The Evolving Role of the Finance Systems Leader: From System Custodian to Strategic Data Leader
Watch the Video to learn about
- How the Head of Finance Systems role is evolving in large UK law firms
- Moving from static reports to interactive dashboards partners actually use
- Creating a single, trusted source of financial truth
- Balancing system stability with innovation and cloud adoption
- Where AI is delivering real value in billing and compliance
Today, the Finance Systems role has moved beyond technical stewardship of the finance system. It demands strategic oversight of SaaS vendors, cloud migrations, data models, dashboards, and cross-firm governance.
In this episode of the Katchr Podcast we are joined by Ashley Maw who explains how Bird & Bird transitioned from static financial reports to interactive Power BI dashboards serving partners, sector leads, and country heads. He discusses the realities of adoption, why finance teams crave stability even while innovation accelerates, and how to strike that balance. The conversation also explores how AI is beginning to reshape billing compliance and reporting workflows, and what firms must get right in their data estate before AI can deliver real value.
For UK law firm finance systems leaders, this episode offers a candid look at the pressures, opportunities, and skills required to lead finance transformation in 2026 and beyond.
Watch the Video to learn about
- How unreliable time capture keeps finance teams in firefighting mode
- The KPIs every firm should focus on
- How partner behaviour shapes financial accountability
- Why less information, clearly explained, drives better decisions
In this episode of Katchr Podcast, Graham Moore speaks with Andrew Allen, Partner and Head of the Legal Sector at PKF Francis Clark. Andrew shares blunt insights into why financial reporting remains a pain point for law firms, the KPIs that really matter, and how partner behaviour defines accountability. From fixing bad data habits to teaching lawyers the story behind the numbers, this episode is essential for finance leaders ready to replace month-end chaos with confident, data-driven decisions.
Ashley Maw
Ashley Maw is the Head of Finance Systems at Bird & Bird, an international law firm known for its focus on technology and the digital world.
He is responsible for overseeing the firm’s financial technology infrastructure and driving digital transformation within the finance department and more widely throughout the firm.
With nearly 25 years’ experience implementing legal financial systems and solutions in all sizes of firms on both the law firm and software supplier side, Ashley applies a pragmatic approach to meeting the various challenges faced by large international law firms.
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