Ghassan Abou Ammar

Responsibilities:
- Provide operational directions in relation to various activities of the finance function.
- Implement adequate processes and systems of internal controls to ensure accuracy and adequacy of financial records, including defining processes, manuals and accounting standards & practices.
- Define & implement business plans, financial policies & procedures
- Recommend on agreements, projects and opportunities entered and define cash flow required.
- Direct the financial planning & budgeting activities.
- Oversee the preparation and issuance of periodic financial reports.
- Manage treasury related activities in relation to cash flows & financing.
- Build and maintain relationships with lending banks to secure projects’ specific and general credit facilities.
- Liaison with external auditors.
- Contribute in the implementation of Oracle Fusion ERP system.
- Review cost control reports and oversee cost accounting.
- Manage VAT readiness and implementation including coordination with supply chain department, suppliers, clients
and liaison with General Authority of Zakat and Tax.

Responsibilities:
- Provide operational directions in relation to various activities of the finance function.
- Implement adequate processes and systems of internal controls to ensure accuracy and adequacy of financial records,
including defining processes, manuals and accounting standards & practices.
- Define & implement business plans, financial policies & procedures
- Recommend on agreements, projects and opportunities entered and define cash flow required.
- Direct the financial planning & budgeting activities.
- Oversee the preparation and issuance of periodic financial reports.
- Manage treasury related activities in relation to cash flows & financing.
- Build and maintain relationships with lending banks to secure projects’ specific and general credit facilities.
- Liaison with external auditors.
- Contribute in the implementation of Oracle JDE ERP system.
- Review cost control reports and oversee cost accounting.
- Manage VAT readiness and implementation including coordination with supply chain department, suppliers, clients and liaison with General Authority of Zakat and Tax.

Accomplishments:
- Played key role in implementing Microsoft Dynamics encompassing HR, estimation & bidding, procurement, cost control, project management & finance
- Lead relationship with lending banks and secured financing for several large projects.

Responsibilities:
- Define & implement strategic business plans, financial policies & procedures as well as internal control systems for a specialized contractor catering to electrical & mechanical works for various projects under Ministry of Health, Royal Commission, Saudi Aramco and other public & private sector clients
- Conduct feasibility analysis of investments or projects for enhancing and maintaining organizational profitability margin.
- Carry out timely adequate remedial measures and corrective actions through implementing a continuous budget variance analysis process.
- Restructure business processes across various functions & business units aimed at enhancing quality and optimizing costs. Set up & preside over various executive committees based on business as well as statutory requirements.
- Maintain regular interaction with banks, tax officials, insurance companies, external auditors and lawyers pertaining to organizational business operations.
- Evaluate accounting and internal control systems; generating awareness on organizational policies or statutory regulations amongst the employees for implementing the same in day to day business transactions.
- Guide employees in ensuring compliance to various tax and legal parameters in conducting day to day financial transactions.
- Generate, analyze & present monthly, quarterly, annual financial statements and other reports to the BOD & the executive management to enable effective decision making.

Responsibilities:
- Plan & execute interim and annual financial & operational audit reviews covering the company, subsidiaries and projects.
- Perform routine & risk-based assessments, highlighting internal controls weaknesses. Follow up with respective departments for effectively implementing recommended actions & solutions
- Focus on identification & elimination of financial & operational risks by implementing effective policies, procedures
& practices. Assess & ensure compliance to policies & procedures
- Monitor projects actual cost, committed cost, cost at completion and the deviations from projects budgets
- Coordinate activities related to setting up of ERP system.
- Manage routine & spot check audits of inventories
- Report audit findings and solutions to the audit committee using detailed reports & presentations.

Company overview:
City Builders is one of the major building material suppliers in Monrovia with nine branches.

Position: Finance Manager

Main tasks & Responsibilities:
- Manage accounting activities and financial reporting.
- Prepare periodic financial statements (cash flows, income statements)
- Manage cash & banks transactions and reconciliations.
- Handle and reconcile receivables and payables.
- Manage collection strategies and activities.
- Payroll preparation.
- Manage periodic inventories.
- Maintain the general ledger system (chart of A/Cs, cost centers….)
- Follow up of daily tasks and operations with various departments. (sales, procurement, warehouse, projects)
- Track and verify slow moving & obsolete items.
- Implement technical and software installations (PIMS).

Started as a junior accountant and was promoted to chief accountant, maintaining the accounts of the main company, 4 related restaurants and 2 retail stores.

Main Tasks:
- Book accounting documents and transactions.
- Reconcile receivables and payables A/Cs.
- Reconcile bank statements.
- Prepare financial statements.
- Payroll preparation.