Mark
Bain

Who I help

Family-Owned Businesses. Owner Managed Businesses. Private Equity Businesses.

How I help

Permanent, Interim and Fractional CFO & FD Support. Finance Team Expertise and Resource. Management information. Board reporting. KPI setting and reporting. Process and transactional support.

Sectors/ Support

Professional Services. Leisure. Live Entertainment. Event Management. Corporate and Retail Hospitality.

“I act as a dependable partner in their financial journey.”

Mark Bain is a Virtual Finance Function (VFF) Partner based in our Leeds office, where he leads the VFF team across both Leeds and the North of England. As a partner, he is instrumental in ensuring that businesses receive high-quality CFO and FD specialist skillsets tailored to their specific needs. With a wealth of experience, Mark has an impressive background in supporting organisations within the professional services, leisure, retail, and hospitality sectors, helping them to achieve financial excellence. His deep understanding of these industries and his ability to drive impactful results have made him key in delivering value to his clients.

Mark is known for providing insightful and actionable financial information that enables businesses to make informed decisions. His expertise lies in leveraging specialist KPI reporting, enhancing board reporting, and creating efficient finance functions. By diving deeper into management information, Mark ensures his clients are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.

A Dependable Adviser

“I believe that building genuine, long-lasting relationships with clients is essential to delivering exceptional service. I strongly value the personal element in my work, as I feel that meaningful connections are the foundation for understanding clients’ needs and offering tailored financial guidance that will help them achieve their goals.

I’m committed to ensuring that my support truly adds value, and I find that my ability to help clients succeed is directly linked to the strength of our relationship. By fostering trust and collaboration, I can act as a dependable partner in their financial journey.”

Providing the right support

“I love when the support and advice I provide help clients get into a better financial situation, allowing them to take important steps forward in their business journey. Clients work with us because they know we have the expertise and knowledge, but it’s our responsibility to show them that we also provide consistent support and reliability in every engagement. That means working to agreed deadlines and ensuring regular communication. This approach helps us develop a relationship built on trust, allowing me to be a dependable resource. I aim to exceed expectations by offering reliability and guidance that makes a genuine difference.”

Ensuring There’s a Balance

“I often say that VFF is a virtual service, but that doesn’t have to be literal. To build the personal relationships I strive for, I focus on being as hands-on as possible. I want to be present, understanding my clients’ businesses and what they’re hoping to achieve right there alongside them, in the office. There’s so much value to be gained from spending time with clients and getting to know them and their teams.

However, I also recognise the power of technology. It helps us create efficiency in our clients’ finance functions and allows us to support more businesses, wherever they may be. By giving clients access to our team of experts, we help them thrive beyond geographical boundaries.”

Utilising Our Skillset

“I have spent years working in both practice and in industry. This has been invaluable in helping me to develop my knowledge, skills, and experience, to support our clients in the best way possible. From my time working in industry, I’ve been on the ground facing  the same challenges as my clients.  I can relate first hand to my client’s  circumstances and this experience allows me to provide practical alternative solutions to the challenges they face.

This isn’t just unique to me, however. Across the VFF team, we have a depth of knowledge and experience that enables us to be a flexible and highly skilled team that can provide the extra horsepower and capacity to our client’s finance teams when needed. The real value in our service delivery is our teams’s agility and our ability to  provide clients with the right people and expertise for their requirements.”

People Are At Our Core

“At my core, I’m a people person. I love that in my role, I get to work with such a diverse portfolio of clients, meaning every day is different for me. Across AAB, I also have the privilege of working with a high calibre of people—experts in their fields who are always willing to lend an ear or a hand in support when needed.

That’s why I resonate so deeply with our value that nothing is more important than our people. It’s true for me because I see the direct benefits every day. When everyone in the workplace feels valued and knows their contribution makes a difference, it’s rewarding not just for our teams but for the clients we support as well.”

Beyond the Numbers

“There’s this perception that accountants are boring—I’m sure you’ve heard it too. But I’m here to tell you it’s not true. Through accountancy, I’ve met so many incredible people, worked in the most exciting industries, and travelled around the world. My career has been so varied and interesting, and I hate that people think we’re just number crunchers sitting with calculators. We are so much more than that!”