Charlie, a Consultant within Operations Finance, has been working in LOCOG’s financial planning team since April 2008.

So what’s it like working at LOCOG right now?

Working at LOCOG now certainly isn’t back-office preparation; although the Games are still some time away there is already a distinct energy focused on the delivery of a great Games with plenty of work across LOCOG’s departments to make that happen. Learning and sharing knowledge about the Games is recognised as highly important, so there are always presentations, workshops and activities to get involved in.

I had high expectations when I joined as a secondee at LOCOG and I haven’t been disappointed. Learning how the Games will be staged is fascinating - it is just so complex. The relentless pace is challenging and means there is plenty of opportunity to lead or initiate work that will make a real difference.

What’s been your best experience so far?

Planning and successfully completing two cycles of Lifetime Planning with the organisation has been really rewarding. Knowing that I have helped Functional Areas (FAs) identify, scope and cost the services that will make a great Games gives me a real sense of achievement.

What are you working on at LOCOG?

LOCOG is privately funded so identifying costs and ensuring the right amount of revenue is raised at the right time is essential. I help LOCOG’s FAs plan and set their budgets and review spend to ensure services are delivered to the levels expected for the cost agreed. I’ve also been involved in the Games-time planning for the Finance department, looking at how the department should be structured and operate in order to deliver the Finance services required.

Working with operational departments to analyse spend is something we do continually within Financial Planning. I make sure that money is spent on the correct goods and services and that this cost remains on track to enable LOCOG to meet operational milestones. Continually improving the way we work is also important, so I’ve improved the month end process and reporting in the Finance department, so that financial control and financial planning can work more efficiently together to process transactions, review figures and produce more meaningful financial reports.

I’m shortly to end my secondment at LOCOG, but will be spending the last couple of months on projects that will help the Financial Planning team continue to drive decision making as the organisation moves from planning to operating. This work includes a review of our stakeholder reporting, rewriting the chart of accounts and ensuring we have clear internal procedures for change management.

What’s your favourite Olympic moment?

Gary Herbert, the cox for the GB men’s rowing coxed pairs, crying his eyes out on the podium at Barcelona after winning gold. You could be in no doubt how much it meant to him.