Salwa Salem CMA PMP

Accomplishment: Caught up and achieved 100% audit-ready books and unqualified opinion within the first month started, rebuild the budget files into user friendly format and incorporated all actuals from previous years and average data directly from Navision using jet reports reporting tools
Reporting directly to the CFO, serves as a key member of the senior leader team in determining the vision and strategic path of the organisation. Oversee all operational, strategic, accounting, forecasting, compliance, year-end audit, program control, treasury, investments portfolios and different financial activities, and responsible for the design and the implementation of accounting systems, policies, risk matrix and grants reporting, also lead and coaching a finance team of 5 direct reports.

• Planning, directing, consolidating & coordinating all financial reporting, budgeting & accounting operational functions for various retails business, food and services, warehouses, and the whole historical park different programs with thousands of capital and collection assets for the society and foundation with $28 million NPO.
• Prepare, review, and present the quarterly financial package to the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee as well as attend with the CFO the AGM for society and foundation.
• Review and file the GST & tax returns meeting CRA requirements & deadlines.
• Prepare periodic Financial Analysis & Risk Assessment
• formulated cost Analysis to trim the costs down as possible and review contribution margins.
• Accelerated month end closing from 15-18 days to 7-10 days and introduced financial flash report.
• Devised funding strategies to drive organization vision & support tactical initiatives.
• Assesses the competencies of staff and identifies strengths and areas for development by creating individual performance plans that identifies individual performance goals.

Accomplishment: Caught up and Consolidated 1 year reporting and achieved 100% audit-ready books and unqualified opinion within the first 3 months started, restructured the finance team, hired, and coached new 3 mangers, and developed an effective talent retention plan.
Position reported directly to the CFO. Manage organization-wide budgets, payroll, accounting, other financial operations and implement best practice to standardize internal process & procedures. Led a finance staff of 20 with 5 direct reports.

• Manage and support a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Planning directing, consolidating & coordinating all financial reporting, budgeting & accounting operational functions for 52 entities of $336 million NPO.
• Prepare business cases, cause-and-effect analysis on an ad-hoc basis.​
• Support & guide program Managers/Directors in setting the annual budget target setting process & preparing detailed annual budgets.
• Consolidate the budget for 52 entities and prepare the main administration’s Budget along with all the planning and forecasting process.
• Liaison with external auditors.
• Ensures that all systems, internal controls, & procedures are appropriate & in place.
• Verify compliance with accounting standards & regulations.
• Initiated and set the plan for the project of moving from yearly financial closing into monthly financial closing, providing the required support and training to implement the project through all the programs and entities.

• Direct all financial reporting, accounting activities, opex, capex and data processing for a $45 million NPO
• Overseeing and managing the financial team for two nursing
• Responsible for development & documentation of accounting policies, regulations and financial controls testing.
• Ensure overall efficiency & productivity by supervising month, year-end procedures and auditing preparations.
• Evangelizing data use within the company to create a culture of data driven decisions.
• Using external benchmark criteria to highlight opportunities and threats.
• Preparing and review of KPIs, financial performance metrics & new contracts.
• Preparation of regular & ad hoc analysis reports to agreed timescales as required.
• Providing recommendations based on business intelligence analysis.
• Communicate with management regarding any gaps or discrepancies.
• Compile all necessary financial data to provide a “big picture” analysis and support them in key financial decision-making.
• Financial forecasts & budgeting management, G&A, financial variance analysis and balance sheets reconciliation.
• Communicating with remote teams at all levels of the organization.
• Successfully created new COVID chart of accounts & automated system financial reports by providing necessary data and financial analysis for all non-budgeted COVID extra costs & received funds.
• Assist top management with identifying extra COVID costs from budget variances and facilitate submitting the new reports requested by AHS.
• Manage monthly financial reports and successfully reduced average processing time by 30%.
• Increased departmental productivity & reducing errors by 25% by utilizing Accounting software

• Review business cases, and take sole responsibility while working with clients to resolve any routine to complex operational issues.
• Provided high quality customer service, exceeding client’s expectations and contributing to the overall retention & expansion of client relationships.
• Review daily department reporting and filing to ensure compliance with operation, security, legal and audit procedures as well as a positive client experience.
• Applies risk management policies, internal controls, procedures, and audit control standards in daily activities to ensure compliance and best practice standards to mitigate risk.

