Experienced financial modelling professionals

James Weaver BA (Hons) FCMA, Managing Director

James is the founder of blueboxthinking directing all client engagements and leading business development activities. He plays an active role in the delivery of all assignments supported, when appropriate, by other specialist consultants.

Before launching blueboxthinking, James was financial controller for QinetiQ Group PLC’s New Business Accelerator, which comprised four early stage spin-out venture companies. This followed roles as group operations performance manager and senior analyst in the group strategy and planning team.

During this time he advanced more commercially-focused business planning across QinetiQ by leading the design, development and roll-out of a suite of value-based financial planning tools as the business made the transition from a government agency to a publicly-listed defence technology company.

James began his career with AstraZeneca working in various financial management roles from group treasury to corporate development which included coordinating the compilation, under IFRS, of the historical financial statements for inclusion in the listing particulars of Syngenta, the merger of the agribusinesses of Zeneca and Novartis.

He also worked with Andersen as a manager of their business modelling group in London and with E-Loan, an internet start-up run by some of the current management team of Rightmove. His industry experience includes energy, telecoms, IT, internet, defence, property, consumer goods, life sciences, chemicals, financial services, management consulting, start-ups and venture capital.

James is a Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) and CIMA Practising Certificate Holder meaning he is approved by CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) to provide accounting consulting services to businesses.  He obtained his first class BA (Hons) degree in International Business and Languages (French and Spanish) from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. He is also a Microsoft Office Professional (Excel 2003 Expert).

Outside of work, James enjoys music, sport including charity fund-raising events, travel and spending time with his young family.

Consultants

Our freelance consultants come from a variety of backgrounds to help us meet the diverse needs of our clients. Typically, we will match consultants to a particular project according to their modelling, finance and accounting expertise.

Our current consultants offer skills in:

• Business & financial modelling
• Financial planning & analysis
• Operational research
• Econometrics

They have experience across a variety of industry sectors including:

• Accounting & consulting
• Defence
• Retail & FMCG
• Media
• IT
• Trust & company administration

One of our financial modelling consultants is a former consultant from Ernst & Young’s business modelling team in London.  Prior to this she worked as a consultant in the Cognos Enterprise Planning team at Deloitte in India.  She has a range of business modelling experience across retail, travel, banking and utilities as well as seven years accounting & audit experience in India.  She has an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics, is a Chartered Accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) and obtained her Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Mumbai.

Another of our financial modelling consultants has eight years business & operational analysis experience within a leading global defence technology company including client-facing consulting roles, internal audit and head of business analysis for a £200m operating unit. She has an MSc (Distinction) in Operations Research from Lancaster University Management School and a BSc in Mathematics from Durham University.

blueboxthinking’s econometric modelling consultant has eight years professional experience in sales and marketing.  She has most recently worked as an associate director with the business science division of the UK’s largest media agency delivering econometrics analysis across the automotive, financial, retail and charity sectors.  Prior to this, she worked in business development for a Fortune 500 company having obtained her dual masters in Economics of International Trade and Economic Development.

Econometrics combines economic theory with statistics to analyse and test economic relationships.  Through the analysis of large samples of historical data econometrics can improve forecasting, focus management attention and direct investment to those initiatives which generate the highest returns.

Careers

We are always keen to hear from new and experienced consultants.  If you are interested in working with blueboxthinking please contact us.