Group Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Internal Audit
SADOLIN PAINTS GROUP
Total years of experience :23 years, 10 Months
(Reporting to the Group Managing Director /Chairman of the Board)
Deliverables:
•Monitoring the financial, commercial and related matters of the group and ensuring sound and effective internal controls processes and systems for 8 companies in the group located across 4 countries.Managing a team of 12 direct reporters and over 50 indirect reporters spread over the 8 companies.
•Responsible for providing strategic direction and supervision to the group’s Finance, Internal Audit, Human Resources and Information Technology functions.
•Promoting sound corporate governance principles within the group and best practices in all areas of operations.
•Developing and implementing uniform policies and procedures across all departments of all group companies.
•Planning and promoting uniform accounting and reporting policies and ensuring correct use of right Information Technology (IT) systems and its full and effective use.
•Establishing an effective internal audit function at all group companies.
•Liaise and coordinating with the group companies to guide, review and promote all financial and related functions.
•Key person for devising and implementing reporting formats for Management and Board.
•Reviewing audited accounts, management reports and ensure timely preparation and necessary action.
•Ensuring compliance with all Tax, VAT, Company Secretarial and related Laws and regulations and all related affairs are up to date and agreed with the relevant authorities.
•Preparing financial projections and feasibilities for new projects and initiatives.
•Ensuring proper internal controls, credit policy management, sound and efficient management of working capital and improving the effectiveness of the Treasury Function at all group companies.
•Reviewing and implementing a sound and uniform product costing system and monitoring margins on all products.
•Reviewing and examining the commercial feasibility of all material third party contracts entered into by the company.
Major Accomplishments:
•Set up the internal audit function and handled dual responsibilities as the Group CFO and the Group Head of Internal Audit during the first two years of employment.
•Introduced sound Corporate Governance practices through creation of Board Charters, formation of Audit and Risk Committee, Finance and Investment Committee and Management Committees for each company to ensure effective implementation of internal audit recommendations and control over management decision-making.
•Reduced the group’s short-term debt by 40% and borrowing cost by 6% in less than 1 year through a combination of sourcing alternative financing methods and effective treasury management.
•Provided strategic support and supervision to the Group IT, Finance and HR functions.
•Reduced Direct Cost by 1% through stock control and consumption monitoring resulting in an improvement in gross margins.
•Negotiated an out of court settlement of a disputed property investment of the group valued at $ 10 Million.
•Standardized the MIS reports across the group. Improved the turnaround time for monthly closing of accounts to 6 days from the end of the month from 15 days earlier by automation of several processes.
•Reduced book stock to physical stock variance to 0.50 % ensuring that stock records used for automation of Material Requirement Planning are reliable. Implemented MRP through Syspro and SAP systems used in the group.
•Created a service center structure centralizing Procurement, HR, IT and Internal Audit. Centralization of Procurement resulted in reducing direct costs by 3% and the centralization of the other functions, resulted in a reduction in corresponding overheads by 16% for these functions.
•Implemented SAP - Business One in one of the group’s largest companies.
•Implemented tax planning tools in consultation with external experts resulting in a projected reduction of tax incidence by 14% for FY 2014 and approximately 25% from FY 2015 onwards.
Internal Audit Manager (Reporting to the Associate Partner)
Deliverables:
• Assigned responsibility of managing Business Development, Staff Training, Assignment Planning and handling an internal audit team of 6 qualified chartered accountants.
• Monitoring the assignment progress and billing to ensure that revenue and collection targets are met.
• Responsible for servicing a very diverse key clientele and Industry sectors including but not limited to:
• Turnkey Project Management sector: Dubai Investments PJSC.
• Construction and Real Estate Management sector: Drake and Scull PJSC, Emcor Facilities Services Group, Farnek Facilities Management, Engineering Contracting Company, East Coast Contracting and Trading, Al Owais Group, Al Saud Group.
• Trading sector: Porsche Middle East and Africa, Al Ghandi Group, Apparel Group, Eros Group, Redington Gulf, Planet Pharmacies, City Pharmacy, Sharaf Group, Wesley International (Super-max).
• Manufacturing sector: Hepworth Group, House of CHI (Nigeria), IBS LLC, SIKA.
• Oil and Gas sector: Global Petro Tech, GCC Energy Fund.
• Shipping and logistics management sector: United Arab Chemical Carriers, IAL Logistics.
• Educational Institutions sector: Dubai English Speaking School and College, Taaleem.
• Financial services sector: Geojit BNP Paribas, Falcap Ltd., FirstRand Bank, Munich Re Insurance underwriters, Leebrook Global Investments, Millennium Private Equity Management, Toscafund Global, ILFS, Sinogulf Investments and many more DFSA and DIFC regulated firms. (Category 2 to Category 4 Authorised Firms).
• Other services sectors: Reed Global Recruitment, Clyde and Co. LLP trust services.
• Leading and managing a team to carry out risk based internal audit assignments for a portfolio of over 20 Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) regulated entities to ensure compliance with the regulations.
• Assisted the above clients with regulatory reporting requirements of the DFSA and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
• Tasked with providing outsourced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) services to clients across diverse industry sectors including but not limited to DFSA regulated firms.
• Key person for carrying out financial due diligence reviews for acquisitions and spin-offs for clients such as Dubai Investments PJSC, Drake and Scull PJSC and Emcor Group, amongst others.
• Guiding a team of professionals in developing the operating policies and procedures for organizations such as Porsche (automotive trading), Taaleem (education), Hepworth (pipe manufacturing) etc.
Major Accomplishments:
• Consistently exceeded expectatons rating in the perfromance assessments and enhanced the client portfolio by over 400% over a 7 year span.
• Successfully developed the internal control framework for a food process manufacturing group based in Nigeria (House of CHI).
• Developed and monitored the implememtation of policies and procedures across departments for many entities including but not limited to Hepworth Group, SIKA Middle East, Porsche Middle East and Africa, Taaleem PJSC, etc.
Internal Audit and Business Excellence Manager (Reporting to the Managing Director)
Deliverables:
• Responsible for managing an internal audit team of 5 qualified professionals and setting up the internal audit function.
• Tasked with conducting periodic risk assessments, internal control, process reviews and setting up internal controls, policies and procedures.
Major Accomplishments:
• Successfully restructured the firms debt and achieved substantial reduction in the groups interest expense.
• Instrumental in designing and implementing a performance linked remuneration policy for the group.
• Applauded for playing akey role in the transition of a family owned business in India to a merger of 3 businesses into one followed by a buyout in combination with an investment group.
• Developed and implemented documented policies and control procedures across all departments.
Auditor (Reporting to the Partner)
Deliverables:
• Assigned responsibility of Audit of Financial Statements upto Finalisation and review of the Financial Due Diligence.
Major Accomplishments:
• Independently managed a portfolio of 5 corporate clients.
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA) from the IMA (USA) . (2005)
• Masters Degree in Commerce (elective subjects- Accountancy and Auditing) 2002
• Bachelors Degree in Commerce (elective subjects- Marketing and Accountancy) 2000.