Case Study: IG Wines / Lay & Wheeler Trading
Finance Infrastructure Built. Investor Confidence Restored. Stabilised the finance function and established investor-ready reporting in approximately 100 days.
- To investor-ready reporting
- ~100 days
- Liquidity unlocked
- ~£0.5m
- Reduction in debtor days
- 90%
The Situation
- Significant working capital pressure and limited visibility over cash position, creating uncertainty for the board and investors
- Finance reporting and governance foundations were not yet structured for the demands of an investor-owned business at this stage of its development
- The business was navigating a period of meaningful ownership and operational change, requiring rapid stabilisation and clear financial leadership
What We Did
- Rebuilt finance function, controls, and reporting from scratch, enabling appropriate visibility and reporting cadence for the board and investors
- Supported the business through a period of ownership transition by stabilising operations and strengthening investor confidence, as a family office moved from minority to majority control
- Introduced robust cash flow forecasting and negotiated working capital loan facility to stabilise liquidity during period of disruption
- Unlocked ~£0.5m liquidity and reduced debtor days by 90% through changes to payment terms, structured stakeholder communication, and strengthened cash collection protocols
- Delivered Zoho CRM, analytics platform, and Xero integration: creating a unified commercial and finance data layer enabling granular client and portfolio analysis
- Redesigned end-to-end sales process using MEDDIC methodology. We introduced disciplined pipeline qualification, leading-indicator KPIs, and data-driven forecasting, materially improving revenue predictability and cash-planning confidence
- The strengthened reporting and financial controls gave management, investors and lenders greater confidence throughout the ownership transition
From my position as a board director and shareholder, I observed the impact of the work led by Ramesh and Phil in strengthening the company's financial infrastructure and reporting discipline. The improvements significantly enhanced the board's visibility over performance and cash, enabling more informed decision-making at both management and board level.