Business Performance & Operational Finance Manager, Compliance & Project Manager
FIDELITY SERVICES GROUP
Total years of experience :25 years, 6 Months
• The Hiring Manager
• 05 October 2023
• Dear Sir / Madam
• I am a visionary leader and successful business manager who sets the example of being the backbone of an exceptional Team, whilst redefining efficiency and raising the bar for service excellence.
• I have extensive experience in management, project management and business growth across the various industries and ready to embark on a transformative journey.
• As an experienced, driven, and highly organised professional, I have played a pivotal role in elevating operational performance. My leadership has guided our team to surpass industry standards, delivering unparalleled customer service and achieving ambitious business objectives.
• I would like to bring my tenacity and penchant for success to your organisation by applying the principles of business. I have been instrumental in heading up various successful projects on products, systems, FinTech, Telecommunications and efficiency tools.
• I have been successful in any roles that I had an opportunity to lead as, my hands on practical personality and managing Performance on diverse Teams have led to success. I have a passion for data analytics and an eye for trends and gap analysis and have
• A strong commitment to any industry, having contributed my talents in the compliance, finance, projects category in the financial services industry and in heading up a large Team in a fast paced, high pressure customer centric environment.
• Solid financial background and the savvy to implement, understand and troubleshoot marketing operations while achieving business growth and increasing market share resulting in profitability.
• The entrepreneurial spirit, adaptability and knowledge that will bridge essential relationships to achieve business success.
• More than 15 years of strategic, forward- thinking initiatives that transcend the current state of the company to deliver profitability and achieve growth, whilst introducing innovative products, services, and systems by understanding the customer needs.
• Whilst my leadership positions previously held, bolster my aptitude to complete the job requirements, I excel at outlining project scopes, managing timelines and deadlines, tracking, and reporting on overall progress.
• Please review my attached application.
• Sincerely
• Ms Y Govender
Business Performance Manager, Operational Finance Manager, Compliance Manager, Project Manager (Start Date 25 Feb 2008 until 31 July 2022, Gauteng)
(Group Integrated Financial Services - A div of Fidelity Services Group)
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE - HELD VARIOUS ROLES DURING MY TERM
• Credit Risk Management, Customer Credit Decisioning, Customer Credit Approval
• Financial Modelling
• Project Management - FinTech, Telecommunications, VAS, Digital Marketing, L702 Evolution Data Management, Benefit & Client Statements
• Policy & procedure development
• Corporate & Financial accounting
• IFRS Reporting Standards
• Working with Exco, Senior Management
• EXCO & Board Packs
• Budgets & Business Plans
• People Leadership experience in Corporate Finance environment
• Management skills
• Revenue reporting and billing
• Solid Presentation to C level executives
• Working across diverse cultures & geographics
• Ability to function independently across functional levels, at various levels.
• Business & Risk identification analysis
• Negotiation and influencing skills.
• Strong Interpersonal, written & verbal communication skills.
• Collections & Debtors Management
• Provisioning and Doubtful Debts Analysis
• Vendor Management
• Sales Management with branch visits
• Pipeline Management
• Experience in interpreting data from a variety of sources.
• Research & Development - Market Analysis
• Human Resource Management
• Training & Development
• Compliance Management, NCA, FSCA, CPA, POPIA, SACRRA
• Key Accounts Management
• Business Development & BPO
• Fleet Management
• Provide holistic business performance insights, leveraging reporting to inform ongoing reviews and action plans.
• Implement appropriate monitoring and measurement mechanisms to track overall success of business performance initiatives.
• Monitor performance including identifying strategies to achieve any additional regional challenges.
• Support quarterly market plan review and action planning routines across Workforce Planning, Sales Effectiveness, Operations & Controls Effectiveness, and Business Performance Management
• Facilitate regional planning exercises and liaise with respective execs!
• Identify best practices across markets and make recommendations to share and adopt best practices to drive results.
• Resolve operational and business issues with escalation to Regional Operations Exec
• Provide guidance to team on analysis and implications based on the integration of multiple data sources to provide holistic understanding of the business, and future implications.
• Provide guidance to team on continually scanning the macro-environment to understand the broader forces impacting on business results.
