Finance Director
Global Trade
Total years of experience :37 years, 1 Months
Business Planning; developing robust budgets and Long Term Plans by working closely with the Business
Identifying and establishing rigorous operating processes to maximise the effectiveness of the business
Provide ongoing analysis about business performance and underlying trends to management team to keep driving revenue and profit growth, and optimise margin improvement
Provide decision support to the management team to ensure major decisions are properly evaluated, fact-based and measures of success pre-defined
Ensure business models are fit for purpose, i.e. low cost but capable of supporting high growth
Develop and implement strategy, and to resource and deliver the organisation’s objectives, which are to provide long-term, sustainable profit growth
Challenge and support business managers (providing detailed reporting, analysis, commercial insight and recommendations) to influence key business decisions, consistent with the overall strategy
Regulatory reporting responsibility for the finance and accounting functions, encompassing: Business Partnering, Financial Planning and Analysis, Accounting, Internal Controls and management of the firms Compliance and Risk processes and procedures
Service the changing needs of the firm and its partners
Assist global Finance Managers in ensuring effective financial and operational internal controls are in place and operating as designed
Support local management with the documentation of key controls for all process matrices
Support local management in the evaluation of the effectiveness of internal controls and support them in developing sustainable action plans to cover such identified gaps in a timely manner
Manage multiple projects concurrently
Provide appropriate financial and commercial governance and control over contracts
Leading complex financial modeling activities
Prepare VAT & Tax returns
Prepare Bank reconciliation
Sign off Payroll and Petty Cash
Preparation of P&L and Balance sheet
Developed new and re-structured existing Financial Processes and Procedures
Key Role on SAP Implementation project - move from COA to SAP
Chaired Financial Systems Steering Group and Users Group meetings.
Managed Financial Accounting System - Cedar Open Accounts & e-BIS.
Month End Close of ledgers and accounting period.
Managed Financial Systems and Exchequer (AP/AR) team of 8
Oversaw Management Accountants
Managed the financial and commercial risks of the transition period
Develop a target financial operating model for the transformed function including full internal trading model and supplier governance model
Assist in the structuring of multiple outsourcing agreements, ensuring business cases are robust
Weekly ‘BACS Payment Run’ review/sign off
Published Monthly BVPI 8 & Mayor’s Report on GLA’s expenditure with third parties
Quarterly Audit Panel/ Corporate Health check reports
Signed off Year End Reports & GLA spend with third party Reports for external Authorities (Spikescavell)
Prepared Freedom of Information & Mayors’ Question Time Reports
Set up financial projects for departments regarding capital and revenue expenditure usually extending for more than a year
Dealt with VAT issues, educating and explaining to the directorates the VAT issues and procedures
Set up procedures on standards and conventions for invoice logging for my AP team
Managed and reviewed special client accounts
Set up and reviewed procedures for payment and re-imbursement of mayors consultants and other government Consultants
Advised the Board in respect of all financial matters
Reported to the Chief Executive
Directly responsible for CAPAX Provisions
Assist in the structuring of multiple outsourcing agreements, ensuring business cases are robust
Responsible for Management Accounts
Provided Franchise team with periodic reports - suppliers, Turnover, Fixed Assets
Dealt with external auditor’s requests, reports and queries
Managed, Financial Accounting System using Cedar Open Accounts
Month End Close of ledgers and accounting period
Period End management reporting
Prepared and automated monthly reports for the board pack
Provided business managers with monthly and ad-hock reports
Ran daily and monthly interfaces with other systems such as SAP, Lennon
Maintained Code translation scheme of the Open Accounts coding structure
Created, modified and Maintained systems users’ profiles in Open Accounts
Created and maintained Control Account Codes
Created and maintained Master Records of Suppliers, Customers, and Cost Centre/Expense Codes
Prepared and uploaded various journals and reversing journals
Prepared and Uploaded Year End adjusting journals
Contributed to Open Accounts user group meetings
Liaison with internal and external auditors for SOX purposes, internal and external audits, statutory and US GAAP audit engagements and limited reviews, etc.
Ensure all countries within the area of responsibility meet the SOX requirements
Lead special projects as assigned (acquisition due diligence, acquisition integration, etc
Support, as required, acquisitions completed within the global business. This support includes, but not limited to, valuations and due diligence of target companies
Lead initiatives of improving the control environment for the countries outside of SOX scope, with increased focus on small and mid-size operations
Ensure local entities are providing data in compliance with US GAAP policies and procedures
Overseeing financial and accounting affairs of the business
Reported to the Managing Director
Developing budgets and forecasts, preparing management information
Provided informed advice to senior management
Prepared monthly and quarterly managements accounts
Prepared VAT returns
Prepared Bank reconciliation
Set up Payroll and Petty Cash systems.
Monthly cash flow reporting & analysis
Preparation of P&L and Balance sheet.
Uploading Timecards (OTS) and Personnel data (HR)
Company wide point of contact for queries and explanations of Labour accounting system
Control and monitor monthly labour costing journals - UK division.
Perform month end close of labour costing process.
Monthly/weekly labour costing process checks.
Investigate and resolve labour costing errors and process problems.
Preparation of monthly labour accounting management pack including analysis and KPI’s.
Monthly labour accounting balance sheet reconciliations requiring detailed analysis, investigation and reconciliation of all labour balance sheet accounts.
Identified and Implemented Financial Accounting Application
Managed the full life cycle of an ERP SAP project; from ITT stage to ‘Go Live’ and systems support
Designed, developed, configured and implemented a new Time Management System in SAP R3 - CATS module (Cross Application Time Sheets) meeting requirements across all the TfL corporate member organisations, resulting in a successful go live and running of the system thereafter.
Design new business and systems processes to meet the requirements of the new integrated system (SAP R3) HR -CATS, HR - PA & OM, FICO, EBP, ESS/MSS, Workflow, BW, Unit /system testing
Designed and facilitated workshops/analysis of TfL’s business processes and their legacy systems.
Managed relationships with key partners and infrastructure vendors on developing new synergies.
Conducted integration test with all other modules such as FICO, MM, HR and OM.
Developed “Standard Costing” solution for all TfL member organisations.
Stabilisation and systems support after the go live date. Troubleshooting and problem solving.
Provided training to TfL staff and systems administrators on SAP.
Managed inputs from finance and heads of other departments to ascertain business reporting needs
Monthly Payroll Interfaces & Reports
Live Budget upload, Year End Close /Accruals/Accruals Reports
Reported to the Managing Director
Managed Financial Systems via a team of 23
Managed the financial and commercial risks of the transition period
Provided Managers with monthly and ad-hock reports
Published Monthly Reports on TfL expenditure
Quarterly Audit Panel/ Corporate Health check reports
Year End and midyear Auditors Reports/queries Internal & External
Signed off Year End Reports
Year End Reports
Signed off Tax & Vat Filings
Set up project finances for departments regarding capital and revenue expenditure
Preparation and presentation of the year end procedures
Oversee procedures on standards and conventions for invoicing
Managed Finance department of rapidly expanding publishing company.
Set up distribution and stock control system resulting in 20% savings.
Responsible for the system serving 80 staff.
Reported to the MD on monthly basis on financial and business matters.
Prepared year end accounts.
Accounts Qualification
BSc Economics