I’m Nicki Buckley, founder of Bee Authentic. I’m an experienced Finance Director and strategic adviser, with a background working across commercial, housing, charities, CICs and complex organisations. Bee Authentic was established in 2025, bringing together the work I’ve done throughout my career: helping leaders understand what is really happening in their organisation, make sense of the numbers and turn that insight into clear action.
What makes my approach different is that I don’t look at finance in isolation. I use the numbers as a starting point, but I’m naturally interested in what sits behind them: strategy, people, operations, governance, risk, systems and leadership. Often the financial issue is a symptom of something happening elsewhere in the business. I’m good at joining those dots quickly, asking the questions that get underneath the surface and helping leaders see what isn’t currently joining up.

I work with founders, business owners, CEOs, Boards and leadership teams who need greater clarity about what is going on in their business. That might be because the organisation is growing, finances are under pressure, reporting isn’t giving them the information they need, decisions are becoming harder, or they simply have a sense that something is not quite right. I can support through business and financial health reviews, strategic financial analysis and forecasting, fractional Finance Director support, business diagnostics, growth and turnaround work, and senior leadership and Board advisory.

Clients use me because I bring both senior finance experience and a broader commercial and organisational perspective. I’m comfortable with the detail, but I don’t get stuck in it. My role is to help people understand what matters, what is driving the issue and where they should focus next. The aim is not to produce another report that sits on a shelf. It is to create clarity, confidence and practical action.

And importantly, the way I work is very human. I create safe spaces where people can ask the questions they might otherwise feel they should already know the answer to. I challenge when something doesn’t stack up, but without judgement. That combination of financial rigour, curiosity and a human approach is really at the heart of Bee Authentic.

What I help with:
- Financial clarity & forecasting
- Business health reviews
- Fractional FD support
- Growth, turnaround & strategic decisions
Why Bee Authentic?
- Senior Finance Director experience
- Commercial and strategic, not just accounting
- Gets to the root cause quickly
- Connects the numbers to the wider business
- Clear, practical action — not just a report