Finance
Nathan's Story
My Bentley journey officially started in September 2009 as I came to the end of my A-Level studies, deep down I wanted to start my career rather than going to university; I saw on the Bentley Careers website the opportunity to join as an apprentice and this ticked all the boxes for me, I was luckily enough to join as one of our Commercial Apprentices within Finance.
For me this was one of the best decisions I ever made, from my first day everyone was welcoming and supportive on my journey, there is a family feel. I initially started a 3 year apprenticeship covering most departments in Finance from Credit Control; Accounts Payable; Manufacturing Finance; Sales & Marketing Finance and also Project Finance, I continued my studies and completed the qualification AAT at South Cheshire College. Bentley also offered me the chance of an overseas placement during this time which was an amazing experience in Ingolstadt, Germany at Audi’s headquarters.
Once my apprenticeship ended I joined the Engineering Finance team for the next 3 years, in this time I continued my education and became a fully qualified chartered accountant through CIMA. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, I got experience controlling spend for R&D departments Powertrain and then later Body Trim, from monthly and annual forecasts to creating a ten year finance plans for the departments. In 2016 the next opportunity was presented to me and to return to Manufacturing Finance where I did a placement as an apprentice.
I spent the next 8 years in Manufacturing Finance, this may sound a long time in one department but I have covered many roles within the team, I have grown as person, presenting to the Board; influencing key stakeholders of the business; driving change; process optimisation whilst at the same time growing as a person.
In 2024 from career development point of view I was the offered the exciting chance to become the Technical Assistant to the Member of the Board Finance & IT. In this role I’m now influencing, steering and driving the Finance & IT strategy, whilst also supporting the Member of the Board for Finance & IT on a broad range topics on a day to day basis which is amazing from a personal point of view; it’s crazy to look back at the person I was when I started, who was nervous to even speak to people on the phone!
Bentley is unique in many ways, the people here at Crewe are at the heart of the company, many of whom have been with the company for 20 years+, there is a togetherness and a willingness to support one and other, I have to say no two days are the same and personally this is what makes it so special!
Nathan Kapp - Technical Assistant to the Member of the Board Finance & IT
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‘Bentley is very good at asking: “How can we stretch you to develop your skillset further?” ‘
Ian Edwards, Senior Finance Manager
‘I joined Bentley as a finance graduate on a two-year scheme in 2011, and I soon got involved in presenting to senior management. My father, who was a director in a large pharmaceutical business, couldn’t believe that a company would let a 22-year-old present to a Board Member.
‘Of course, Bentley has different levels, but there is never any “levelism”, either at the top or at the bottom. Whether you join as a graduate or an apprentice, you are treated the same, as part of one trainee cohort.
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‘Bentley are always asking: “How can we stretch you to develop your skillset further?” You are given plenty of support to prove yourself, and when you do, the company’s reaction is: “OK, you’ve mastered that, now let’s find out what else you can do.” And that’s not just while you are a graduate – it continues throughout your whole career if you want it to.
‘Within Finance, as a graduate, I had the opportunity to work in fields such as planning, sales and marketing, tooling and unit costs. I learnt that, at Bentley, the Finance department isn’t about saving money – we understand value added and always have customers in mind.
‘As I moved around the business, I had to get to grips with areas I had no experience in. To begin with, I didn’t know what an engine charge-air cooler was. I didn’t understand why chassis calibration required so much funding. I had no idea about how we crafted wood. So, you sit down with Colleagues, and you learn.
‘When I joined Bentley full-time in 2013, I was still working for my CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualifications. While I studied in my own time, the company was wholly supportive, giving me paid leave for my exams and even a few days in advance to prepare. We’ve got senior managers and controllers at Bentley who have been through the graduate scheme or through the apprenticeship scheme. Everyone will make time for you because they’ve been there themselves.
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‘In the eleven years I have been at Bentley, I have worked in nine different roles. In 2019, for example, I became Senior Finance Manager for Mulliner, Bentley’s special-projects division. That role was about controlling spend and creating a 10-year finance plan for the division. It also involved not just calculating but also understanding what customers would pay for individual items, such as a unique paint finish or individualised leather trim for extremely limited-edition cars like the Bacalar and the Blower Continuation Series – Mulliner is building just 12 of each of those models.
‘Today, I am the Senior Finance Manager for Engineering and Inter-Company, looking after the company’s entire R&D spend and any inter-company interactions, such as negotiating on the car bodies we purchase from VW Group.
‘If I still have a Bentley business card the day I retire, I will be very happy indeed.’
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