General and Finance manager
Loydence Group
Total years of experience :20 years, 6 Months
Manage group of companies, as well as Financial management.
Consolidations, Audit, Restructure, M&A, new acquisitions
Three schools (Nursery, Indian Stream, British Curriculum), 4000 students.
Manage 11 staff - 4 purchasing, 3 stores and receiving, 4 finance and billing
Liaise with compliance, for audit gap closure. Worked with auditors for major 2015 audit.
Wrote, taught, and implemented updated finance and procurement policies and procedures
Helped design system and process improvements. Example - better reporting to budget holders for their control of their own budgets.
Financial Reporting - monthly, and quarterly to Head Office (RasGas)
Annual Budgeting for the three different schools.
Assisted school integration with merger of RasGas and Qatargas.
Systems used: SAP, Tally, SIMS
Consulting for various companies for finance and HR services.
June 2011- Oct 2013. ACS Doha, a branch of ACS International Schools UK, operating the Middle East’s first ACS school.
My role is to lead the financial, buildings and grounds, and facilities functions on campus in liaison with the wider ACS departments based at Head Office, ensuring consistency of process, policy and ethos wherever possible. To lead the commercial input for the strategic planning in the areas of finance, buildings and grounds, general management and administration, and to ensure that resources are efficiently and effectively used ensuring a safe environment for all employees, students and visitors to the campus.
Set-up and opening To work closely with the Set up team, the Head of School and key stakeholders to lead and support the establishment of the school during it’s pre-opening phase.
Finance and Accounting Works with the HoS to prepare an annual budget in liaison with the ACS Finance Dept. providing specific expertise on local market and issues.
Property & Facilities Manages the tendering, set up and monitoring of all service contracts with a view to cost effectiveness and quality of service.
Health & Safety Proactively participates in campus Health & Safety committee, supporting Head of School as appropriate
• GSL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Group Four Security (G4S), was operating the Middle East’s first Care & Justice centers through a contract with the Ministry of Interior.
• Focused on the demobilization of the business in the UAE.
• My role was to establish a fully encompassing Finance function, spanning the production of policy and procedures through to delivery of monthly management reports on Great Plains software
• Managed finance, information technology, consumable control, and health & safety
• Established financial systems for three branches, reporting to a UK Corporate Finance team
• Prepared and administered the annual budget and project costing
• Planned and implemented the dissolution and demobilization of the full financial function, inclusive of physical backup and storage of financial records and ensuring full reconciliation of all aspects of the accounts prior to contract end.
• Provided the actual and project costs to inform the contractual demobilization cost negotiation and eventual settlement process.
• Worked as part of a seven-member Demobilization team; on a recovery plan to maximise cost recovery and managed financial risk impact on the business.
July 2006 - March 2010. This is a large group of companies owned by a Qatari businessman, and has been in existence since1945. The businesses consist of a concrete manufacture, wholesale delivery of medical and over the counter products to pharmacies and supermarkets in Qatar, a pharmacy, two retail outlets of FMCG, Shafallah Center for children with special needs and other adhoc investments. In 2007, Mr. Ali bin Ali was made Chairman of the Doha 2016 Olympic bid of Qatar.
My role was to maintain the internal audit of the group, to formulate strategic and long-term business plans and conduct reviews and evaluations for cost-reduction opportunities.
• Full financial responsibility for the Doha 2016 Olympic bid, including 24 consulting contracts.
• Installed Sage Pastel at veterinary clinic, and Doha 2016. (Administrator level)
• Oracle accounting setup for Sidra Hospital (200 beds).
• Store control and distribution of Doha 2016 promotional merchandise.
This is a university which for which students can achieve a Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, Interior Design or Fashion Design. This university is structured for approximately 200 female Qatari students.
The university had just transitioned from one management to another, and there were no operational guidelines in place.
Basic Tasks
Finance
Reporting expenditure for an educational institution in line with government, state and the main sponsors accounting requirements.
Treasury.
Budgeting.
Policies and procedures.
Administration
Departments managed were:
School Stores control.
Property/ Asset management
Procurement. Strictly monitored to budget, and in line with state policies.
Student billing and collection.
Various Human Resources activities. From initial airflights in to Doha, visa applications, health tests, housing, motor vehicle licencing, general acclimatization to Qatar, to exit processes.
Special Tasks
Introduced a computerised accounting system.
Improved budgeting system.
Co-Wrote a policy and procedure manual
Award for Finance