Profile
An Experienced Accounting and Reporting professional with extensive achievements in both the UK and as an Expat in Asia for over 4 years. Provided Leadership in Shared Service Centres for a few including, 2 fortune 500 companies in Manufacturing, Transportation and Accounting. Driving and ensuring Operations Management and excellent performance based on Continuous, Business and process improvement through implementing KPIs to support the company strategic goals.
Built new Accounting and Reporting Service centres both here and abroad through strong project management, Change management also taking into consideration the ability to interview and hire people to be part of a new dynamic cross-functional team, factoring in the required talent in the given regions, inductions and training within tight timelines. Retaining key, seasoned talent in supporting Personal Development plans and ensuring strong team management.
Recently strengthened experience in Customer Service and Customer Relationships by sharing business analytics demonstrating the value of the service offered to support customer needs
Specialties: Shared Services leadership (including financials, procurement, systems, legal and HR); Strategic planning; Business processes review and improvement; Programme/ project management; change management; Staff development, measurement and drive.
Employment History
Trax Technologies EMEA, based in Scotland – 2 years – (Role changed – Made Redundant)
June 2013 – June 2015
Technical Vertical Customer Success Manager EMEA
Key achievements: Reduced churn by positively turning customer perception around, engaging with the client to understand their strategic goals and trusted to be the expert, enabling a relationship to allow a demonstration of how value is in supporting the client to achieve their goals.
• Sharing with the client the gaps and risks, recommending solutions to support improvement in freight spend based on the analysis of LSP data
• Upselling solutions to support client critical goals – Identifying further business opportunities and improvements for services to the client by assist the sales team during opportunity assessment and proposal phases of the service delivery process, particularly where it relates to deployment approach, timeline and deliverables.
• Heading operational team, ensuring proactive and responsive delivery.
• Managing the financial aspects of the contract (billing for services, securing payments etc.
• Senior level escalation point of contact
• Oversee projects to completion ensuring accuracy and timelines on delivery. Implementing strong program management practices (change requests, issue management, risk management and decision tracking) and contributing to standard client implementation methodologies and management best practices.
Trax Technologies Asia, Inc (Expat based in Philippines – 2.5 years)
March 2011 – June 2013
Managed Services Global Operations Director
Key achievements: Provided functional leadership to the Global Managed Services Operations Business Unit. Met and exceeded set corporate metric objectives/ targets which enabled growth and stability of the organisation.
• Business Risk Management – Proactively identified and successfully addressed gaps in people, processes and tools within the Managed Service organization.
• Culture Adoption – Developed a team that demonstrated Trax Values: Personal Excellence, Team Strengths, Significance, and Celebration. Coach the Trax Practices: Methodology, MARS Processes, Accountability, WOW. Ensured Trax provided employees with: Employee Development (knowledge, abilities and skills), Open Communication, Lifestyle Goals, and Constructive Feedback.
• Organizational Development – Managed change and Lead and/or supported Organisation initiated efforts in aligning the people, process, and tools capabilities.
• Performance Management – Ensuring performance metrics exist, are accurate and are widely used. Drove the company to consistently exceed its goals. Encouraged the MS Operations organization to support other organization leaders in their efforts to achieve their goals.
Bombardier Transportation (Shared Services) Philippines Inc. (Expat assignment 2 yrs)
July 2009 – March 2011
Accounting and Reporting Shared Services Cebu
Key achievement: Main focus to establish the new Shared Service Centre in Asia. Ensured hiring, training, and quality in the migrations of the activities to the SSC on time and within budget.
People
• Management span is Accounts Payable; which includes Back Office, Front
Office and Travel & Expenses for over 8 Countries: UK, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Belgium, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. We are currently migrating an additional 2 countries by the end 2010: US and Denmark
• Responsible for the Management and development of 2 Senior Team Leaders, 5 Team Leaders, 7 Experts and 45 Analysts through effective leadership, communication and training
Processes
• Migrating specific activities for 8 countries from the local organisation to the SSC in Cebu.
