OneAdvanced names Emma Brown as Chief Financial Officer

OneAdvanced has appointed Emma Brown as Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Stephen Dews.

Brown joins the Birmingham-based software company from CUBE, where she was Group CFO and Board Director. She brings more than 15 years of experience across private equity-backed software, technology, AI and data businesses.

She will oversee financial and commercial strategy as OneAdvanced continues the roll-out of IQ, its AI-based workflow platform launched earlier this year. The appointment follows a broader strategic transformation over the past few years.

Her previous roles include CFO and board positions at Medius, Talkwalker, Smartways Logistics and healthcare software business MedicalDirector. Her background includes business growth, operational change, mergers and acquisitions, and international expansion.

OneAdvanced sells software to organisations in health, social care, housing, education, legal services, passenger transport, wholesale and logistics, and public services. The company says those markets draw on more than 30 years of sector experience.

Brown's arrival comes as OneAdvanced sharpens its focus on AI in workflow software for regulated and business-critical industries. IQ is designed to bring together data, people and AI in a single system that customers use to manage day-to-day work.

Simon Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, linked the appointment to that strategy and the company's recent investment programme.

"During the last few years, we have invested hundreds of millions of capital into modernising the core systems that power the world of our customers work. Now, with IQ, we can amplify our customers' impact through the intelligent system of AI-powered workflows.

"Emma brings a powerful combination of SaaS leadership, commercial judgement and practical AI experience. Her background in growth, acquisitions and operational transformation will be invaluable as we invest further in IQ and scale it across every sector we serve.

"I would like to thank Stephen for his contribution to OneAdvanced's evolution over the past few years. He has established company-wide foundations that underpin our ability to serve our customers. We wish him every success in his next venture," said Simon Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, OneAdvanced.

Walsh also confirmed the departure of Dews, who had held the Chief Financial Officer role since February 2023. OneAdvanced credited him with helping establish the financial and operating base developed during its recent transformation.

Brown said the role appealed because of the scale of the customer base and the practical impact of software used in essential services.

"OneAdvanced combines a compelling commercial opportunity with work that matters. Its customers deliver services millions of people depend on every day. More intelligent software for those organisations means better outcomes for our customers and their customers - patients, learners and tenants.

"I have seen first-hand what it takes to scale a software business and how governed AI, embedded in the flow of work, can transform the way teams work. My focus will be on making sure we invest in the opportunities that create lasting value for customers, and apply financial discipline and operational excellence to deliver them. I'm excited to work with Simon and the team to turn OneAdvanced's ambition into results," said Emma Brown, Chief Financial Officer, OneAdvanced.

The appointment adds another senior finance executive with experience in AI-focused software businesses to a UK technology company seeking to expand in sector-specific markets. For OneAdvanced, it ties financial oversight more closely to the next stage of investment in workflow software for customers operating in heavily regulated environments.