Serena Jacobs
Board Member, BTA
Serena leads the Division made up of the Finance, Procurement and Contract Management and Project and Grants Management teams.
About the Division
The Division’s purpose is to deliver high quality services to enable the organisation to achieve its vision. We do this through being business partners and enablers and are committed to continuous improvement, transparency and accountability.
The Finance team is responsible for all financial and accounting affairs in all countries of operation. This includes the preparation and presentation of the Annual Report and Accounts and the provision of financial management information to various stakeholders including Directors, Board and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The team is responsible for financial and business planning, treasury management, tax planning, foreign currency, payroll and financial corporate policies and procedures across the globe.
Risk management, compliance, counter-fraud and internal audit for the organisation is co-ordinated and managed through the Division.
Our Procurement team ensures we procure products and services compliantly. We assist teams to draft procurement briefs, managing the out-to-market process via public procurement platforms in addition to the selection and evaluation process. The team facilitates Cabinet Office spending control approvals and works closely with DCMS Commercial and Crown Commercial Services. There is a central contract management function which supports the business ensuring we are receiving quality goods and services.
Our Project Management Office (PMO), alongside our Internal Governance Boards, help select, prioritise and provide oversight for projects which will deliver the most benefit for VisitBritain and VisitEngland. The PMO provides a centre of excellence to manage the end to end delivery of all organisation projects, from business case development, requirements gathering, project team building, testing, implementation and benefit realisation. It has a centre of excellence for change management and also oversees change management for projects across VisitBritain and VisitEngland. Within the PMO also sits the grants management centre of excellence which is responsible for ensuring all grants meet public sector requirements and support the organisations strategic objectives.
Serena’s biography
Serena joined VisitBritain as Director of Finance in November 2021. She is a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist.
Serena has extensive experience of working in an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) as she was previously at Sport England. During her 17 years at Sport England, Serena held various roles, transforming the finance function, and was appointed Director of Finance in 2018. Serena provided key financial leadership in supporting the Government’s COVID-19 support packages for sport.
She is an Audit Committee member for the Football Foundation and while at Sport England was a board member and Chair of the Audit Committee for Manchester Active Limited.
