Candidate ReportPrepared for internal review
Candidate NameRavi Sharma
Current CompanyCheval Collection
Notice Period6 weeks
LocationLondon
EligibilityUK Citizen — Right to Work confirmed
Property TypeServiced / independent
Submitted26/08/2026
ConsultantDarren Pierce
Finance Specialismserviced apartments finance
SenioritySenior

Relevant Skills

Finance function build and restructuring
Serviced apartment revenue and cost modelling
Senior stakeholder reporting
Month-end close and management accounts
Budgeting and forecasting
Independent and portfolio property finance
Team leadership and development
Operational finance partnering
Process improvement and controls implementation

Suitability

I've worked closely with Ravi for a good while now and I can say with confidence that he is one of the strongest senior finance candidates I represent in the serviced apartment and independent hotel space. He brings eleven years of focused hospitality finance experience, all of it at the sharper end of the market, and his current role as Head of Finance at Cheval Collection has given him genuinely broad exposure to the commercial and operational pressures that come with running finance across a premium serviced apartment portfolio. He is based in London, which makes him immediately relevant to the majority of the roles I place at this level, and he is working to a six-week notice period.

What stands out to me most about Ravi is the work he did in building Cheval's finance function from the ground up as the group was growing. He told me early in our conversations that he was brought in at a point where the infrastructure simply was not keeping pace with the business, and he took real ownership of putting the right structures, controls, and reporting frameworks in place. That kind of experience is rare. Most candidates at this level have inherited a functioning department. Ravi has actually built one, which tells you a great deal about his capability, his judgement, and his ability to operate without a safety net.

He would suit a group that values a finance lead who is equally comfortable in the operational detail and in the boardroom conversation. He is not someone who hides behind spreadsheets. Every time I have spoken to him he has been thoughtful about the wider business context, not just the numbers, and that quality is exactly what your hiring managers tend to say they want and rarely find. I would encourage you to meet him. I think you will find, as I have, that he is a very considered and credible operator.