• Manage the performance and financial reporting for Operations Unit to identify trends and provide insight through reporting.
• Developing analysis, tools and models using data to identify risk management opportunities and efficiencies.
• Partnering with Operations to quantify processing performance results and trends.
• Producing meaningful and accurate observations and recommendations for improving operational and financial performance
• Presenting findings and recommendations to executives in the organization
• Participating in projects related to HR management improvements and efficiencies.
• Serving as an analytical resource to both the Operations team and to internal business partners
• Provide holistic Personal & Commercial business performance insights, leveraging currently distributed reporting to inform ongoing plan review and action planning.
• Support the region in understanding controllable drivers of performance and in the building of regional Personal & Commercial plans.
• Through analysis, identify best practices across Personal & Commercial markets and make recommendations to the Regional Executives re strategies to share and adopt best practices to drive business performance.
• Acts as regional lead to facilitate regional restructures in both Personal and Commercial markets.
• Responsible for resolving operational and business issues with escalation to Regional Operating Officer or Regional Manager Operations when appropriate.
• Track and monitors effectiveness of regional strategies and initiatives against key controllable business performance measures in cooperation with Regional Manager Initiatives & Implementation or key advisors!
• Meet and exceed the minimum KPAs and set monthly sales targets, delivering on customer service and processing turnaround times.
• BUSINESS ANALYTICS INITIATIVE - Lead as an Ambassador and executor of change.
• Motivate, direct and influence employee behaviour to achieve business goals in periods of change for continuity to operations. Drive the organisation values while inspiring confidence and generating excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment towards the mission.
• Drive initiatives in terms of change, for consistent and accurate communication is given across the business. Initiate and lead a culture of performance driven output through shared vision and values.
• Cultivate robust relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, collaborating closely to achieve our business objectives.
• Contribute to the divisions growth and profitability. Offer customized services & products to significant customers and manage a significant sales and operational Team.
• Drive employee financial wellness and manage the digital marketing platform.
• Coach, train, and develop a team of agents and sales consultants to meet and exceed sales targets, through consistent quality evaluation sessions and product training.
• Drive the operational objectives of the division which in turn yields in high returns on turnover and profitability.
• STRATEGIC INITIATIVE - To be the preferred channel that gives rise to multiple business strategies in a centralized and controlled environment.
• Align the Contact Centre & Customer Experience objectives with the divisions vision and risk appetite.
• Spearheading the implementation of the Contact Centres operational service strategy, ensuring seamless execution
• Analysing industry & markets & prepare comparatives to achieve a high-level overview of competition.
• Identify innovative ways to improve current products & develop new product practices and processes that support consumers needs. Implement sound strategic plans for the entire product portfolio.
• To take full ownership and control of the commercial success and growth of a portfolio of different value-added services (airtime, data, electricity, bill payments, vouchering,
• To optimise the performance of the Portfolio through the implementation of operational efficiencies that will lead to enhanced customer experience.
• To apply commercial know-how and negotiate and maintain favourable terms with Value Added Services Partners, and work with delivery teams to conceptualise, implement and maintain a comprehensive product offering.
• Develop a product strategy to achieve the short-, medium-, & long-term operational objectives.
• Maintaining open channels of communication at all levels across the business to facilitate best-in class sharing and root cause analysis and resolution.
• Identifying, managing, and developing relationships with key partners to meet the objectives and goals of the Company.
OPERATIONAL INITIATIVE
• Set up a fully operational contact centre, implemented VOIP telephony systems effectively.
• Develop and implement business policies, procedures, operational systems, and processes to support product planning and management of operations, workflow, and reporting.
• Develop and manage the implementation of the SOP.
• Collaborate with business support services (Recruitment, Payroll, Marketing, Other BU) to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency in achieving business goals and initiatives that enhance the customer experience.
• Ensure that all staff within the Team perform to the best of their abilities, in terms of Sales and quality whilst adhering to all policies and procedures.
• Ensure consistent coaching and mentoring of staff leading to a culture of sales excellence in terms of the sales process.
• Ability to work additional hours and weekends when required to ensure targets are achieved.
• Developed objectives for the call centres day-to-day activities.
