correcting historical financial data and bringing records up to date
Ensuring statutory and HMRC submissions were accurate and compliant
Strengthening reconciliations and improving global reporting
Introducing weekly cashflow reviews
Creating a split P&L to give each department clearer insight
Updating processes and workflows to reflect the UK’s operating model
Improving visibility around project performance, costs and margins
Recruiting and training a new permanent Finance Manager

“Anna didn’t just resolve the issues, she helped us understand them. She made finance feel accessible, and she supported us every step of the way.”

With accurate information and robust processes in place, Peterson Solutions began to see a shift, not just in their numbers, but in how the organisation operated day to day. Correcting historic issues, introducing appropriate processes and supporting the team created both immediate improvements and longer-term stability. The impact was felt across compliance, reporting, team alignment and overall financial confidence.

Reliable, accurate financial information

For the first time in several years, the UK team had a clear and accurate picture of their financial position. Reconciliations were brought up to date, statutory submissions were corrected and historical errors were resolved. This allowed the team to understand their true performance, report confidently to the global group and make decisions based on facts rather than assumptions. Having reliable information brought a sense of clarity and control that had been missing.

Processes that genuinely reflect how the UK business operates

Instead of relying on generic global templates, Anna introduced processes and controls that aligned with the UK’s specific operating model. This created systems that supported the way the team actually worked, made responsibilities clearer and brought more consistency to month-end routines. The new processes also reduced the risk of errors and created a smoother, more structured approach across the team.

Stronger engagement and understanding across the organisation

As financial visibility improved, the wider team became more engaged with the numbers. Directors and project teams gained a better understanding of costs, pricing and profitability, and finance became part of everyday conversations rather than something that sat to one side. This improved cross-department collaboration, strengthened decision-making and helped everyone see how their work contributed to the financial picture. The atmosphere shifted from uncertainty to shared ownership.

A confident, capable finance function for the long term

Anna’s support also extended to rebuilding the finance team itself. She recruited and trained a new Finance Manager who is now confidently leading day-to-day operations and providing the organisation with the stability it needed. This created continuity after a difficult transition and gave the business a finance function equipped not just to manage the present, but to support continued improvement.

Continued senior advice and consultancy whenever needed

With such a positive mutual relationship, the team at Peterson Solutions know that Anna is available on an ad-hoc basis for them, giving access to senior financial expertise whenever needed. This provides reassurance during busy periods, helps the team sense-check complex issues and ensures that challenges are addressed quickly before they escalate. The business now has ongoing support from someone who understands their structure, their people and their goals.

The Peterson Solutions UK team now operates with stronger financial foundations, clearer reporting and greater alignment across departments. With reliable information in place, decision-making is more confident and the organisation is better positioned for ongoing stability and growth.

“Anna’s worth her weight in gold.

At first we thought the cost was steep, but once we saw the sheer amount of work she delivered and the difference it made, we realised it was absolutely worth it. The value far outweighed the investment.

The support she gave us was invaluable, and we’re in a completely different place now because of the clarity she helped us build.”

If your organisation would benefit from clearer financial visibility or flexible senior finance support, I’d love to have a conversation.