Serena Jacobs

Serena leads the Finance Division made up of the Finance, Procurement and Contract Management and Project Management Office teams.

About the Finance Division

Our Finance department is responsible for financial and accounting affairs. 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 corporate policies and procedures.

Risk management, compliance 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 a public procurement platform 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, helps select, prioritise and provide oversight for projects which will deliver the most benefit for VisitBritain and VisitEngland. The PMO also manages the end to end delivery of major cross 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.

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.

In her spare time, she is also Treasurer for her son’s school fundraising committee.