The Finance Times
Issue 11 – April 2009
Who’s on the move
To provide exam and holiday cover, a seconded colleague from Estates, Kirsty McGaun, will be working in the LIMM finance office from Friday 8th May until Friday 12th June inclusive. Faculty of Medicine & Health would like to express their thanks to Estates for allowing Kirsty to come over and they hope that she enjoys the experience. Michael Colley joins the University on May 6th in the newly created post of Tax Accountant. He will join Financial Services, working with Juliet Smith on Corporation tax and VAT matters relating to the University and subsidiary companies. Michael has previously worked in practice, most recently at KPMG as Corporate Tax Manager where he specialised in Corporate Tax Compliance. He is ACA and CTA qualified and brings with him knowledge and experience of various tax matters.
In the spotlight
This month it is your chance to get to know Mike Nevins, Procurement Officer in Estate Services who is part of a Finance/Procurement team and also admits to answering at home to Michael, Mick or Miguel. Mike has worked at the University since January 2001; he thinks it is a great place to work as there is such a lot going on with all the new exciting buildings under construction. Mike lives just outside Barnsley (the promised land) with 2 grown up offspring Katherine and Daniel. His interests outside work include most sports but particularly football and tennis and he used to play both to an OK standard. Mike is a Barnsley FC season ticket holder and says “there is thick and thin but watching them is mostly thin and very thin - but someone has to” and the guys in Central Purchasing call me the sad statto man. Alas he is proud that at least he has seen them play in the Premier League, Millennium stadium and old and new Wembley. Mike has also supported the England team in Belgium Switzerland, Portugal, USA and Germany and would love to go to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup but is worried about the security side of things. Mike also enjoys his holidays but strongly refutes the comments from Estates colleagues and friends who say “Is he on holiday again?” It’s not totally true. Mike’s other interests include learning Spanish (see ref to Miguel), keeping fit, reading and listening to music (he still likes to go to concerts) Mike car shares with a long standing friend who is leaving the University in July. He is therefore actively looking for a new car share partner or partners who travel from the Barnsley area to Leeds. So if anyone out there knows someone who makes the same journey who would like to car share he would be very interested to hear from them. Mike can be contacted on 0113 343 5927 or E Mail m.j.nevins@leeds.ac.uk
What’s happening
P2P. The Purchase to Pay project is progressing well as the new business processes become embedded. Whilst many of invoices being entered by Accounts Payable are matching first time, there are several areas where we are experiencing recurrent instances of failure. These are specifically goods receipts not being processed in a timely manner and VAT coding errors. The Goods Receipt process is significantly more important under P2P as this is now the instruction to Accounts Payable to pay a supplier's invoice. Periodic reviews of outstanding orders should be taking place to identify orders which should have been goods receipted, paying particular attention to orders for services. VAT coding training is available on request for any faculty/service where this is required
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Senior Management Team. The next session will be held on 20th May. The agenda will cover: o Presentation by Richard Williams on Innovation City Leeds o Presentation by Julie Reeves relaying feedback from the Values “Communications” group o Feedback from Phi Macdonald/Ellie Griffiths on Financial Procedures o Feedback from Jane Madeley Deputies are recommended to ensure communication back to staff if members are unable to attend. Management Accounting Restructure. With the departure of Tara Bhogal to Medicine & Health, Costing and Pricing will now form part of the Reporting team, led by Wendy Rose. A new Senior Management Accountant is being appointed with two main areas of responsibility: the management of the investment appraisal process under which major University decisions are made and subsequently monitored; and the strategic financial input and management accounting required to support the Central Services. The investment appraisal work was previously undertaken within Financial Accounting. Lisa Worsley, Corporate Services Finance Manager will continue to work closely with ISS & the Library. Policies and Guidelines. Phil MacDonald and Ellie Griffiths are currently visiting all the Faculties and Services to introduce the refreshed Policies and Guidelines which will go live on 1st June following Audit & Risk Committee approval. The more user friendly Financial Procedures take a risk based approach and aim to reduce duplication of guidance and facilitate understanding.
What’s New
A new beginning….
On 22nd April we said goodbye to Jeff Knowles who retired from the University after 11 years service. There was a fantastic turnout from across the community to say goodbye and Phil MacDonald has kindly provided the following snapshots from the farewell party.
‘The present giving’
‘The Team… past and present’
‘Jeff’s big speech …’
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A big thank you…
Jeff would like to thank all of you who turned up to give him a fantastic send off at his retirement do, and to thank you for your generous gifts. He would like to express his sincere and heartfelt feelings to each of you for the warmth and friendship you have shown him over the last 11 years and made each day enjoyable and special.
But… For all those that were envious of his new found
freedom last week, Jeff has provided us with a snapshot of his new life……. And the promise that he will be back to visit!!
‘The reality of retirement’
Your news
Congratulations to Joanne Evans and her partner Rick who have had a baby girl. Isabella Rose was born on Thursday 9th April; mother and baby are doing well.
Getting to know..…
Next month is your chance to get to know the LUBS Faculty Finance team.
If you have news items for 27th May 2009.
Environment Engineering MAPS PVAC Arts Medicine & Health Biological Sciences LUBS ESSL RCS Central finance Estates Corporate Services Purchasing
the next issue please pass them on to one of the news collectors before
Coleen Palmer Nicola Dickinson Janet Jukes Paul Ward Martin Tudge Anika Huggins Jennie MacKenzie Louise Courtney Julie Reeves Andrew Page Wendy Rose Steven Roe Lisa Worsley Tim Brannon Tel 36698 Tel 32787 Tel 33977 Tel 37498 Tel 37848 Tel 36629 Tel 34232 Tel 36853 Tel 36867 Tel 36078 Tel 36090 Tel 35930 Tel 38191 Tel 36030 c.palmer@leeds.ac.uk n.h.dickinson@leeds.ac.uk j.jukes@leeds.ac.uk vpapcw@leeds.ac.uk m.tudge@leeds.ac.uk a.n.huggins@adm.leeds.ac.uk j.i.mackenzie@leeds.ac.uk l.courtney@lubs.leeds.ac.uk j.p.reeves@leeds.ac.uk a.g.page@adm.leeds.ac.uk w.rose@adm.leeds.ac.uk s.m.roe@leeds.ac.uk l.j.worsley@leeds.ac.uk t.p.brannon@adm.leeds.ac.uk
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