• Ensuring governance and key controls in the processes to ensure quality transactions which are reviewed regularly by OSC, CASRA and External auditors
• Adherence to Service Level Agreements between SSC and Business
• Establishing KPIs to monitor and identify process issues
• Stabilising the activities once migration is complete
• Standardising processes between LEs
Systems and Policies
• To be’ global process model design – engaged in the workshops before the migrations to ensure a standard ‘to be’ process model for future migrations into SSC
• Improve performance and accelerate delivery of service to the Stakeholder
• Optimising the cost of Finance by taking the appropriate steps to minimise effort and increase quality and speed; thus achieving efficiency gains
Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd
May 2006 – to date
SSC Accountant, Accounts Payable Manager UK
Key achievement: Standardised and streamlined processes and systems across the UK to have shared visibility and focus in the stable management of Accounts Payable. This was recognised at a high level and then moved on to do this Globally.
People
• Management span is Accounts Payable; which includes Back Office, Front Office and Travel & Expenses for the UK
• Responsible for the Management and development of 2 Team Leaders, 22 Clerks
Processes
• Centralisation in migrating payables from 35 legacy databases (around the UK which included BaaN, Protos, Oracle and a old version on SAP) to SAP VCM. Also, system enhanced interface from TACT to avoid dual manual processing.
• Communication lines established by weekly staff meetings focusing on continuous improvement and current issues – with Accounts Payable, Procurement, Controlling and Inventory Control.
• Lead the critical supplier funding conferences, weekly; which includes the various divisions, including Procurement and Inventory.
• Measuring, monitoring and improving the performance of my department by producing daily, weekly and monthly Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) which include: Parked invoices, Received invoices, input rates, match rates, Parked Root Cause analysis by division, etc. These are communicated to the appropriate Directors and Managers in the business
• Change management and process adaptations for new processes and procedures
Systems and Policies
• Implemented scanned invoices to make both archiving and referencing easier. These images are stored in SAP which the business can view at any time.
• Setting up procedure to process all invoice stock and non-stock with purchase orders. 1% of invoices come in with no Purchase Order which is a huge achievement.
• Implementation of ePayables system to reduce human intervention and make the process more automated.
• Customising SAP VCM to ensure it worked well for BT processes. Procurement and Inventory control to ensure there were benefits for all functions
• Managing recovery processes of duplicate payments made the 35 legacy systems, which are now consolidated, to SAP VCM, which now eliminates this high risk, which once existed – cleansing systems.
Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd
October 2005 – May 2006
Financial Accountant
Key achievement: Worked with the business division controllers to clean up ledgers for several business divisions which had previously been handled by 3 people.
• Bookkeeping, Balance Sheet Reconciliations and Bank Reconciliations, Cash forecasts and Sales Ledger, Vat Return and Corporate Tax Pack, Inter-group agreements, accruals and general journals, Used BaaN (accounting system) and Protos (accounting system), Management of queries from Division Controllers
Leisure Marketing International Ltd
March 2005 – October 2005
Sales and Marketing Manager (Direct Sales)
• Managing a team of 30 sales agents for a travel and leisure club. Consolidating sales and Preparing weekly statistics, Personal Interviews to recruit new agents and Training new sales agents, Setting targets for sales team
British Bakeries Limited
May 2003 – March 2005
Service Centre Accountant
Key achievement: Established the new Shared Service Centre. Ensured hiring, training, and quality in the migrations of the activities to the SSC on time and within budget.
People
• Management span is Accounts Payable, Travel & Expenses for the UK, was responsible for 17 members of staff. Ensured that the staffing levels were adequate to provide agreed levels of service – managing training and development to maintain a motivated team. Was free to manage my staff as appropriate.
• Accounts payable was the 1st function to be moved into the service centre because of its size. Other functions followed, Credit Control and Payroll. Heavily involved recently in the ordering process at sites
• Team also managed inter-company balances, AP batch-book, statements, accruals, prepayments, fixed assets, etc
• Managed the Service Centre solely for about 6 months whilst other Management recruitments were being made to support.
