Regional Financial Controller
Gezairi Transport
Total years of experience :17 years, 6 Months
$125 Million multinational logistics and transportation group with 26 offices in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Bulgaria and Cyprus.
Financially tapped to co-lead in 2011 following a period of slumping sales and to reinvigorate regional offices plagued with profitability and moral issues. Challenged to help regain profitability. Hold full P&L of $125, 000, 000. Reporting to BOD and directing 3 finance managers and 12 accountants with 500 indirect and dotted line reports.
• Increased revenue growth in Turkey 58% and net profit growth by 405% from net loss 2011 via development of financial roadmap. Turkey contributed 7.5X weight to growth of regional operations in 2013. This road map includes:
⇨Annual, quarterly and monthly budget by country, branch and activity.
⇨ Targets for every office, department and activity. Targets are monitored on a monthly basis.
⇨ Cash flow Control with DSO targets.
⇨ Controlling sales operations: Sales/Cost and profit margin.
• Directed regional offices in a plan to reduce monthly expense burn rate from USD 480, 000 in 2011 to USD 170, 000 in 2013.
• Slashed bank loan debts from USD 2, 000, 000 to USD 150, 000 in 3 years by developing weekly forecasts, controlling capital and splitting divisional capital needs.
• Developed a model to deploy strategic plan and annual budget by country, branch and activity for long term planning purposes.
• Implemented the first annual budget for the group. Orchestrated budget process within all departments and senior management concluding in the presentation of final budget approved by the board of directors.
• Introduced and implemented for the first time in Q2 2014 the Zero Based Budget(ZBB) for Turkey.
• Implemented a new sales model to measure sales effectiveness among regional offices.
• Saved a yearly USD 200, 000 after extensive negotiation of VAT refund with tax authorities in Turkey.
• Supervised a monthly portfolio exceeding USD 10 million in A/R and A/P. Changed cash conversion cycle from negative two digit days in 2011 to positive in 2012 by reducing account receivables DSO by 60% and negotiated longer payment methods with agents and suppliers. Handled transactions in Letters of Credit and factoring.
• Performed financial planning and business analysis for the development of a newly acquired company in Turkey.
• Implemented and negotiated for the first time the Freight Forward Liability Insurance with “A” insurer in the world to save up to USD 300, 000 saving by converting specific variable administrative fees to fixed assets.
• Managed a team of five analysts.
• Created my own scoring model to predict bankruptcy for companies ahead of three years.
• Underwriting risk for a portfolio of USD 700 Million with less than 0.5% loss ratio.
• Increased net profit from USD 360, 000 to USD 1, 200, 000 through proper analysis and scoring model.
• Used all financial ratios, Z-Score, T-Model, Q-Model, Discounted Cash flow, deep analysis of PE/PEG and all price multiples to analyze companies.
• Created and implemented a new model for calculating premiums, which consisted of leveraging risk and assessing the portfolio.
• Used my expertise in fundamental analysis to make due diligence for more than 300 companies in two years.
• Contacted a mathematical company in London for company’s scoring and travelled to see them in order to assess my scoring model.
• Made a partnership with Company’s Watch, a London based company so I implement my model for British companies.
• Analyzed 27 regional investments with respect to feasibility study and risks incorporated, with a follow-up of all investment guarantee and leasing guarantee applications, offering opinion and presenting them to the Head of the Department for the purpose of making the necessary decisions.
• Fundamentally analyzed more than 200 companies in one year to give them credit limits.
• Made a condensed evaluation on worldwide banks in order to give them credit limit for their L/C operations under our guarantee.
• Analyzed Financial Markets (Strategically, Fundamentally& Technically).
• Traded in portfolios in Saudi Market, international markets through E-Trade Accounts.
• Traded, analyzed and trained the Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX).
• Conducted in-depth seminars on the Stock Markets, Technical Analysis.
• Conducted seminars in MetaStock especially MetaStock language where I created, implemented and teached many trading formulas in MetaStock which can be used during historical/intraday trading.
Working to earn my CPA in January 2015
June 2010: Passed the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam, Level I.
o High Distinction List – GPA 3.9 o Full Scholarship all semesters o Dean’s List Award o Awarded to continue my MBA with a full scholarship