Sumeya Lila

• Implemented the Risk and Control Matrix (RCM) framework for the UK and Netherlands, ensuring consistent control design, clear ownership, and full alignment with Group-wide standards.
• Managed and strengthened the Internal Control System (ICS) across both countries, serving as the primary liaison for cross-functional and regional stakeholders.
• Planned, executed, and documented ICS testing activities, ensuring compliance with internal control requirements and identifying opportunities to enhance control design and operational effectiveness.
• Administered the ICS platform, tracked remediation actions, and ensured ongoing adherence to internal policies and external regulatory obligations.
• Coordinated and supported the execution of remediation plans to address control gaps, driving greater automation, efficiency, and process standardisation across local operations.
• Prepared and delivered comprehensive, data-driven control reports to regional management, outlining deficiencies, remediation progress, and key risks.
• Collaborated with business and IT teams to implement process improvements, optimise workflows, and strengthen overall internal control maturity.

• Delivered global and corporate functions audits covering a wide range of business processes including but not limited to SOX compliance, group insurance, transformation, operational resilience, waste management, health & safety, procurement, supply chain, project management, and critical change activities. These audits were executed with a risk-based approach, completed efficiently and with a targeted focus, leveraging data analytics tools as appropriate.
• Partnered with cross-functional teams to implement process improvements and strengthen internal controls.
• Managed the audit team, including co-sourced personnel; adeptly reviewing work papers, offering constructive feedback, and providing coaching and mentoring.
• Ensured effective implementation and remediation by meticulously tracking agreed actions.
• Contributed to the preparation of papers for Audit and Risk Committees (ARCs) and other governance committees, supporting Senior Managers.
• Assisted in the development of risk-based audit plans to address key business risks and regulatory requirements.
• Supported the annual QA process, ensuring compliance and best practices.

• Successfully planned and delivered audits across various business processes and significant projects, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
• Engaged and challenged Heads of Departments, Senior Leadership Teams, and General Managers to enhance the business control environment.
• Demonstrated efficiency in audit planning, meeting strict timelines by aligning resources effectively. Managed the entire audit lifecycle, from planning to final report issuance, while meticulously tracking actions to completion.
• Managed the annual QA process, evaluating the quality of audits conducted throughout the year. Presented findings to team members and senior leadership, fostering constructive discussions to gather insights and improve overall performance.

• Prepared budgets and forecasts including Op Plan and LE’s, fostering strategic financial planning
• Produced detailed cost reports with insightful commentary for the senior leadership team and budget holders, analysing monthly and year-to-date balances against Op Plan and LE.
• Prepared management accounts for monthly business reviews, scrutinising month-on-month and year-to-date movements. Identified and reported on significant variances between actuals vs Op Plan and actual vs LE.
• Developed a monthly dashboard incorporating KPIs, project reporting, and metrics from all business sectors. Analysed monthly and year-to-date trends, meticulously addressing discrepancies.
• Prepared QPR slides for the Finance Director, facilitating informed decision-making.
• Managed year-end and interim reporting, ensuring accuracy of reported balances and submitting data for Group consolidation.
• Led the preparation of Statutory Accounts, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Collaborated with internal and external auditors, providing timely responses to queries, preparing reconciliations, and addressing audit findings effectively.
• Analysed trades and executed necessary adjustments to optimise financial performance.
• Oversaw invoicing processes, reconciled sales and purchases, managed gas netting with counterparties, and ensured prompt payments and debt management.
• Managed pre-month end and month end processes, including payroll, accruals, sales, purchases, emissions, bank reconciliations, stock reconciliation, and intercompany balances. Produced weekly finance reports, cash flow forecasts, and processed weekly BACS, foreign, and ad hoc payments
• Conducted controls testing using Aris, ensuring effectiveness and compliance with financial regulations.
• Contributed to the successful implementation of SAP, from planning to execution, ensuring a seamless transition.

• Self-assessments, VAT returns & payroll
• Bookkeeping, preparing month end and year end accounts.
• Hold monthly meetings with clients.
• Clients included; Builders, Estate Agents, Retailers, Dental practices, Car traders etc.

• Daily, Weekly and Monthly reconciliation’s at all four Selfridge’s stores, reporting and investigating discrepancies.
• Streamlining the process of reporting in order to simplify and ensure efficiency.
• Audit systems and transactions to ensure system integration which involved liaising with IT
• Perform individual audits at each store.
• Supervising staff ensuring they were adequately trained, motivated and maintaining team morale at a high standard

• Preperation of budgets, budget monitoring and year end accounts
• Liase with managers to ensure budgets are posted correctly.
• Raise budget journals to amend any budgets that have been posted to incorrect cost centres
• Process grant claims and supporting data; including liaison within the corporate services department, budget officers, internal and external audit, Government departments and external organisations.
• Ensuring that any underspends are carried forward into the coming financial year.
• Monitor budgets and send out monthly reports to provide administrative assistants an overall view of previous month transactions and year to date transactions.

• Support the chartered accountant in producing both month end and year-end accounts. Prepare tax returns and payroll
• Complete VAT returns, register and de-register clients.
• File all relevant documents for audit trail purposes and assist in client meetings.

• Produce regular updates on project status and issues on a daily basis.
• Liaise with team leaders from all areas to try and capture individual department requirements.
• Organise workshops for various departments; customer care, finance, sales & marketing, billing and credit operations.
• Prepare and update a risk matrix for each department.
• A total of six workshops were held for each department starting from identifying the risk, to measuring the risk, seeking to mitigate the risk and finally monitoring and reporting. It was my responsibility to see that each stage was completed in a timely and accurate manner ensuring Quality Assurance standards are met before proceeding onto the next stage. I assisted in the entire process, from planning through to implementation.
• Work on a proactive rather than a reactive basis, knowledge sharing between teams to streamline problem resolution and detection for any potential risks ensuring any gaps were bridged.
• Liaise with the testing team and ensure that all tests were carried out accordingly

• I was selected as a member of a team of four that had been put together for a project.
• One of the challenges I faced was to train myself and prepare scripts for the team, ensuring consistency between calls and that scripts were quality checked.
• As the team was a success, we decided to expand the team and take on more members of staff.
• Within this role I had to reach certain quality and productivity targets, my success in both targets provided me with additional responsibilities.
• Performing floor walking duties, I was involved in training and developing new and existing staff. I produced team stats and graphs so the team could measure team performance as well as individual performance which resulted in further motivation.