Senior Finance Manager
British Orchard Nursery
Total years of experience :20 years, 5 Months
• Responsible for Accounting, Reporting and Governance for 15 branches across Dubai
• Identify control weaknesses and fix gaps
• Negotiate with suppliers and landlords for rebates and discounts
• Review contracts (Customer, Rental, new business, supplier) and negotiate terms in favour of the business
• Liaise with Auditors for external audit as well as ISO audits
• Manage cashflow and follow-up regularly with Government partners for outstanding collections
• Project manage new nurseries including negotiations with suppliers for fit-out, fire alarm etc
As an acknowledged expert within the Emirates Group on the operational and financial aspects of in-flight catering, I was selected to review the newly-acquired US unit’s business processes, and recommend actions that would improve its overall business performance, starting with financial control and reporting.
• Identified control weaknesses across Finance, Operations and Commercial activities. Led interdepartmental meetings with the related business leaders, to improve processes and resolve issues. Worked closely with senior management to get buy-in for process changes to be implemented and kept them abreast of improvements made.
• Identified and recovered revenue leakages of more than US $1 million. Established processes for reconciliation with customers using self-billing portals, and designed performance monitoring reports, with an escalation process, to improve accuracy of invoicing. Led outreach to top three customers to expedite the collection process.
• Designed and implemented control improvements across multiple processes and identified cost saving opportunities. Managed and trained staff to drive process standardization across the business.
As a subject matter expert in in-flight catering, I was selected to lead the implementation of the SAP ERP solution for Emirates Flight Catering. Internally branded Quantum, the project was part of a Transformation Program, touching Emirates Flight Catering’s operations in Dubai as well as ten other countries.
• Participated in scope definition and requirements gathering, ensuring that the nuances of the catering business were incorporated in the design. Responsible for making “Go or No-go” decisions for the inflight catering business worldwide.
• Briefed senior management on key features and aspects of SAP, and how they may be adapted to the organization’s needs and long-term plans.
• Managed the risks associated with design limitations impacting the business and kept global stakeholders updated, together with the Head Office leadership team.
• Consulted on the design of a global end to end Catering production system. Supported the impact of change on organizations, using assessments of organizational culture, performance, and readiness for change. Supported the creation and sign-off of functional requirements as well as other business level documents (test plans, UAT etc.).
I served in Emirates Group Internal Audit in two stints, first from 2001 to June 2004, and again from December, 2006 to November, 2017. Covering nearly fifteen years in all, in progressively senior roles, I acquired expertise in internal auditing, business risk analysis, and enterprise risk management, in the context of a fast-growing, highly diversified Company with a global footprint.
Leading a team of top-quality professionals, I delivered a range of audit services, including full-scope in-depth audits, process reviews, consulting and advisory engagements, investigative work, and a range of continuous monitoring probes. In several areas of the business, based on my experience in frontline management, I also established a platform for control self-assessment.
As part of my responsibilities, I regularly held control and risk briefings for senior and executive management within the Emirates Group, often to the President responsible for dnata, Emirates Flight Catering, Finance, and Group Services.
Frontline businesses in Emirates Group, especially in Emirates Flight Catering, would draw upon my expert knowledge of their business systems in framing their major technology investments. In one instance, I was asked to lead the implementation of the new system.
As a member of Internal Audit’s senior management team, I led the design and implementation of some of the department’s strategic projects. In 2006, I was selected to establish a new internal audit unit at Emirates Flight Catering. Later, I was entrusted with the responsibility of managing audit coverage and resourcing plans at corporate level. Throughout my stint in Internal Audit, I led training in professional internal auditing for UAE nationals, and mentoring and development initiatives for all staff.
In this position, my responsibilities included reviewing and monitoring the financial reporting, performance and control environment of Emirates’ local offices in Africa, the Arabian Gulf and the Middle East (13 stations, 11 Finance teams; aggregate financial throughput US$ 2B).
Plan and execute audits as directed by Senior Management. Follow-up on implementation of agreed actions and update the Risk Register accordingly