Head of Finance and Accounts
INTEREL Group
Total years of experience :15 years, 3 Months
• Covering all areas of daily accounting and finance functions for Dubai trading companies including banking, statutory audits etc;
• Oversight of group subsidiaries in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Singapore;
• Designing and implementing corporate governance and controls framework.
• Preparation for ERP implementation (Microsoft Dynamics)
• UAE VAT implementation
• Five direct reports in the Accounts team
• Reporting to the Group CFO.
• Covering all areas of Finance for the group of six entities;
• Taking over the finance function that was previously outsourced; designing and setting up various new finance processes and reports;
• Reporting to the CEO
Our head office has revised its international strategy and decided to commence phased exit from the region, hence looking for a new opportunity.
Currently working for Premier Inn International regional office in Dubai, covering GCC, India and South East Asia:
· In charge of regional consolidation and group reporting to UK parent in line with FTSE listing rules;
· Two direct reports in Finance team in Dubai and indirect reporting from six teams in regions;
· Budgeting and forecasting for overheads offices and regional consolidation;
· Ensuring strong financial controls are in place;
· Monthly management reporting - actuals variance to budget and last year, departmental analysis;
· Reporting to VP-Finance and Information Systems;
· Experience using Oracle, Hyperion and Sage.
Promotion from Emirates group head office into a group joint venture:
· In charge of Finance function in a company of 500 employees, reporting to the General Manager with dotted line to the Group CFO;
· 7 direct reports in Finance team;
· Monthly reporting to shareholders dnata and Air Arabia (IFRS);
· The Company provides flight catering from Sharjah International Airport, manages 16 cafes and restaurants in and outside the airport area, and a hotel in the airport.
· Financial risks review of Emirates and dnata flight catering (Alpha Flight Group - various countries) and hospitality (Marriott Marquis, Al Maha and LeMeridien Al Aqah in UAE, Premier Inn in UAE, Wolgan Valley in Australia).
· Review and recommendations ensuring strong processes and controls are in place to prevent and detect any misappropriations;
· Review of accounting key areas (eg revenue recognition, provision and accruals calculations, any other estimates or judgmental areas or complex accounting treatments) in compliance with IFRS;
· Involvement in new projects from financial risk perspective;
· Experience using Oracle Financials.
• Full audit process from the beginning to the end - setting up work programs and audit strategy, performing audit work on complex and high risk areas, reviewing the work of junior team members, preparing and reviewing client deliverables
• Dealing with complex accounting and auditing areas, eg prior year restatements, share based payments (cash and equity based)
• Consolidation procedures, including foreign subsidiaries with different reporting currencies, non-controlling interests, acquisitions during the year
• Preparing and reviewing financial statements for clients
• Agreed upon procedures - combination of economic entities, assessing appropriateness of client accounting policies, assessing consolidation process of non-audit client and recommending improvements
• Clients include construction, wholesale, media and investment banking
• Full audit process from the beginning to the end - setting up work programs and audit strategy, performing audit work on complex and high risk areas, reviewing the work of junior team members, preparing and reviewing client deliverables; acting as audit manager for two clients prior to leaving
• Promoted from assurance technician to part-qualified audit executive in eight months from joining
• Qualified in April 2009
• Audit of group reporting packages and statutory accounts - UK GAAP, IFRS, US GAAP
• Solicitors’ Accounts Rules (SAR) and Solicitors’ Overseas Practice Rules (SOPR) procedures
• Dealing with complex accounting and auditing areas, eg defined benefit pension schemes, share based payments (cash and equity based), investments in shares valuation, investment property valuation, revenue recognition per different accounting standards (UK GAAP, IFRS, US GAAP)
• Consolidation - including foreign subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates with different reporting currencies; non-controlling interests, acquisition audit procedures, auditing intangible assets (customer contracts, brands) valuations
• Coaching and reviewing the work of less experienced team members; managing teams of up to ten persons
• Communication and audit coordination with overseas auditors and experts (real estate valuation experts, actuaries, tax, IT and HR specialists)
• Clients include listed and private companies; wholesale, retail, telecommunications, investment property, education and other services, and media companies
• Promoted from consultant to senior consultant in 1.5years from joining while still studying for Master’s degree
• Full audit process from the beginning to the end; acting as audit manager for ten smaller clients prior to leaving
• Clients include wholesale, forestry, public sector, telecommunications, construction
· Providing accounting and local tax services to small companies in addition to my full-time job;
· Setting up accounting records from scratch;
· A company owned by myself.
· Part-time position held during university studies.
one semester at Dresden University of Technology as an exchange student
