After serving on the ALARM Board for six years - including a stint as Chair in 2018-19 - I am delighted to be stepping into the role of Finance Director. I am passionate about ALARM and the services we provide to our members, so cannot wait to get stuck into this new challenge. As a northerner, I can promise I will be keeping a close eye on the pennies!

I would like to thank outgoing Finance Director, Paul Dudley. Paul has done an excellent job steering the ship since he took on the role in 2019 and has ensured that my transition has been as smooth as possible. A huge thanks to the ALARM Office who have supported the ALARM Board through the provision of timely, well organised and invaluable updates on the health of the organisation. This is a real team effort and I know this partnership working will see us in good stead for the future.

As Finance Director, I am hoping to make a few changes to what and how we report, to provide the Board with a new view of our finances. Many of you will be familiar with the concept of stress testing to ensure that financial plans can weather incoming storms. This is something I am keen to do with the Board so we know what risks we are facing and can plan how we handle these financially. As a numbers geek I am also keen to introduce more interactive reporting so that trends can be identified early, successes celebrated, and appropriate mitigations discussed in a timely manner.                                        

If you have any queries about how we are performing, please do not hesitate to get in touch. In the meantime, stay safe and I look forward to welcoming you in a new capacity.

Chris Walker, Senior Cost Manager, Turner & Townsend and ALARM Finance Director.