The correlation between high-performing organisations and high-performing finance functions is well proven, and the last 20 years have seen finance make inroads into shifting its role to one of a value-adding business partner.

While defining the role of a finance business partner can be the subject of much debate, in its simplest sense finance business partnering is turning information into business insight to drive shareholder value. The precise role of a finance business partner will vary depending on both the sector and the strategy of the individual business, and as the following real-life example shows, there are many benefits that can be realised.