Gerard Fernando, Group Financial  Controller

Gerard Fernando

Group Financial Controller

Galle Face Hotel Group

Location
Sri Lanka
Education
Master's degree,
Experience
25 years, 11 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :25 years, 11 Months

Group Financial Controller at Galle Face Hotel Group
  • Sri Lanka
  • July 2010 to May 2012

 Represent in AGM’s, Board Meetings & act as member of group decision making board.
 Preparing of budget, establish the cost drivers to convert the revenue to Profit,
 Presentation of budgets, monthly results to the Board of Directors & Group Chairman.
 Deal with stock exchange on public quoted companies of the group and external & internal auditors, tax authorities and government agencies as required & represent in AGM’s, OGM’s & EGM’S
 Member of the remuneration & internal control committee of the group.
 Conduct monthly operational meeting to address key operational issues with property managers..
 Strict Control over F&B cost, Manu costing & entire purchasing of the properties as whole.
 Participate in monthly departmental meeting & address the adverse KPI.s & request the action plan from HOD’s
 Managing the cash flows by dealing with Tour Operations, creditors & other debtors.
 Feasibility study on new business ventures.
 Re-engineering & Re-structuring of marketing, stores, night audits & internal controls of all the properties.
 Visiting to all the properties in regular intervals & conduct the meeting as & when it is necessary on efficiency on operational & finance.
 Representation in key operational issues, rate decision as appropriate.
 Participation of negotiation of foreign tour operator contracts.

CFO - Chief Financial Officer at Oman National Live Stock Development Co
  • Oman
  • July 2008 to June 2010

 Negotiation with Banks to arrange the financial facilities to the company
 Introducing Cost Controls tools in the plant & it’s regular monitoring
 Re-engineering of the administration function of the company.
 Introducing of proper set-of management information system to manage the business.
 Strict Controls over procurement & other payments.
 Management of liquidity & carry out the treasury functions.
 Regular advise on optimal product mix of the company & optimal level of plant utilization
 Evaluation of launching of New Products on finance, Marketing & with national interest & appropriate decision there-on.
 Regular improvement on system controls, stocks & management information of the company.
 Preparation of Business Plans, Budgets, plans of capacity enhancement & cash Flow projections.
 Finalization & Final approval to the Monthly trading pack.
 Represent in the Board Meeting, Annual General Meetings & credit committee meetings & meeting with ministry of Finance.
 Dealing with external & internal auditors, Muscat Security Exchange, Capital Market Authority & other regulatory authorities.
 Work in the capacity of Financial Adviser to the Board & System Administrator.
 Managing all the affaires of Accounts, debt collection, Stores & Procurement by way of effective & efficient decision in timely fashion.

Cluster Financial Controller at Intercontinental Hotels Group
  • United Kingdom
  • December 2004 to May 2008

 Review and approve of Monthly accounts, Balance Sheet Reconciliations & MIS
 Preparation of periodic budget, periodic forecast for all the hotels in the cluster.
 Preparing statutory consolidated accounts with in the frame of IFRS and IAS.
 Sorting out issues with intercompany and it’s reconciliation in monthly basis.
 Regular review of the internal controls and suggest the strengthen of such controls.
 Represent in HOD meetings, Credit Control and revenue meetings, participate monthly Trading reviews, Budget reviews ……… etc
 Drawing Sales strategy on monthly basis for the region by dealing with all GM’s
 Administrator to all IT system with in the region and deal with Head Office.
 Executing weekly BACS run for suppliers.
 Managing Cash inflow, Capex, prepare cash projections and perform treasury functions.
 Dealing with External & internal auditors, government authorities, inter companies ....... etc
 Approving invoice via the electronic system and seeking management approval where necessary.
 Direct supervision of Financial Controllers, Revenue Controller, Sales Managers and indirect supervision of work of other department heads that had direct impact to finance.
 Carry out periodic appraisal of FC’s and decide knowledge development plans.

General Manager - Finance & Systems at Alamana Holding Plc
  • Oman - Muscat
  • May 1999 to September 2004

 Dealing with software developer on ERP Orion platform to restructure and re-engineering of business & finance processes.
 Negotiation with Banks to arrange the financial facilities to the company
 Introducing Cost Controls tools in various location of the business & the companies
 Re-engineering of the administration function of the company.
 Introducing of proper set-of management information system to manage the business.
 Introducing of financial policies, procedures & internal control to have control over the cost.
 Advising appropriate mix of trade & liquidity to improve the liquidity position of the company.
 Control over liquidity of the company on purchases & stock maintenances & it’s approval
 Introducing strict credit control on receivables.
 Regular improvement on system controls, stocks & management information of the company.
 Approval of various type of MIS reports for effective decision making..
 Represent the finance in board decision and advise there-on.

Finance Manager at Tokyo Cement PLC
  • Sri Lanka
  • November 1993 to January 1999

• Reviewed the preparation of monthly accounts and fulfil all the information requirement of the stock exchange
• Present at the monthly management meeting to interpret cost centre performance and deal with queries raised by departmental heads.
• Prepared detailed schedules for Balance Sheet and P&L for statutory audits, year end audits and compliance audits.
• Deal with stock exchange, external & internal auditors, tax authorities and government agencies.
• Introduced additional business processes, formats, disciplines and policies in order to strengthen internal controls, including continuous monitoring such.
• Visit manufacturing plants on regular basis and review internal controls and operational cost to optimize the production.
• Represent the Company at AGM with Board of Directors and answered the queries raised by share holders of the financial affaires of the company.
• Advise the management on short term investment in timely manner of the funds excess over operation.
• Preparation of annual business plans and strategic plans and implantation of such plans.

Qualified Assistance at KPMG
  • Sri Lanka
  • January 1986 to October 1993

• Analysed Financial Statements to plan the audit for compliance & substantive testing.
• Review the audit work carried-out by audit staff and approve audit working papers.
• Drafted management letters, auditors reports and conducted discussions with client management.
• Carried out stock verifications, feasibility study reports, due diligence, share valuations.
• Monitored the audit teams on the job and maintained client relationships.
• Preparation of annual reports in conformity with statutory disclosure requirements, Accounting standards and best practices of the profession.
• Preparation of financial statements and consolidated financial statements in multiple currencies in different reporting packages for parent company in overseas.
• Worked on one year special project of computerisation of front office and back office activities at the opening stage of the Full Moon Beach Resort ( Five Star Beach Resort) Republic of Maldives.
• Work as a Manager In-charge on Bank Audits & credit reviews.

Education

Master's degree,
  • at ACCA - UK
  • December 2008
Master's degree, System Analyist
  • at The Australian Computer Society - Austrailia
  • December 2000
Master's degree, Senior Chartered Accountant - FCA
  • at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sril Lanka
  • July 1993

Highest Marks in final part 1

Bachelor's degree, B.Sc.( Business Administration) Special Hons
  • at The University of Sri Jayawardenpura - Sri Lanka
  • May 1991

Special honours

Specialties & Skills

Internal Controls
Administration
Preparation
Finance
Power Point / Word
System Analysit
Working on ERP & Non ERP softwares
Excel work sheets
ERP Implemantions

Languages

English
Expert
Arabic
Beginner

Memberships

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
  • FCA
  • June 1993
ACCA - UK
  • ACCA
  • August 2008
The Austrailian Computer Society
  • FACS
  • December 2000