Over the past three years, Phenna Group has invested significantly in its global finance function, strengthening people, processes and investing in technology to support our international testing, inspection, certification and compliance (TICC) businesses and future growth ambitions. In less than 36 months, we’ve grown our finance function to nearly 300 FTE’s, established shared service centres and significantly invested in Group
and Divisional Financial Leadership as well as technical capabilities.
That investment underpins how we welcome and integrate companies into the Group and support their development. It gives business leaders access to financial expertise, improves performance visibility and transparency, and provides a consistent structure for managing reporting, cash flow, and investments.
With finance leadership embedded across every region and division, regional centres of excellence and streamlined processes, we have built a function designed to support our next five-year phase of growth and strategic plan.
Global capability, close to our businesses
We have strengthened our global finance team, with Finance Directors, FP&A Managers and Financial Controllers embedded within every region and division of the business, supported by expertise at Group level.
This structure connects local knowledge with Group-wide oversight. Finance colleagues work alongside business leaders to understand performance, monitor KPI’s, address challenges and plan ahead.
We have now reached a critical scale that promoting finance leaders internally is ever more viable, creating career pathways and attractive development opportunities for our teams. We have had 3 internal promotions into CFO direct reports in the past 2 years and many more into middle management or in-country roles.
Scalable technology, benefitting all of our businesses
We have made significant investments (and continue to do so) in technology. We implemented common financial reporting and financial planning systems for oversight (100% revenue coverage), ERP systems for operations management (CRM, Finance, HR, Operations) across ~40% of our revenue, and sales analytical tools (Customer Cube) for enhanced commercial insight (c. 80% of revenues). We continue investing in technology to provide tools to accelerate growth, improve margins and build / maintain the foundations for scaling organically and inorganically.
These tools also form the foundation for further productivity and insight through Artificial Intelligence. We are at the beginning of the journey to monetise more of the information we now have available to us.
Faster reporting and consistent performance monitoring / governance
Strengthening the team has gone hand in hand with improving our processes.
We have streamlined reporting to deliver consolidated global financial results in 5 days and group audited accounts in 90 days.
Central tracking and monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) helps us maintain a consistent view of progress across regions and divisions. Bringing financial reporting and performance measures together helps teams identify trends, highlight areas needing attention and agree appropriate action.
This visibility supports accountability and gives leaders a clearer understanding of trading, costs and cash flow. It also helps us direct resources, share effective approaches and assess investment opportunities as Phenna continues to deliver market-leading organic and acquisitive growth across all regions.
Faster reporting enables our business to focus more on the “now” and the “future”. We are progressively more focused on future opportunity management and proactively managing future performance.
Improving cash performance
Our finance function is also delivering strong results in working capital and free cash flow management. We have reduced days sales outstanding, or DSO, to record-low levels. Our aged receivables have nearly halved in the past 3 years. Our FCF conversion in 2025 has been at sector leading level.
Managing cash flows helps us to organically fund investments in people, laboratories, equipment and technology, connecting everyday financial processes with longer-term growth.
A foundation for continued growth
Finance provides continuity beyond an acquisition, helping new colleagues establish reporting arrangements, understand expectations and access the right expertise.
We are proud of the capability built over the past three years and the improvements our teams continue to make. Our current structure has been scaled to support Phenna's next five-year strategic plan and growth ambitions.
As our businesses expand their testing, inspection, certification and compliance services, finance will continue to provide the information, discipline and practical support needed to invest confidently and sustain that progress.
Robert Rostas, Group CFO/COO, shared: "When I look at how far Phenna and our finance function have come over the past three years, I'm incredibly proud of the team we've built. Our colleagues have made that progress possible, strengthening the support available to our businesses while keeping pace with the Group's growth. We now have the expertise and structure to look ahead with confidence, and I'm excited about what we can achieve together in the next phase."
Discover the businesses behind our growth
Our investment in finance supports specialist testing, inspection, certification and compliance businesses across Phenna Group. Explore our divisions to learn more about their expertise and the sectors they serve.