External contributor / Linzi Emerson

It is important to me to be able to give something back to the finance community and progress the careers of others. I enjoy supporting others with challenges at work and helping identify solutions to problems. I have been formally mentoring for about a year after completing the Finance Skills Development Mentoring Course.

I trained as a chartered accountant in external audit for the public sector (at Grant Thornton), then worked for the health sector regulator (Monitor/NHS Improvement) before moving to Manchester NHS FT (MFT) to support with the acquisition of North Manchester General Hospital. This initially involved due diligence, then transaction readiness and business case development, and latterly focused on the integration of North into MFT. I seconded into the Head of Financial Management at North Manchester for a year, latterly stepping up to Deputy Director of Finance after some turnover in the senior finance team. I am now Associate Director of Finance, working at North Manchester but with a dotted line into MFT group strategic finance, focusing on the remaining complex service disaggregation from the Northern Care Alliance.

Outside of work I have a young family and appreciate the challenges that juggling a busy career with childcare brings. I enjoy exercise and being outdoors, and I promote the importance of health and wellbeing for both myself and others in having a healthy approach to work.