Sr Finance manager - MENA Franchise Business
PepsiCo International - United Arab Emirates
Total years of experience :18 years, 4 Months
As career development track promoted to corporate audit role leading and managing operational audits, financial audits and special projects throughout Asia Middle East, and North Africa sector reporting to the Corporate IA Director
Key Contributions:
• Redesigning of Sales to collection (S2C) and Inventory to cost (I2C) processes in China, Australia and GCC, mitigating risk associated with economical changes and huge transactions volume across multiple channels
• Participated in the risk assessment process for Robotics Process Automation (RPA) in AMENA sector business environment
• Became a member of corporate audit data analytics champions to be AMENA subject matter expert in using data analytics tool (Tableau)
Continued track of internal promotion to take on responsibility for managing finance planning for entire Middle East/North Africa Region (MENA). Reporting to MENA CFO, deliver savvy leadership in leading revenue management and innovation projects and determining strategies for pricing governance, franchising, and advertising/marketing investment. Liaise with teams across finance, sales, franchise, marketing, and sourcing/supply chain operations while communicating strategies for risk management and advocating adoption of best practices across MENA markets.
Key Contributions:
• Instrumental in development of revenue management scorecard and innovation tracker tool reporting performance on YTD basis and attributing cause of change, greatly enhancing decision making processes and driving action to achieve performance targets.
• Engaged with Saudi Franchise Team to revamp spending scheme, yielding $10M improvement in productivity; partnered with PepsiCo Unilever in joint venture to lead effort to benchmark Lipton Ice Tea North Africa financials.
In consecutive roles, steered financial planning function for Gulf Region (UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar) and Northeast Africa (Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea), overseeing forecasting, P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow management. Contributed to development of short- to long-range strategic business plans, including formulating financial goals. Created KPIs in support of revenue management and innovation agendas. Provided current picture of current business results against plans/forecasts; advised management on likely causes of plan departures as well as changing financial risks and opportunities. Worked with marketing team in effort to assess product financials, new initiatives, and offer insight for engaging strategic plan. Managed critical financial reporting processes, including preparation of quarterly and annual reports.
Key Contributions:
• Led team to achieve coveted “Blue” rating in rolling forecast accuracy assessment.
• Rolled out new full-scale P&L report by channel and by region to enhance operating and productivity models.
• Selected to takeover financials for Water & Non-Carbonated Beverages launches, leading pilot program and maximizing learning opportunity while supporting regional team.
• Stepped up to take on additional responsibilities as member of Control Team due to resource shortage.
Onboarded to engage financial expertise while advising on budgeting and forecasting as well as reporting and analysis. Engaged with finance teams to refine operating budget and challenge assumptions, with seven plant managers to track overhead and analyze monthly KPIs, and with project teams to continually assess general and administrative expenses and cost-performance ratios. Utilized SAP to manage data and prepare analysis of business results, performance drivers, and forecast variances for presentation to senior leadership and stakeholders. Contributed to planning model and reporting structure improvement.
Key Contribution:
• Integral in driving continuous SAP reports enhancement and planning model restructuring to ensure seamless information flow and ease of reconciliation.
• Teamed up with OPS team to facilitate launch of new productivity initiatives tracking tool capturing manufacturing overhead and cost of goods savings (COGS), covering $3M spending task.
Advanced from Cost Accountant to Senior Cost Analyst position for Pfizer’s Africa Middle East Division. Delivered direct support to Accounting Manager in functions encompassing monthly closings, annual audits, report generation, and transfers. Tasked with preparing corporate annual plan, quarterly forecasts, analysis, records, and reports (expense, variance, etc.) to meet department and regional management needs. Delivered presentations to plant management summarizing performance metrics and efficiency improvement recommendations. Supported leadership in setting and enforcing finance-related procedures, policies, and controls.
Key Contribution:
• Covered absence of Manufacturing Finance Manager during budget season.
• Adopted responsibility for presenting ’10 Egypt manufacturing facility plan to corporate leadership, and secured approval from Corporate Finance Vice President.
Cost Accountant - Nissan Motor Egypt
•Multinational Company Working in Automotive manufacturing.
•Track the CAPEX movements (Purchases, Construction in Progress, Assets available for production).
•Prepare monthly reports for Inventory turnover.
•Maintain costing mechanism (direct - indirect) according to production based on standard costing approach.
•Control all inventory accounts during production process from the beginning of goods on transit till it will be finished goods (goods on Transit, Raw material, WIP, Production, Finished goods).
•Responsible for Accounts Payable Entries
•Review purchase order & check the level of stock prior to processing the Po's.
•Responsible for Cash Cycle, petty cash management.& Monthly Cash Reconciliation
•Responsible for G&A Exp.
•Review day to day invoicing & suppliers payments
•Prepare journal entries & post To GL at month end closing.
•Prepare the monthly Trial balance & Prepare necessary adjusting entries.
MBA From Maastricht School of Management with Thesis on selected Portfolios' Financial Performance in the Egyptian Market.