• Drive operational performance output in the Contact centre.
• Embedding a high-performance culture, framework and reviewing processes to achieve service levels and improvements against set targets.
• Monitor and improve telephone handling and other procedures.
• Evaluate performance with key metrics (accuracy, call-waiting time etc.). Interface back to Team with regards to escalations and complaint resolution.
• Drive the focus on improving the customer experience through call listening, Real time call monitoring.
• Endeavour to create a highly productive work environment recognizing contribution, retention, attendance, and reward.
• Ensure adherence to Conduct/Regulatory risk standards and our Operations risk appetite, delivering Contact Centre processes that prioritise compliance.
HUMAN RESOURCES INITIATIVE
• Capacitate the department by ensuring that the team structure is maintained, appropriately recruited, and selected. Lead and manage the performance of a team of Sales Consultants, Service Agents & Admin Personnel. Embodying strong, visible leadership that nurtures a positive and inclusive work environment, for colleagues to reach their full potential.
• Fostering the performance, talent, and future capabilities of the team through effective management and development initiatives
• Drive team engagement and accountability across the regions for best-in-class services.
• Drive productivity and efficiency in the Service Operations. Lead to create an effective & successful team through open discussion. Implement performance objective measurement cycles both quarterly and annually to drive organisational alignment and shared understanding of business strategy.
• Ensure that all non-compliance & non-performance issues of direct reports are identified, and disciplinary processes are adhered to.
• Track and accurately update operational performance files for Agents. Implement appropriate action where necessary.
• Orchestrate a well-balanced team with the appropriate levels of multi-skilled resources, overseeing staff recruitment and training efforts.
• Compile a financial and capex budget for the Head Office and Swaziland Division
• Provide input into the compilation of a budget that supports the operational plan.
• Manage the budget by tracking expenditure and report deviations to the Executive.
• Monitor & evaluate spending to align with Operations objectives and budget allocations.
• Plan and implement effective cost savings measures.
• Ensure policies & procedures pertaining to financial transactions & management are met.
• Extract and analyse financial and business data to make informed and defensible decisions, projections and/or recommendations.
• Monthly variance analysis of actuals against forecast/budget/prior year for key accounts (IS, BS, CF) and partner with the various business units to close the gaps.
• Control of General Ledger Accounts.
• Analysing of MOS daily and reporting variances.
• Reconciling of Balance Sheet Accounts Monthly.
• Processing of journals on revenue and accruals
• Proactively controlling costs to budget
• Produce monthly management accounts and exco packs.
• Manage the annual budget process with the business units and the divisional teams.
• Prepare budget reports for review and ensure agrees to data loaded in SAP.
• Ensure budget reports are accurate and complete and prepare budget presentations.
• Capturing and providing budget documents to Regional and General Managers.
• Target analysis and control.
• Prepare Trading Analysis on Groups Business Units Performance
• Monthly Performance reports to Operational Management.
• Effectively manage the debtors book
• Ensure that cash collections through payroll are correct and reconciled.
• Update and approve Creditors Housekeeping lists.
• Attend and Follow-up on weekly/Bi-weekly meetings.
• Ensure that collections are within target.
• Follow-up with debt collectors on all outstanding accounts over 90 days.
• Review of collections performance, systems impacts and key metrics.
• Drive the understanding and monitoring of monthly movements in the balance sheet and income statement provisions.
• Ensure portfolio is within acceptable provision adequacy levels, including income statement and balance sheet provisions.
• Play a critical role in portfolio monitoring, management, and reporting.
• Perform and prepare the company for year-end audit.
• Work with external Auditors on submissions of Audit Files and findings
• Facilitated the entire Interim and Year End Audit Process
• Prepare Tax & VAT Entries and Tax File.
• Preparing draft financials for audit purposes as and when required.
• Calculation and verifying of Teams commissions, performance bonus and overtime.
• Prepare and maintain the Divisions Fixed Asset Register and asset verification process.
• Enforce Fleet Management Policy with all branches.
• Ensure company car drivers are trained on the company car policies, & code of conduct.
• Work closely with Group Procurement to have the necessary new company cars procured as per the regional requirements and company policies.