• Presented our systems and processes to various directors of the company/group around the service centre and explained the process and our goals. This resulted in us taking on the financial accounting for our sister groups in the near future.
Processes
• Setting up SSC for all the Accounts Payable from 20 sites across the UK, processing over 3,500 invoices a week (700 invoices a day so far). Monthly payables were roughly £25m per month
• Worked with Internal and External Auditors
• Ensuring the process was working the best way possible for sites
• Dealt with major suppliers and worked towards ways of improving methods of processing payables.
Systems and Policies
• This had involved me co-ordinating and setting up BACS, cheque runs, cash flow and maintaining the supplier Master-file and Procedures
• Involved in site meetings to ensure processes were working for everyone.
• Modified systems and improve controls and processes, maintaining good financial/ auditable controls according to company policy and statutory regulations.
• Maintained and monitored the set-ups for the suppliers in Marrakech (online purchase ordering system). This system interfaced with AS400.
• Responsible for the systems administration for the system (setting users up) and my team also maintained the cost centres in this system Marrakech. This had involved a great deal of communication between Sites, service centre, suppliers and Marrakech.
Intier Automotive (UK) Seating Limited
February 2003 – May 2003
Temporary Assignment – Assistant Accountant
Key achievement: Supported (in all areas) the Management Accountant with an overstretched workload, which included the following:
• Balance Sheet reconciliation’s, Journals and Accruals, Preparation work for Corporate Tax Pack and Staff travel for corporation tax, Input and Output Vat reconciliation, Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger and Purchase Orders – Analysing, Maintaining Fixed Asset register, Budgets re-allocation, Splitting costs, Profit and Loss reports for various cost centres, Payroll Cost preparation and allocations, Using BAAN – Accounting System
Siemens Metering Services
July 2002 – February 2003
Temp. Position – Assistant Management Accountant
• Preparation of Revenue reports and Management Accounts for Manager and Finance Manager, Taking Managers through their costs and budgets, also providing breakdown of costs, Standard Costing and Stock reconciliation, Variance Analysis and Account analysis, Accruals, Journals, Query resolution on all of the above, SAP (accounting system)
May 2002 – June 2002
Temporary Position – Cashiers department
• Taken on to reduce the backlog of payments that had come in from another office as the offices are integrating, Covering main cashier during absence, Posting cash to Ledgers, Dealing with queries
Arthur Andersen Multi-disciplinary SSC Organisation (Nottingham Office Closed 2002 – Made Redundant)
July 2001 – May 2002
Accounts Associate
• Balance Sheet Reconciliation of accounts which included Management Statuary, Purchase Ledger Control accounts and Legal Payroll, Accruals – account for purchase ledger and Amex each month, Preparing Balance sheet summary, Approving accounts payable payments
June 2000 – July 2001 – Financial Account Administrator
• Managing office rents – UK, Project Manager for developing knowledge sharing into staff competencies, Suspense clearance
January 2000 – June 2000 – Financial Administrator
• Treasury, client accounting, Processed manual payments and also processed and paid manual foreign payments
January 1997 – January 2000 – Amex Administrator (Specialist)
• Accounts Payable, Suspense clearance, Raising and releasing Journals, Enhancing systems, Statistics, Training new staff
Clerical Officer/Receptionist | Derbyshire Royal Infirmary – NHS Trust
09/1995 – 01/1997
Housing & Maintenance Administrator | Walbrook Housing Assoc
Summers of 1992, 93 & 94
Education
September 1991 – July 1995
Derby Tertiary College. Derby | 4 A’Levels, 1 grade C
September 1986 – July 1991
Derby Moor Community School. Derby | 8 GCSE’s, 3 grade C (inc. Maths and English)
Professional Qualifications & Skills
1991
Typing and Word processing skills gained at Wilmorton College, Derby.
I have gained experience/training with software packages. These include: Microsoft Word Lotus Notes, Microsoft Excel Peoplesoft, Microsoft Access FS90 – Ledger and General Ledger Accounting System (American), PowerPoint SAP, BAAN AS400, Imscan Readsoft, Marrakech Protos
