Senior Accounting Manager /Controller
Discovery
Total years of experience :15 years, 8 Months
Overseeing the EMEA entities, including UK, UAE and Egypt (and other EMEA entities) business operations, including managing the financial close process, review of the statutory financial statements, budgets and managing the relationship of external service providers (external auditors, tax consultants and outsourced accounting service firms).
Manage the monthly close process for the Discovery UK, UAE and Egypt entities (and other EMEA entities).
Ensure accuracy and timeliness of accounting results and reporting (including US corporate reporting).
Manage the connection between business and Accounting/ GBS and facilitate information requirements and process efficiencies.
Reviewing key contracts and coordinate with the accounting team, to ensure compliance with local and GAAP requirements.
Managing the audit process and liaising with internal and external personnel as required.
Develop strong working relationships with the EMEA Senior Director, controllers, the GBS team, and central & local FP&A teams.
Leading corrective action for compliance with SOX, accounting standards, policies and procedure and applicable regulations.
Overseeing all financial control activities, including the review and analysis of monthly and quarterly numbers and disclosures.
Lead the integration or implementation of any projects, acquisitions and divestments from an accounting perspective, ensuring appropriate communication, project management and issue identification/resolution to ensure project success.
Interface with tax, treasury, and legal department to address business requirements and statutory reporting compliance matters
Managing all aspects of accounting across billing, financial statements, general ledger, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, tax compliance, inventory accounting, cost accounting, revenue recognition, and various special analyses
Financial Accounting
Providing strategic and operational oversight of all financial accounting activities while ensuring compliance with standards as well as monthly financial close and year end statutory reporting.
Leading Annual report and Accounts to ensure accuracy, timeliness and approval while monitoring accountant performance and implementation of the accounting strategy ensuring compliance with the business plan.
Monitoring cash and funding balance to maintain a positive cash flow positions while revenue is dropping during the lockdown.
Collaborating with local/remote staff on monthly/quarterly/annual financial reports to support closing and financial reporting.
Compliance and Auditing
Supporting the management in delivering finance strategy ensuring compliance with regulatory and legal standards
Communicating with external auditors on Group Audits to fulfil audit requirements and sample selections as per timelines.
Leading corrective action for compliance with SOX, accounting standards, policies and procedure and applicable regulations.
Documenting accounting policies and operations, consistently reviewing the same for compliance factors.
Process Enhancement/Change Advocacy
Creating and robust system of internal controls across all finance processes, ensuring adherence within the finance department.
Promoting organizational values and accounting improvement while delivering business changes to support growth strategy.
Identifying process efficiency opportunities within finance and implementing change
People Management and Collaboration
Managing Finance Operations team while developing the team capability to ensure breadth and depth for future growth.
Ensuring seamless communication channels between geographical areas for flow of accounting and financial information.
Special Projects:
Shared Services Accounting Team
Building a team from the ground up to enable shared services accounting for the company.
Structured team to transition all global accounting functions to the team, successfully completing the process in 2020.
Executed implementation automation Accounting functions, reducing the overall workload, achieving better controls, and reducing manpower needed by almost 20%.
Centralization of Regional Accounting
Leading accounting related projects to support centralization of all regional accounting functions across the International business through, automation, standardization and simplification of the accounting processes.
§ Spearheaded accounting team while overseeing accounting procedures across Tax, cash reconciliations, account reconciliations, accounts receivables, fixed assets, payroll, accounts payable, revenue and expense recoding
§ Analysed accounting data and produced financial reports or statements to execute monthly, quarterly, and annual closing.
§ Focused on achieving financial accounting objectives & deadlines while establishing accounting methods, policies & principles.
§ Continuously improved accounting systems and procedures, delivering recommendations and taking corrective actions.
§ Prepared financial statements and fiscal files while maintaining records to document transactions.
§ Communicated with external auditors to ensure that auditors approve of company accounting disclosure decision-making.
Special Projects:
Liquidation
§ Supported liquidation by leading accounting processes for cash reconciliations, AR collections, FA disposals and AP clearance.
§ Prepared financial statements and coordinated (internally and externally) for liquidation finalization within planned deadlines.
§ Supported liquidation in some geographical areas/ countries as a part of the company restructuring plans.
VAT Implementation
§ Implemented VAT for the first time in 2018, modified revenue KPIs structure and reduced Merchant receivable position by 70%
§ Implementing new prepayment polices, involving redesign of revenue KPI's to adopt new regulations.
§ Trained and educated sales and operations professionals on the impact of VAT implementation on partners and customers.
Groupon Italy (Interim Accounting Manager)
§ Oversaw accounting processes and prepared financial statements, ensuring proper recording, filing and reporting.
§ Trained local Accounting department staff, suggested improvements for accounting process and led payroll automation.
US GAAP to IFRS Conversion
§ Led initiative to convert accounting standards being followed for financial statements from US GAAP to IFRS.
Supervises the team responsible for the transactional processing of Merchant and vendors payments, expense reports and payroll in accordance with company policies and procedures, ensuring timely payment in accordance with established payment terms Implementation and enhancement of accounting systems and drives continuous process improvement resulting in operating efficiencies, and enhanced controls.
Day to day supervision in a high-volume environment ensuring compliance with finance policies and procedures, accuracy and timeliness of invoice processing, managing workload and resource balancing, and handling vendor and internal customer inquiries. Managed to lead various projects to enhance the financial system focusing on transactions automations.
courses: GCC VAT Compliance Diploma Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – In progress