About us
We can be your finance department
When it comes to making financial management decisions, corporate companies have an inbuilt advantage.
Their management team has access to accurate, timely numbers prepared by accountants. A Finance Director ensures they understand their financial position in depth. And they have robust financial management systems to flag up problems and ensure cashflow remains smooth.
Nearly 30 years ago our founder, Garry Mumford, had a vision: To give companies turning over £1 – £10 million those same financial management advantages.
Our aim is not only to handle your accounts, but to help you plan your business strategically, avoid financial difficulties and improve business performance. Above all, we want to help you, the CEO, make the best financial decisions for your company.
Essex accountants Insight Associates provide complete financial support—from Finance Director (FD) to bookkeeper. Our outsourced finance department delivers corporate-level advantages, complemented by the iplicit software partnership.
your business
Clients who have worked with Essex FD’s Insight Associates have more time to develop their business, because they no longer fire fight financial crisis.
Meet the team
Garry Mumford FCCA
MANAGING DIRECTOR
About Garry
Garry is a highly experienced finance manager/director and one of the founding partners of Insight Associates, in 1992. He has held a number of senior financial roles in a variety of organisations, including Finance Directorships in both independent and family owned businesses.
Garry is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), member of the Institute of Directors, and a highly experienced finance director.
He has significant experience in change management, turnarounds, systems development and implementation, company acquisitions and disposals, as well as being a skilled facilitator in strategic planning and development situations. He served as a Director of the Turnaround Management Association UK for some 23 years, until stepping down in 2024.
Garry along with Simon Hammond leads and manages our overall business and has responsibility for our compliance as well as business development and driving the business forward.
As a lifelong railway enthusiast, he is very active in the heritage railway movement in the UK. He is Finance Director on one of the biggest railways, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and also Chief Financial Officer for the Talyllyn Railway – the first railway in the world to be preserved by volunteers. In 2024 he was appointed Director of the Heritage Railway Association, the movements trade body.
Garry’s first book ‘Business by Numbers’ published in November 2017 is another way to convey his ‘importance of good financial management for business growth’ message and has been written with the non financial business owner in mind. You can grab a free copy here.
Simon Hammond FCCA
CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR
About Simon
Simon joined Insight Associates client delivery team from Plymouth University in 2003 having gained a “high achiever” Degree in Accounting and Finance. He is also qualified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
For two decades Simon has worked closely with clients from a wide variety of industries to ensure their daily financial management and accounting needs are met. Operating to regular deadlines and timescales he is held in high regard by them, gaining many accolades from clients as a trusted and valued member of their in-house teams.
In his spare time he is a doting father who is keen on sport and socialising and enjoys a good pub quiz.
Shirley Hoy
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT
About Shirley
Shirley joined the Insight Associates office support team in March 2003. She has a wealth of marketing and administration experience across a wide variety of commercial environments.
As a creative thinker and administrator she is responsible for the implementation of Insight Associates marketing strategy with all that entails, including social media, writing, website management, networking and exhibitions. She is also responsible for managing all support and back office functions.
In her spare time she enjoys Lindy, Charleston and Balboa dancing, rock choir singing, travel, photography and her motorbike.
Cara Smith FCCA
SENIOR FINANCE MANAGER
About Cara
Cara joined Insight Associates in 2011 with a wealth of experience gained in both the private and public sector. She is a confident, persistent and reliable individual who likes to complete tasks and resolve problems and is an integral part of the client delivery team.
She has received strong recommendations from clients and has vast knowledge of their internal systems and processes which has been instrumental in the continuous improvement of our service offering.
Cara is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA).
In her spare time Cara loves to spend time with her family and has a young daughter to keep her on her toes.
Natasha Walman
FINANCE Administrator
About Natasha
Natasha joined Insight in 2016 with financial processing experience and a wealth of customer service experience gained primarily in the leisure industry. Her can do attitude and willingness to learn has seen her quickly develop into an integral team member. She is currently studying for her AAT.
Natasha has a deep understanding of Insight Associates’ operating procedures and processes. She confidently resolves client queries and has key responsibility for a number of payrolls.
Outside of work Natasha enjoys socialising with friends.
