A woman who grew up in communist China has written a book and an app that could save businesses from financial failure.
Mala Sun, who lives in Stamford, helps businesses better understand and manage their cash flow — an area she believes is often overlooked but critical to survival.
She has spent nearly 30 years working in treasury and finance across international businesses in both China and the UK, including law firms and pharmaceutical companies. Her work has focused on helping organisations gain clearer visibility over their cash and liquidity.
She said: “I’ve worked with many businesses that appear profitable on paper but are quietly under pressure from a cash perspective. When cash is not properly understood or managed, even profitable businesses can face serious difficulties.”
Mala recently supported a UK law firm in improving its cash position by introducing structured daily cash visibility and forward-looking forecasting, helping the business move from cash loss to sustainable improvement.
Her work centres on a framework she developed called the Stonerose Liquidity Operating Standard (SLOS), which focuses on three core areas: daily cash visibility, short-term forecasting, and long-term liquidity planning.
“Traditional accounting is essential,” she said, “but it is primarily retrospective. It tells you what has already happened. Cash management requires a forward-looking and operational approach — understanding how money moves through the business day by day.”
Her book, The Art of Cash Flow, sets out this approach using real-life examples from her career, while her app provides businesses with a practical system to monitor liquidity and make more informed financial decisions.
“I hope this work will help more businesses avoid unnecessary financial stress and operate with greater confidence,” she added.
Mala began her career in China, growing up in a period of limited economic opportunity.
“We lived very simply,” she said. “Many everyday items that people take for granted today — such as milk, toys, and meat — were simply not available.”
Her mother made clothes for her and her brother, and both her parents were keen for them to do well academically.
Mala trained in medicine initially, and despite being ‘very hungry’ a lot of the time as a student, she enjoyed playing plenty of sports, including football, volleyball and martial arts.
Having qualified in medicine, she decided it was not the career for her and changed direction. She studied English, took a job with a German international firm, and later studied to become a chartered accountant.
After securing a job with Alltech China in Beijing, Mala visited its UK headquarters in Ryhall Road, Stamford, staying at The Crown Hotel.
Having fallen in love with the town, Mala applied for a Tier 1 UK Visa under David Cameron’s Conservative government, and was granted permission to live and work in the UK.
It was here that she built her career, working at Alltech UK and Travelex, as well as roles within the legal and pharmaceutical sectors.
When she turned 50, she decided she wanted to make a difference to more firms, and began working on methods to share her insights.
“I still work, but I wanted my experience to have a broader impact,” she said. “Through my book and the app, I hope to share practical knowledge that can genuinely help businesses.”
The Art of Cash Flow will be available as an ebook and in print, and further information about the app can be found at stonerosetreasury.co.uk.
