Laura Marks

Laura Marks has a diverse work experience in finance and accounting roles. Laura started their career as an Associate at PwC New Zealand, providing financial assurance services to multinational and New Zealand owned corporate entities. Laura then progressed to the role of Senior Associate before moving on to become a Senior Group Accountant at Kingfisher plc. In this role, they successfully delivered the transition to FRS101 for 50 UK entities and managed a team of 4 group accountants.

After their time at Kingfisher plc, Laura worked as a Senior Financial Analyst at RB, where they were responsible for reviewing and transforming group financial reporting processes. Laura implemented efficiencies and new ways of working to ensure more accurate and timely reporting.

Laura then joined Marks and Spencer as a Senior Finance Manager, leading a team of 4 qualified accountants and being responsible for internal and external reporting for the M&S Group. Laura was also the IFRS specialist and managed the impact assessment and implementation of new accounting standards.

Laura'smost recent role is at Dr. Martens plc, where they started as the EMEA Finance Business Partner for Marketing and Central Costs. Laura developed marketing dashboards and cost analysis models to improve reporting and decision-making processes. Laura then moved on to become the EMEA FP&A Manager, taking ownership of consolidated EMEA actuals and budgets and supporting the rapid growth of the business. Currently, they serve as the Global Head of FP&A, showcasing their expertise in financial planning and analysis on a global scale.

Laura Marks attended The University of Auckland from 2005 to 2010, where they earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Art History and European Studies. During the same period, they also obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree in Accounting from the same institution. In August 2013, Laura obtained the Chartered Accountant certification from the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.