• Liaising with suppliers for repairs and maintenance of vehicles,
• TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
• Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, & operational management
• Maintain external accreditations and in- depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, workshops and reading specialist media.
• Develop and deliver training programs to educate employees about compliance requirements.
• Provide guidance and support to employees on compliance-related matters and promote a culture of compliance throughout the business unit.
• Conduct regular audits and reviews to assess the effectiveness of the compliance program.
• Monitor business activities to ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Update training manuals on policies & procedures that align with current laws and regulations.
• Host regular training sessions on new developments, products, and processes. Maintain training registers and session agendas as required by audit and regulatory bodies.
• Facilitate training needs via the HR Portal for the Team as well as training needs with external partners.
• REGULATORY INITIATIVES
• Ensure that rates and fees are in alignment with those as prescribed in the National Credit ACT and according to the FSCA (Interest, Initiation Fees, Admin Fees, and Credit Life Insurance)
• Monitor the credit affordability regulation. Conduct Compliance Checks on Affordability Assessments
• Co-ordinated the Debt Review Process in alignment with the DR Regulations
• Due Diligence on contractual, policy documents and disclosure statements. Align framework to prescribed requirement.
• Vigorously ensure that officers practice good lending principles and are not reckless and that customers understand the benefits of insurance policies.
• Uploads via DTH for loan registration & payment updates to consumers credit bureau profiles.
• Uploads of policies & claims data to the Insurance Partner on the Data Warehouse
• Preparation of Bordeaux for premiums.
• Ensure that Business licences are renewed annually for all branches and in good standing.
• Preparation and submission of compliance reports on a quarterly and annual basis to the National Credit Regulator together with CBR to the Insurance Partner
• Annual submissions of Benefit statements to all policyholders
• Electronic submission of Monthly SEC129 letters to default debtors. Facilitated hand over to EDC.
• Monthly Electronic submission of loan statements to active customers
• Facilitated the Sec 50 transfer of policies from Short Term to Life
• OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES - Conduct Compliance risk assessments across the division and provide pro-active guidance to the businesses in addressing compliance risks.
• Monitoring Compliance and Reporting - Compliance Audits/Reviews to monitor adherence to compliance obligations and preparing the relevant compliance reports.
• Render appropriate Compliance advice/guidance, training to the business as and when required.
• Handle requests from third parties (internal requests and external requests) relating to POPIA related matters as directed to the Information Privacy Office.
• Manage regulatory queries and engagements with Regulators, including regulatory reporting.
• Keep abreast of regulatory developments, trends and changes in legislation impacting on Business and Compliance. Undertake regular compliance training or awareness initiatives, and play an integral advisory role, ensuring relevance and currency, in providing guidance to management, employees and business executives on specific regulatory compliance related issues.
• Worked on the Construction Project for the development of the Bombela Gautrain in support of services for the construction Team.
• Generate, and mail client invoices to assist in cash flow.
• Process subcontractor & vendor invoice payments.
• Support effective client relationship and submit project invoices.
• Monitor accounts receivable and support project managers with collection efforts. Ensure consistent billing and financial reporting at project levels by following best practices.
• Reporting to the Financial Manager.
• Reviewing budgets, work plans, and fee structures.
• Providing Exco, project managers and clients with timely financial reports and budgets, as well as project forecasts.
• Preparing pre-billing reports for exco and project managers to review.
• Preparing actual costs, working capital, and tax reports.
• Monitoring receivable income and supporting project managers with collections.
• Issuing invoices and purchase orders.
• Ensuring a steady cash flow by generating, auditing, and sending invoices timeously.
• Updating contracts according to client requirements and reporting associated budget amendments.
The Fund Accountant manages the day-to-day accounting duties for specific funds. Responsible for the management/reconciliations of various general ledger accounts. Assist with the preparation of the audit workings. Perform reconciliation checks during the month to make ensure all system transactions are correctly accounted for. Ensure that member contributions have been allocated and reconciled as this impact on member values. Essentially provide an effective and efficient administrative and support function to the overall Fund Accounting Team
• Update bank statements and reconcile daily.
• Allocate payments.
• Manage creditor payments.
