Doing deals and growing businesses is what makes AES Engineering finance director Neil MacDonald tick.

He was lured out of semi-retirement by the opportunity to help entrepreneur Chris Rea’s mechanical seals business. “Before I knew it, I was back working again,” he says. “I joined part-time and immediately got involved with the 3i deal and helped them through that.”

The 3i deal saw the private equity firm increase its stake in AES Engineering. In October, after it was done, MacDonald joined the company fulltime. “I get a buzz from doing deals and growing businesses,” he says. “I got a buzz out of getting the 3i deal.”

MacDonald says he’s never seen himself as a “typical FD”.

“I never envisaged for a minute when I left KPMG that I would spend so much time in manufacturing. The constant change has kept me motivated,” he says.

“The FD’s role will continue to be dynamic, demanding and flexible. The best FDs are the guys who are going to meet those requirements.”

Related articles
The merits of the private equity model
Managing a cross-border finance team

Picture source

Tags: 3i deal, finance director, chris rea, semi retirement, aes engineering, kpmg, fd, 3i, entrepreneur, neil macdonald, motivation,

Real FD specials