Storal, a UK nursery group with 31 registered settings, has announced the appointment of Daniel Day as finance director

In this newly-created role for the company, Day will lead a finance team in providing clear financial and performance information, strong financial control, and valuable commercial decision support. And he will ensure development of a finance team which is fit for the business today as well as futureproofed for the larger business Storal will be in the future.

Day joins Storal from Independent Builders Merchant Group, the largest independent merchant business in the South of England, with over 180 branches, where he acted as finance director for over two and a half years.

An ACA-qualified chartered accountant, he brings a wealth of knowledge to Storal, including valuable experience gained from senior finance roles at Tesco and Mothercare.

And he is the latest hire in the Storal leadership team, which has been strengthened significantly over the last couple of years with the appointments of Shanti Flynn as head of education, Jane Gray as head of marketing, Emma Bate as head of operations, and, most recently, Fiona Todd as head of people.

Speaking on what attracted him to Storal, Day said: “I immediately connected with the Storal mission and values, and this only grew as I met Sarah, Varun and Ash.

“I am in awe of what they and the team have built and I’m really excited to be part of the next stage of the growth journey.

“As someone who has spent most of my career working in retail businesses, the multi-site nature of the sector really appeals, but I am especially looking forward to working in a business and sector which works in a far-more-sustainable way and with a social benefit at its heart.

“Nothing is more sustainable than education and early years education has never been more important than it is today.”

Chief executive of Storal, Sarah Mackenzie, added: “The addition of Daniel as finance director is a milestone for Storal and a testament to the growth the company has seen over the past seven years.

“I’m excited for Storal’s future growth with our strengthened senior leadership team.”