Nikki Ince

Throwback Thursday is back for the new academic year, celebrating all the incredible things our former students have gone on to do.

This week we catch up with Nikki Ince, a former Abraham Guest High School pupil who attended Winstanley between 1998 and 2000. She now works as financial director for a leading UK construction company ‘Wates’. 

Nikki says:

‘After leaving Winstanley College, where I completed A-levels in Maths, Biology and Chemistry, I attended Liverpool University on a BA Hons in Accountancy but was eager to jump straight into the world of work. In 2003 I joined Matalan’s Finance Graduate Programme, which not only supported my professional studies to become a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) but also gave me hands-on experience across all areas of finance in a fast-paced retail environment.

I then moved to Essar, an Indian-based conglomerate, where I worked on an oil refinery and stepped into my first leadership role as a Business Finance Manager. My team grew from five to twelve, and I took on increasing responsibilities year after year. By the age of 30, I had been promoted five times, moved house three times, gotten married, and had three children—it was a whirlwind, but a deeply rewarding one.

My next chapter was in the construction industry with Hilti, first as Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) for Northern Europe, and later as Finance Director for the UK business. My roles allowed me to further embrace travel and I was very fortunate to spend time working across 6 countries in Europe and Asia. 

At Hilti, I also led people-focused initiatives and helped shape the company’s early careers strategy through partnerships with universities—something I feel passionately about.

From there, I took on a new challenge in private equity, joining environmental consultancy APEM. This broadened my finance skillset through mergers and acquisitions work, and gave me a deeper insight into the world of PE-backed businesses.

In early 2025, I returned to the construction industry as Finance Director for the Northern divisions at Wates, a leading UK construction, property services, and development company. I travel nationally, supporting major multi-million-pound projects, often swapping the office for a hard hat and steel toe boots on-site.

 My advice to students hoping to follow a similar path is that finance isn’t just about numbers—it’s about vision, leadership, and impact. You don’t need to be a math genius to succeed in this field. You just need curiosity, grit, and the courage to ask the hard questions.

I'm a busy mum of three teenage daughters, married to my Winstanley College boyfriend. I play netball, love skiing and wakeboarding—anything involving open water is my happy place. My life motto? Work hard, play hard.’

Thanks Nikki for sharing your story.  If you are a former student and would like to join our growing alumni network, please follow the link: Alumni - Winstanley College