Experience

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  Binzagr Company

  • Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • Senior Vice President Finance

    • Jun 2013 - Present
    • Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    The Company is the lead player in the Kingdom in the area of warehousing, distribution and marketing of fast moving consumer goods, employing more than 3000. Reporting to CFO. Member of the Executive Committee. Leading a Finance team of 52 in Accounting, Controlling, Financial Reporting, Treasury, Budgeting and Inventory management, and payroll. Responsible for reviewing and improving business processes and internal controls. Company uses SAP ERP in Sales, Inventory, Financial Accounting and Controlling and HR and payroll.

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  AECOM

  • Abu Dhabi - UAE

  • Manager Shared Services Center - Middle East

    • Dec 2007 - Mar 2013
    • Abu Dhabi - UAE

    A $300 million architecture and engineering consulting company, with operating locations across the Middle East, employing 2,500. Corporate offices in UAE controlling operations in Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt. Fully owned subsidiary of AECOM, USA.• Reporting to the Director Shared Services - Europe, Middle East and Africa, and managing a 14 member shared services team in General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll and Treasury functions, and managing outsourced services.• Lead role in implementation of SOX in the areas of General ledger AP and payroll, and Kofax imaging and archiving systems, and outsourced services design and planning. • Designed and implemented controls, reconciliations and analysis, procedures and processes, forms and data input controls, improved manual processes in AP, General ledger and payroll.• Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt and UAE are controlled from the Abu Dhabi office.

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  Combe Incorporated

  • New York, USA

  • Director, US Financial Accounting and Reporting

    • Oct 2004 - May 2006
    • New York, USA

    A $350 million multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded health and beauty care products. • Consulting assignment, standing in for Director Financial Accounting and Reporting, responsible for month closing, financial reporting for US operations, coordinating external audit activity, special projects. • Tested the full portfolio of financial reports written for the newly implemented PeopleSoft GL system. Reports covered entire spectrum of financial management reports including Sales, Gross Margins, PL accounts, Cash Flow, Overheads, Balance sheets – for individual locations / cost centers and consolidated for Management reporting. Trained the users.• Developed and implemented a management financial reports package. This included summary and detailed versions of PL and Balance Sheets, actual vs budgets and last years, Gross margins, Other Income and consolidated cash flow, product group and individual product performance analysis reports.

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  Fine Host Corporation

  • Connecticut, USA

  • Vice President and Controller

    • Dec 1998 - Sep 2004
    • Connecticut, USA

    A $300 million food service company, with operating locations across the US, employing 4,500. Fine Host was acquired by Aramark based in Pennsylvania, and re-located. • Reported to the CFO, and supervised seven managers and their respective teams in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Systems, Corporate Planning and Field Accounting.• Actively assisted CFO on matters of IT strategy, systems development and planning.• Designed and implemented a paperless monthly financial reporting system for field and corporate managers, using existing IT resources, achieving major savings and providing timely data for decision making. Reports included PL and Balance Sheets and control indicators like Inventory turns and ROC. These reports processed overnight and were posted on the company’s web site with appropriate access authorities built in.• Super user experience with the PeopleSoft GL module.• Transitioned accounting systems from a field accounting center to Corporate.• Before promotion to VP and Controller, worked as senior Corporate Planning Manager responsible for consolidation of financial results, reporting and analysis, budgeting and planning.

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  United Distributors Limited

  • Karachi, Pakistan

  • Group Finance Director

    • 1992 - 1998
    • Karachi, Pakistan

    A $100 million holding company with equity in, and joint ventures in Pakistan with Procter & Gamble, Gillette, FMC and Pioneer Seeds, employing 1800. National distributors in Pakistan for Procter & Gamble, Kellogg, Heinz, and other consumer, pharmaceutical and food products. • Staff function, reporting to Group Chairman.• Responsible for long term strategic planning, IT strategy and procedures.• Implemented financial accounting systems and internal controls.• Consolidated operating results and reported on group companies’ performance.• Group company accounting heads functionally reported to me.• Managed a team of 15 in finance and systems function. Responsible for external and internal audits, preparation of company budgets, monthly variance analysis and reporting.• Reviewed and documented existing systems and instituted cost saving accounting and internal controls.• Supervised the implementation of a General Ledger / Sales / MIS system, budgeting and monitoring system for business-line profit reporting.

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  Binzagr Company

  • Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • IT Systems Manager

    • 1983 - 1991
    • Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    A $250 million distribution house, national distributors in Saudi Arabia, for Procter & Gamble, Heinz, Kellogg, Unilever, General and Dunlop Tires, and other consumer and food products, employing 250.• Managed a team of five in the IT department.• Responsible for operation of data center, database management, network management, prepared IT departmental budgets.• Planned systems requirements, and assisted software developers with understanding user requirements, tested systems and trained users. Extensive work experience with Cognos Powerhouse, Quick, Quiz and QTP.• Converted manual accounting and reporting systems to IT, and tested and implemented Sales, Receivables, Inventory Control and MIS.

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  The Singer Company

  • Karachi, Pakistan

  • Financial Controller Pakistan Operations

    • 1978 - 1983
    • Karachi, Pakistan

    A Stamford, CT based US Corporation, engaged in manufacturing and marketing sewing machines and consumer durables in Pakistan.• Managed a team of 15 in the accounting and reporting function.• Responsible for annual budgets and strategic business planning.• Consolidated monthly results, prepared financial variance analysis reports, employing full standard costing in manufacturing. • Converted manual general ledger to IT.• Reported to Regional and International Headquarters, coordinated internal and external audit activity.

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  Price Waterhouse Pakistan

  • Audit Manager

    • 1976 - 1978

    A.F.Ferguson & Co Karachi, Pakistan, Certified Public Accountants, affiliates of Price Waterhouse in Pakistan.• Managed audit and corporate tax assignments, reporting to Partner. • Responsible for audits for clients in oil and gas distribution, chemical fertilizers, auto manufacturing, construction projects and manufacture of electrical components.• Worked as consultant on assignments including sale of petroleum distribution operations to Government, review of internal control systems for clients and reporting thereon, and designed chart of accounts and worked on systems conversion.