Berkshire: Gardner Leader appoints first finance director

Gardner Leader, one of the fastest-growing solicitors in the South East, has appointed Catherine Wilson as its new finance director.

The firm is predicting a 50% rise in revenue from 2012 following its recent expansion across Berkshire and has appointed Wilson to manage its four person finance team and to work with teams across its Newbury, Thatcham and Maidenhead offices.

Wilson will draw upon over 30 years’ experience to strategically manage and advise on all finance-related matters and to support the firm with its ambitions growth plans. Part of her role will involve assessing the firm's financial processes so they operate to maximum efficiency and profitability including ensuring that partners have the latest figures at their fingertips so faster decisions can be made.

For a number of years Wilson has specialised in helping dynamic, ambitious businesses to grow. Prior to joining the firm, she was finance director of Microsulis Medical in Portsmouth and the UK interim finance director of AngioDynamics.

She said: "I will be constantly challenging and assessing procedures to ensure that financial processes are much easier for everyone in Gardner Leader so they can devote more of their time to clients and the future growth of the business rather than spending it on internal matters. It's a very exciting time to be joining and I look forward to supporting the firm in taking it to another level of growth."

Derek Rodgers, managing partner of Gardner Leader, said: "We are delighted that Catherine could join the team. We can benefit from her years of experience in seeing how finance operations work across other industries and businesses, both large and small, and apply some of these lessons to tighten and strengthen our own procedures."