Fractional Finance Director for Businesses Facing Pressure, Growth or Change
I help owner-led, founder-led, investor-backed and international businesses regain financial control, strengthen reporting, and rebuild confidence at board level.
Based in the Netherlands, I work primarily on a remote or hybrid basis, with short, focused on-site visits where they add value.
I am available for suitable engagements across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia, without the need for long-term relocation.
Services
Practical senior finance support for businesses that need control, reliable reporting and audit delivery.
I support businesses at different stages of pressure, growth and change — from start-ups and scale-ups needing proper finance structure, to owner-led and international groups dealing with reporting delays, audit pressure, intercompany complexity or weak financial control.
I focus on three core areas: stabilising finance functions, rebuilding reporting discipline, and getting audit and close processes back under control.
Turnaround & Stabilisation
For businesses where finance has become reactive, fragmented or unreliable, I bring structure, ownership and pace. I establish clear reporting calendars, close routines, control points and board-ready financial information, helping leadership regain confidence in the numbers and make better decisions quickly.
Group Consolidation & Reporting
For multi-entity and international groups, I help rebuild the reporting framework so that management, auditors and stakeholders are working from consistent, supportable numbers.This includes consolidation discipline, intercompany alignment, reserves, group reporting packs, local-to-group GAAP bridges and clear audit trails.
Audit Readiness & Close Acceleration
For businesses facing audit pressure, delayed sign-off or repeated audit queries, I help create a controlled, evidence-led close process.I focus on practical audit packs, clear ownership, query tracking, version control and early resolution of judgemental areas, reducing rework and improving the likelihood of a clean, timely close.
Process
A practical 30-60-90 day approach to restore financial control.
When finance is under pressure, the first priority is not theory — it is structure, pace and clear ownership.
My approach is designed to identify the issues quickly, rebuild the reporting rhythm, and move the business towards a cleaner close, a more controlled audit process and financial information that leadership can rely on.
0–30 Days — Stabilise & Diagnose
I start by understanding where the finance function is breaking down: reporting delays, unclear ownership, weak intercompany discipline, audit gaps, unreliable schedules or inconsistent local practices.
The early focus is on immediate control: a clear reporting calendar, close checklist, responsibility matrix, audit query tracker and a single version of the numbers.
31–60 Days — Standardise & Rebuild
Once the immediate pressure is contained, I rebuild the core finance routines: consolidation, intercompany, reserves, reporting packs, evidence trails and key judgement areas.
This stage is about replacing ad-hoc workarounds with repeatable processes that management, auditors and local finance teams can follow.
61–90 Days — Execute & Embed
The final stage focuses on execution: resolving audit queries, front-loading evidence, tightening version control, accelerating close routines and handing over a practical run book.
The aim is not just to get through the current problem, but to leave the business with a finance process that is clearer, faster and more resilient.
Big Four Assurance Foundation
Former EY Assurance Manager with experience across UK GAAP, IFRS, US GAAP, SOX and group reporting environments.
This gives me a clear understanding of what auditors need, where finance teams lose time, and how to prepare evidence for a cleaner, faster sign-off.
International Group Finance Turnaround
Provided senior finance, assurance, commercial and reporting support to a c. £80m international group operating across the UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Brazil.
The work included group consolidation, statutory audit coordination, intercompany management, reporting discipline, internal controls and support to senior stakeholders during a period of operational and financial pressure.
The result was a more controlled finance process, on-time group audit sign-off across multiple years, and a final audit cycle completed 4–5 months ahead of the original timetable.
Revenue, Working Capital & Reporting Discipline
Held senior finance roles within an international engineering group, supporting revenue recognition, IFRS 15 implementation, working capital visibility, UKEF-backed bonding requirements and common reporting across UK and overseas operations.
The focus was practical: clearer reporting, stronger controls, better audit evidence and finance processes that could support commercial decision-making.
ERP, Controls & Finance Process Improvement
Led and supported finance process improvement through ERP implementation, reporting redesign, data migration, user acceptance testing and control development.
This included AX 2012 / D365 environments, close calendars, reporting packs, reconciliations, approval routines and practical documentation designed to help finance teams operate with greater consistency
Start-up, Scale-up & New Entity Finance Build-Out
Alongside larger group finance roles, I have experience helping businesses establish finance structure at an earlier stage, including start-ups, owner-managed businesses, new entities and subsidiary set-ups.
This includes building practical reporting routines, finance processes, controls, management information, cash visibility and documentation that can support growth, investor scrutiny, audit requirements or integration into a wider group.
That experience also comes from operating my own UK and Dutch entities, giving me a practical understanding of what it takes to move from idea or set-up into something structured, compliant and commercially usable.
Good finance work should not disappear when the consultant leaves.
My approach is practical, calm and documentation-led: understand the problem quickly, bring structure to the numbers, create clear ownership, and leave behind processes that the finance team can actually use.
The aim is not just to solve the immediate issue, but to make the business more controlled, more confident and better prepared for the next reporting cycle.
Engagements are typically remote or hybrid, with short, focused on-site visits where useful for stakeholder alignment, audit close, workshops or key decision points.
How I Work
About Keon Financial Solutions Europe
I’m Jeremy Dearman, BSc (Hons) FCCA, a British finance professional based in the Netherlands, with a career spanning practice, Big Four assurance, senior finance leadership and international group turnaround work.
My career has given me a broad view of finance: from small owner-managed businesses with paper records and informal processes, through to complex international groups with demanding reporting, controls and assurance requirements.
After qualifying in practice, my career moved towards larger corporate work as I relocated geographically closer to London. This ultimately led to EY Reading, where I worked with clients in both Reading and the City of London, becoming an Assurance Manager and gaining experience across UK GAAP, IFRS, US GAAP, SOX and group reporting environments.
I later moved into senior finance roles with Alderley, supporting international engineering operations, revenue recognition, working capital, reporting discipline, ERP implementation and finance process improvement.
After relocating to the South West of England, I also found a personal passion for surfing. It suits the way I like to work: calm under pressure, practical, observant, and focused on reading the conditions rather than forcing a theory onto the situation.
Keon Financial Solutions Europe was founded after I moved into contract and advisory work with Grandholm Production Services Group. The business is named after my son, Keon, and reflects the kind of work I want to be known for: helping businesses regain control, deliver under pressure, and leave behind finance processes that continue to work after I have stepped away.
%20(2).jpeg)
Get in Touch
I take on a limited number of fractional finance assignments where the situation is complex, the need is clear, and senior finance input can make a practical difference.
If your business is facing delayed reporting, audit pressure, intercompany complexity, weak financial control, rapid growth, investor scrutiny or a finance function that needs stabilising, you are welcome to get in touch.
Please use the contact form below with a brief summary of the issue, the location of the business, the expected timing and the type of support required.
If there is a suitable fit and I have availability, I will respond directly.
Engagements are typically remote or hybrid, with short, focused on-site visits where useful for stakeholder alignment, audit close, workshops or key decision points.
