We’re shining the spotlight on Steve Gallagher, our dynamic Director of Finance and Operations.  Steve’s journey with us began in 2019, embracing a role that blends finance and operational excellence.  Noteworthy among his accomplishments is his pivotal role in enhancing our IT security, culminating in Assure attaining Cyber Essentials Plus status in March of this year.  Looking forward, Steve gives an insight into our groundbreaking initiative, our Client Portal, which will give access to data held on our in-built software platform Verivi, set to redefine client engagement.  Outside the realm of Assure, Steve’s weekends are a delightful mix of football coaching and spectating, accompanied by cherished moments with his family over poached eggs and bacon.  Despite his lack of musical prowess, Steve boasts a peculiar claim to fame — he’s credited on a top 10 album, having recorded a song in Abbey Road Studios where he took part in the largest coconut orchestra of all time! 

Tell us more about your background and how it led you to joining Assure?  Having spent the best part of 15 years working in Event Management for a company called Chillisauce, I felt it was time for a change.  During my time having started as Purchase Ledger Clerk, I worked all the way through the business working in every department and gained an understanding of not just the intricoes of Business Finance but also the many layers of operational matters that make a growing business function.  In the summer of 2019, Assure approached me as they were looking for someone to come in and be their Head of Finance and Operations, the role sounded a perfect fit – and having had some personal issues with Service Charge billing I was excited to get involved.

Describe your role as Director of Finance and Operations?  In one word – Varied.  It is the ideal role for me as it has the mix of the day-to-day tasks that help you feel you have achieved something every day, to the long-term projects that once complete give you enormous satisfaction.  A typical day can involve ensuring the bank accounts are reconciled, bills are paid and issued, overseeing IT development projects, reporting on KPIs throughout the business, managing individuals’ workloads – and that’s just Monday morning!

Reflecting on your time with Assure, what have been the biggest changes or transformations that have taken place?  The advances we have made in IT security have been huge, like many businesses we have had to adapt to improving technologies as well as increasing threats.  Having secured our Cyber Essentials Plus status in March of this year demonstrates how seriously we take protecting company data and evolving to ensure we are at the front of all technological advances.

What upcoming initiatives or developments can we expect from Assure in the near future?  We are beta testing a Client Portal, giving access to data we hold for each of our clients.  Using the Microsoft SharePoint platform and Business Intelligence systems such as Power BI we are hoping to inform our clients of the work we do and show the analysis that is possible with our in-built software – Verivi

What would your perfect weekend look like?  Somehow over the past 5/6 years my life outside of Assure has been dominated by football.  Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved football, but it has now taken over my our lives.  I coach an U13 Girls football team, so Saturday mornings are taken up by ensuring the team are ready and motivated for the match.  So, a perfect weekend would include a win for them with a clean sheet (my daughter is the goalie), followed by poached eggs and bacon with the Family, evening with the wife watching a film (sofa or cinema happy either way), then Sunday morning my 10-year-old son plays so again another win with a clean sheet (central defender).  Followed by a trip to Borehamwood with my daughter as we are season ticket holders for the Arsenal Women then getting home to watch the Arsenal Men on TV play an away match followed by a takeaway with the family.  4 wins and good food. Perfect!

What’s one thing people don’t know about you that they will be surprised to find out?  I am credited on a top 10 album, recorded a song in Abbey Road Studios and took part in the largest coconut orchestra of all time……and have no musical ability!

If you could invite three famous people (past or present) to dinner, who would you choose?  Oliver Reed, George Best and Richard Harris – more of a liquid lunch than a dinner.

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given, or that you would pass on to others?  Everything will be okay in the end.  If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

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