• Managing the Finance and supply chain team in Qatar and Dubai branches.
• Overall administration of the project’s, HR & Business administration functions to include planning, daily operations follow up, hiring, training staff, directing & overseeing the implementation of site policies, procedures & audit trails.
• Proficient in providing treasury / cash management, updating general ledger and cash flow for various entities as well as maintaining cost reports of various development and ongoing projects.
• Focal point for pricing, margin analysis, cost/profit center analysis alongside product margin analysis function.
• Ensure financial report deadlines are met to support financial internal/external audit preparation and processes.
• Ensuring solutions are delivered to quality, on time, within budget, and in line with company requirements.
• Oversaw and managed projects from conception to completion.
• Introduced computerized production reporting, establishing a perpetual inventory system.
• Recognized an opportunity to support Qatar branch and develop new formal purchase order / invoices / delivery notes format that were well recognized and implemented by other company branches.
• Lead the transition to a new location, responsible for concluding all legal clearance documents, furnishing, and hiring all required workforce.
• Served key role in the introduction, integration & ORACLE ERP implementation across all company departments.
• Migrated existing data into new system while bringing books into compliance with general accounting standards.
• Successfully oversaw end to end completion of 10+ simultaneous project with a combined worth of USD 500K+.
• Implemented new cost tracking project to cut inventory waste 20%.

• Supported the Qatar Chapter in formulating & maintenance of the SSA Chapter annual budgets, ensured accurate costing by monitoring spending versus budget, and completing corrective actions for any identified discrepancies.
• Maintain responsibility for coordinating & work collaboratively across the local Chapter in the spirit of SLB/SSA Mission Statement and Guidelines. Chair board meetings, providing leadership and oversees all activities.
• Communicate monthly with SSA Global Board Area Coordinator and completes Bi-Annual Reports as requested.
• Setting up SSA Chapter budget and make sure of the timely preparation of the annual budget.
• Ensures accurate costing and monitoring spending vs budget as well as take corrective actions for any deviation.
• Mediate and resolve problems arising and relays this information to the SSA Global Board Area Coordinator.
• Liaise with local Schlumberger Health Safety and Environment (HSE) and communicates the information to the Chapter, in addition to Coordination with local HSE Manager to identify trainings where needed.

PRIOR ROLES WITHIN SINOTHARWA DRILLING COMPANY:
Senior Receivable Accountant (Jan. 2011 - Dec. 2012)
Senior GL Accountant (Jan. 2008 - Dec. 2010)
Junior GL Accountant (Dec. 2006 - Dec. 2007)
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• Directed all corporate accounting reports, activities and financial management including managing & mentor a team of 6 direct reports, financial statement preparation, presentation, the month end close and variance analysis.
• Illustrated strengths in communications and conflict resolution by working with a client to resolve an invoice discrepancy. Resulted in renewing the contract for 5 years contract with yearly price increase %.
• Led accounting team in driving cost - reduction initiatives that resulted in $1.7 million saved over 2 years through dematerialization, sourcing and process automation.
• Contributed to recovering over $1.5M by streamlining review contracts which increased efficiency in identifying discrepancies in invoices.
• Noticed a weakness in a client’s wire transfer controls that made a significant theft of funds possible. Recommended a change that was adopted immediately.
• Assigned to work with purchasing department as their single point of contact. Automated preparation of four shadow system reports that had previously required 12 hours of staff time per week.
• Met the challenge of an increased workload because of a shortage in AP/AR staff, while contributing to reducing delays in processes to improve the DSO, reducing discrepancies and increasing invoice issuance.

- Represent active daily point - of contacts requesting or inquiring on products (whether in person or by phones).

- Process and issue funds transfer, bank drafts, certified checks, Insurance Policies, card and loan applications, in addition to maintaining depository accounts.

- Receive and record customer orders. Prepare transactions documents, verify customer's signature, check balance, place hold on funds as required, prepare SWIFT messages, and process accounting entries, post transactions.

- Develop new business from prospect customers through the utilization of all services of the bank and augment services in the ones already established.

- Ensure the correct functioning and implementation of permanent supervision system, compliance, money laundry and KYC rules at the branch.

- Responsible for Salary Monthly Transaction and reviewing Daily Branch Journal Entries.