Essential Guide to Travel Finance

Aisha Anwar is Finance Director at On the Beach (OTB), a UK-based online travel agency generating £1.2bn total transaction value annually.

A Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) since 2016, Aisha earned two international Orders of Merit during her qualification. She brings experience from audit and manufacturing before joining OTB in 2020 during the pandemic. Since then, she has led the implementation of new finance and payroll systems, introduced data analytics capabilities, established tax and treasury policies, and driven significant improvements in forecasting, reporting and cash conversion. Aisha also served four years on the ICAEW Business Committee, contributing to the development and implementation of the institute's strategic initiatives.

R&D Tax Credits specialist supporting SMEs in manufacturing and software innovation

Adam Bointon is a Technical Director and experienced R&D Tax Credits specialist with over 15 years’ experience supporting SMEs across the manufacturing and software sectors. Since 2009, he has helped businesses identify qualifying research and development activities and translate complex technical work into clear, compliant reports.

He specialises in bridging the gap between technical innovation and HMRC requirements, ensuring claims are robust, accurate, and easy to understand. Adam works closely with both SMEs and accountancy firms, supporting the preparation and submission of successful R&D tax claims.

randd UK
randd uk are one of the UK’s leading R&D Tax Credit specialists, and our aim for every client is to simplify what can be a complex process. We combine a mix of industry specialists and accountants to ensure that claims made to HMRC are compliant and optimised on behalf of our clients.

Simon Cooper, a Partner in KPMG’s Accounting Advisory Services team, leads our Regions business and has extensive experience in providing accounting and reporting advice to various groups across multiple sectors. Simon will lead you through the key financial reporting updates including the upcoming amendments to FRS 102 and provide an overview of other areas of change in governance, controls and reporting. 

Tomas is a corporate finance advisor specialising in M&A, with experience across both buy-side and sell-side transactions for trade and private equity clients. He began his career in audit and assurance before transitioning into corporate finance, where he has advised on a range of transactions and supported businesses with fundraising.

Elliot is a Senior Corporate Finance Analyst at White Hart Associates and supports the firm’s corporate finance team on a range of transaction advisory engagements, including mergers and acquisitions, financial modelling, and strategic transaction support. Elliot joined White Hart Associates at the age of 18 and has spent the past eight years developing experience across several areas of the firm. He began his career within the audit and accounts team before moving into the travel regulatory division, where he supported clients with regulatory and financial compliance matters.

Zoe is a Director at Xeinadin, specialising in Travel regulatory advisory.

Prior to joining Xeinadin Zoe worked at the Civil Aviation Authority as a portfolio manager for 2.5 years undertaking financial assessments on the largest ATOL holders within the UK travel industry. Undertaking refinances, restructures and acquisitions from a regulatory perspective. Prior to the CAA, Zoe worked for 9 years at Santander Corporate Banking as a Relationship Director specialising in Travel and leading on the banks Travel Trust Account proposition.

At Xeinadin she helps clients navigate their complex regulatory needs. As well as overseeing the sector strategy. 

Donna leads the KPMG UK Employment Law team and has vast experience advising employers on their workforce. She has been at KPMG since 2013 and previously spent 12 years at an international law firm. Donna has a wide practice, with extensive experience in employment litigation, TUPE/outsourcing, redundancy and reorganisation programmes, workforce and pay compliance issues (NMW, holiday pay), pay equity (leading the KPMG service lines on pay gap, equal pay and pay transparency), undertakes UK and international workforce due diligence and advising on complex employee relations issues. Donna sits on KPMG’s consumer and retail leadership team and is co-Partner Sponsor of the KPMG Network of Women (KNOW). Donna is ranked as a leading practitioner of employment law by both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

Donna has experience in both the private and public sectors and with particular expertise across consumer, retail and healthcare. Donna’s litigation experience includes being the lead assistant in a large test case concerning the application of new legislation; defending a large employer in the public eye in a widely publicised whistle-blowing claim; and a wide variety of discrimination and unfair dismissal cases. Donna has acted as the employment lead on a vast number of acquisitions and transactions, including restructuring programmes. Donna is a leading practitioner in relation to all things ‘pay equity’, undertaking advisory, reporting and disputes work. TUPE and group reorganisations are a particular area of interest. Employee relations is another area of interest and Donna has been involved in a variety of project, ‘on the ground’ with her team supporting on both planning and implementation of large scale change projects.

In the private sector Donna mostly acts for large corporates, both UK and international. In the public sector, Donna has particular experience in the Health Sector advising a number of NHS hospital, community and Foundation Trusts.

Justin is a Director in our Employment Solutions practice which provides a strong foundation to support clients with their employer obligations from a tax, regulatory and legal perspective.   Justin has over 25 years’ experience in UK employment taxes and payroll. He works across a number of large Consumer Markets clients, focussing on employee issues and advising employers on all aspects of UK employment tax compliance. 
Justin is a UK subject matter expert on all employment tax matters and has experience in leading global employment tax compliance projects. He is the employment tax lead for a number of large corporates and will work with you to support any UK and international employment tax compliance requirements.  

Justin has advised a number of FTSE-250 clients on key employment tax issues including National Minimum Wage (NMW) and off-payroll working.  Justin leads KPMG’s employment tax technology solutions on off-payroll working and annual employment tax compliance technology, which he has successfully implemented for a number of Consumer Market clients.

Having worked as a multi-disciplinary team including tax, legal, technology and forensics, he is well versed on the both the complexities and commercial aspects of implementing and supporting global employment tax compliance issues.  
 

Damon Wright has over 25 years’ experience in VAT, as an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Senior VAT Inspector and in practice. He has worked for big four and mid-tier firms of accountants. He has also spent some time working in industry for Virgin and the (ex) Thomas Cook Group PLC. He has extensive experience of advising Aviation, Tour Operator and Travel Agent clients across VAT, IPT and APD, especially over the last 15 years, including the application of TOMS across the EU, operating as an agent in the UK and internationally, and the implementation of international business structures.