Victoria Curzon
FINANCE ASSISTANT
About Victoria
Vikki Curzon joined the Insight team towards the end of 2018 and immediately made a great impact providing administrative support to colleagues and clients. During her time with us she has developed her accounting skills and is an integral member of the client delivery team.
Vikki is responsible for directing client query calls and welcoming visitors to the Insight office and her charismatic personality and beaming smile are perfect qualities for this.
She has a breadth of industry knowledge from the banking and legal sector where she was responsible for client billing and timely court submissions. Recent roles include administrative support to the education sector.
Outside of work Vikki loves spending time socialising with friends and family and has a delightful Maltese dog named Ted.
Amy Bridger
Finance Assistant
About Amy
Amy first joined the Insight Team in 2014 and we were delighted to welcome her back again in 2021 in her new Finance Assistant role.
Amy has a wealth of experience from her previous time with us and has subsequently been responsible for delivering quality Monthly Management Accounts within both the construction and communications industries.
Her cheerful demeanour and diligent attitude are qualities that our clients trust and rely on.
Outside of work Amy loves spending time with her young daughter and partner. She’s also an avid Arsenal football supporter….whilst her partner is an avid Tottenham supporter!
Lisa Scriven (née Curtis)
Finance Manager
About Lisa
Lisa became part of the Insight team at the end of February 2023. She has a wealth of experience across multiple commercial sectors including manufacturing, property and construction to name but a few.
Most of those businesses were UK based, but several have international head offices all requiring specific accounts reporting.
She is knowledgeable, motivated, and works in a structured way. This coupled with her friendly, practical and helpful nature, makes her a valuable addition to the Insight team.
In her spare time Lisa loves attending festivals in the campervan she fitted out with her partner. She’s also a keen fossil hunter, enjoys spending time cooking and loves her Christmas tree.
Mihaela Baboianu BSc Hons.
Assistant Finance Manager
About Mihaela
Mihaela is a top achieving, results-oriented graduate who joined the Insight team in September 2023 with a BSc (Hons) in Finance and Accounting from the Anglia Ruskin University.
Mihaela is part qualified with the ACCA and has a diploma in economics from her native country Romania.
She is a friendly, strong, communicator with experience in both the commercial and practice arenas. She looks forward to putting her analytical, problem-solving skills to good use working with Insight Associates clients.
Outside of work Mihaela likes to travel and loves spending time with her husband and young son.
Charlotte Tarran BA Hons. ACCA
Finance Manager
About Charlotte
Charlotte is a highly experienced Finance Manager; she joined the Insight team in July 2024.
Charlotte has a BA (Hons) in History and qualified for her ACCA early in 2021. She brings with her a wealth of experience across a variety of organisations including local government, commercial care, national coffee franchise, and most recently an international dessert brand.
She’s had experience of pre-pack administrations and negotiating and novating franchise agreements. As a natural clear thinker and mediator, Charlotte prides herself on her conflict resolution abilities.
In her previous role at GU she had responsibility for the finance of a £40m factory build project. She was also heavily involved in the day to day running of a factory producing 80m ramekins a year and a new product development. In her own words she ‘has seen finance from a lot of different perspectives” which is great news for Insight’s varied clients.
Away from work you will find Charlotte on stage. She has performed with her local musical theatre company for 11 years now. “They perform at least 1 full scale, West End quality show each year”. On top of that she did stand-up comedy for 3 years whilst at University and even took a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Carl Stark
Implementation Manager
About Carl
Armed with his Prince 2 Certification and an impressive track record of conquering complex digital projects, Carl brings a wealth of experience to the Insight team. He’s a tech-savvy project maestro who transforms daunting digital challenges into seamless successes—guiding initiatives from conception to execution.
Carl joined us in May 2025 in the role of Implementation Manager. His primary responsibility is to work alongside our iplicit software partners, ensuring new clients experience nothing short of excellence during their onboarding journey.
When he’s not orchestrating digital transformations, you’ll find Carl cheering from the stands at the Emirates Stadium as a devoted Arsenal season ticket holder. His passion for football runs deep—it even led him to his wife Amanda, whom he met in a football chat group.
Together with Amanda, Carl shares his home with Rocky, their energetic Cockerpoo who keeps them on their toes almost as much as Carl’s project deadlines do.
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