• Cashflow management & forecasting of cash requests in alignment with fund policies
• Reconciliation of GL Accounts Receivables and Payable
• Manage debtor accounts and ensure effective collection of contributions.
• Preparation of fund management accounts
• Monitor investment / disinvestment with respective Investment Managers
• Ensure accuracy in loading of unit prices.
• Balancing of investments
• Preparation of audit files and working papers
• Preparation of Fund AFS
• Ensuring Compliance and resolving audit issues
• Implementing audit recommendations
• Drafting of annual budget on the fund and tracking of income & expenditure
• Compile information for Fund Board Pack
• Monitor and manage fund accounting operations on daily basis.
• Generate routine financial reports for management and clients.
• Work with Auditors to execute annual financial audits.
• Reconciliations of Retirement Funds across the different portfolios.
• Allocation and Reconciliation of member contributions for the Umbrella Funds.
• Maintaining accurate records of fund activity and investor information, such as account balances and transaction histories
• Fund Bank reconciliations
• Assisting the SFA’s with data for the financial statements
• Maintain accurate records of all fund transactions.
• Respond to fund accounting enquiries.
• Perform month-end account closings and reconciliations.
• Monthly Statutory Returns
• Monthly Journals
• Analysis & reconciliation of GL Accounts
• Balance Sheet recons
• Preparation of Cash Book
• Accounts payable payments & reconciliations
• Managing expenditure cycle
• Income & Expenditure projections
• VAT returns and reasonability checks
• Cash Flow Statement
• Year End Audit Report
• Intercompany Recons
• Budgets
• Recruited, interview, and trained new staff in the department.
• Oversee the daily workflow of the department.
• Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Ensured billing and receivables are correctly processed in a timely manner.
• Addressed and corrected discrepancies in accounts or billings.
• Served as a liaison bet clients and clerks to negotiate acceptable payment plans.
• Referred overdue accounts to collections.
• Provided reports and analysis on financial data and metrics such as cash forecasting, billing statistic information, and monthly collection reports.
• Assisted manager with analysis of data and reports.
• Organized monthly meetings to communicate information and guidance from company leadership on review of policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Performed other duties as assigned.
• Monitoring trends in customer accounts to identify potential risk factors such as missed payments.
• Monitoring collection activities to ensure that collectors are following proper procedures and ethical standards.
• Monitoring the status of delinquent accounts and contacting delinquent customers to encourage them to make payments on time.
• Communicating with debtors to help them understand their options for resolving their contribution arrears.
• Reviewing accounts receivable records and identifying discrepancies in billing or collections activities
• Reviewing accounts to determine whether they should be written off as uncollectible.
• Recommending ways to improve collections processes to management.
• Oversee the Credit Control, ACB and recons department.
• Motivate the Team in achieving targets and creating a culture of harmony amongst team members.
• Inculcate values of accountability and responsibility whilst focusing on Service Excellence
• Ensuring correct allocations of payments to member contributions
• Planning divisions targets
• Responsible for collections on debtors’ book in excess of R200 million
• Worked on ACB rejections and overrides.
• Planning month end runs and close off.
• Prepare monthly reports for board and trustee meetings.
• Prepare reports for year end and audits.
• Work with audit Team on Debtors and recon findings
• Report to EXCO on cash flow
• Key Accounts Management - Establish relationships with Corporate Clients to sustain and sign on New Business
• Managed Own Portfolio of Corporate Clients
• Prepare monthly stats for board members.
• Compile reports and presentations to directors
• Report to Chairman and members of Audit Committee
• Reporting to external auditors on samples
• Conducted risk assessment workshops for each division within the organisation.
• Audit scope and audit work programs were prepared from risk profile reports and audit work was then carried out in compliance with auditing principles and standards. Tests were carried out on current controls and recommendations issued.
• Company representative at Risk Sub Committee
• Management representative for the co-ordination of the ISO 9001:2000 QMS
• First organisation to implement electronic format of QMS.
• Wrote up procedures for all departments within the organisation using ISO standards.
• Co-ordinated correct active process which outlined nonconformities
• Complied schedules for Management Review Committee
• Compiling and Maintenance of Fixed Asset Register
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