Ray started his career working for and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with small to medium sized Chartered Accountancy practices. In those pre-computerised days accountants had to learn and utilise the important ground rules of double entry accounting, which is the basis upon which all modern accounting systems are based. These smaller accountancy practices also working closely with their client companies to help them put in place internal control systems and practices to help them manage their businesses and ensure proper control and governance over the finances of their businesses. Working across a wide spectrum of industries, the skills, knowledge and experience gained in those early days has stood him in good stead throughout a long career in commerce and industry.

Moving into more commercial roles, Ray has worked in and across many business disciplines. Whilst there has been an overriding focus on finance, Ray's experience has crossed over traditional finance and accounting boundaries into areas such as; Sales, Operational Management, Telecom Billing, Financial System Design and Implementation, & Programme Management.

Ray has managed many teams ranging from small, closely knit finance departments, through to dispersed geographic teams of over 100 people across different continents. These teams have handled all aspects of finance operations including; initial set up of finance systems, consolidation and rationalisation of systems, business transformation, systems upgrades. budgeting, financial modelling, planning & forecasting, financial reporting, statutory and tax management & reporting, exit planning, etc. 

In a departure from finance roles Ray trained as both and MSP and Prince2 Practitioner, whilst working for Cable & Wireless and Vodafone, enabling him to programme manage large customer projects, delivering complex telecommunications based systems & functionality to government and commercial customers both in the UK and abroad.

More recently, Ray returned to working as an FD for an SME, initially helping them through a full due diligence process to eventually sell the business to an Australian Plc. After the sale, Ray continued as FD successfully transforming the finance function to handle the rigours and demands required when part of a public company. 

In 2018, recognising that he had the knowledge and experience that could be of benefit to SME's across the UK, Ray started FD's4SME's.

Ray has the knowledge, confidence and maturity to work in focused, demanding environments across multi-disciplined business teams. Having outstanding communication & interpersonal skills, he is happy working with stakeholders across all levels.