As deputy command secretary, resources, at RAF Air Command, I led the team tasked with a two-year programme to reduce costs in the central finance and planning functions by a third. The task to cut the budget by £3.8m was actually achieved within half the allotted time.

The decision to move so quickly on the project was partly to show leadership to the rest of RAF Air Command HQ, which, in turn, had been set identical budget cuts of a third, so it was right that we should also embark on that course.

We still had to deliver our outputs and products, and continued to steer the Command to come in on budget against its wider £3bn operating budget, which included delivering multi-million pound savings across the RAF.

We were also able to deliver more analytical services across the Command as we became slicker with process.

My appointment to the task is an endorsement of CIMA professional skills. Exposure to organisation design and relationship management in the CIMA qualification has certainly helped me.

Simply put, the qualification instils credibility, confidence and competence. On top of that, CIMA-qualified individuals helped deliver positive change and a “human face”.

I also co-led the overall redesign of the Command’s HQ with an air commodore colleague. Central to the redesign was to increase effectiveness in the finance and planning functions – consolidating budgeting and enhancing forecasting capabilities.

I have now been appointed as the head of the defence financial management reform programme tasked with delivering financial improvement across the department.

Key deliverables will be giving responsibility to the service chiefs for the budget and planning of their equipment programmes, designing and delivering a smaller, more strategic head office finance function and improving the generation and analysis of financial information.

I can’t think of a more challenging and motivating job to be taking on at this time.