Zurich, Switzerland
Dynamic, results-driven Finance and Project Management Professional, qualified Accountant (FCCA) leveraging a Master’s degree in Business Management (Dipl.-Kfm.), and able to perform effectively at CXO levels, with extensive experience assessing and reconciling accounts, managing statutory accounting and filings, tax compliance across numerous international jurisdictions, overseeing tax reporting and internal/external audits, and driving HR administration and payroll. Repeated success spearheading ERP systems implementations and enhancements, providing oversight of third party services providers, introducing innovative financial systems and reengineering financial processes to optimise accuracy, efficiency and transparency of financial information and achieve cost savings. Personable, versatile and adaptable leader and critical thinker with quant finance vision, sound technical knowledge, and solid business informatics and financial mathematics acumen, meticulous work ethic; recognised for building, engaging with, training, and leading cross functional teams, operating in crisis situations and delivering tangible results. Key Skills: - Business Modelling, Budgeting and Forecasting - Financial Performance Reporting and Analysis - Project and Change Management - Cross-functional and Multi-site Team Leadership - ERP System Implementation and Tax Accounting - Training Management and Succession Planning - International Tax | VAT | GST | CT | IT | TP - Accounting Function Operations Oversight - Statutory Compliance and Audit Management - Group Accounts and Consolidation - Internal Controls Framework Initiation - Third Party Services Providers Supervision - HR Administration and Payroll Management - US GAAP | Local GAAPs | IFRS | HGB | OR
Delivered services to multinational medical devices and supplies client, managed and led a team of general ledger accountants, responsible for all month end closing activities and reporting according to IFRS (leveraging SAP and reporting into FCRS and APMR) of UK/IE entities, ensured strong coordination with stakeholders (heads of finance, business process analysts, consolidation and reporting team, group treasury, supply chain and logistics, compliance and internal audit, master data, PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG, tax back international, local tax authorities), oversaw accounts’ reconciliations, managed fiscal requirements, notably VAT, promoted internal controls ensuring compliance with financial control manual and SOX 404, ran tax, compliance and audit reporting processes, acted as SAP super user. - Released and enabled leadership team to regroup and recuperate ahead of pending department shutdown / relocation to different site. - Addressed and resolved insidious audit queries during challenging transition by developing and sustaining finest relationships within business, notably to impacted colleagues. - Upheld team spirit and performance by driving transparency of individual contributions, retaining focus, dispelling distractions, and coordinating with leadership team.
Provided accounting, reporting and treasury services to a large multinational pharmaceutical client, ran month end / quarter end close of 2 holding companies (US-GAAP and Swiss GAAP statutory / tax books) and supported accounting and reporting of trading company, particularly accounting for leases, maintained SOX controls, managed cash pool leader, oversaw netting process, drove statutory PwC audits in CH, executed SNB reporting and disbursements for 8 legal entities, organised knowledge transfers and handovers, closely collaborated with compliance, controlling, tax and treasury departments as well as project and corporate teams, participated in business planning and forecasting, delivered mock closes as part of transformation project aiming at deploying latest digital technologies including Tableau and SAP S/4HANA and implementing redesigned work flows. - Ensured business continuity and integrity by running transitions from retiring subject matter expert to new joiners. - Drove system improvements by analysing business requirements, performing user acceptance testing, evaluating results, and providing feedback to project team. - Strengthened finance function and enhanced reporting quality by bolstering transformation project and enabling new technologies and processes.
Provided accounting, financial and tax reporting services to a large multinational medical device client, coordinated month end close of 8 legal entities in AT, CH, DE, ES, FR, IT, PL and UK with internal business partners (FP&A, Payroll, VAT, Legal, US Corporate Accounting, US Tax, US Treasury, SSC Costa Rica) and a diverse group of external consultants (tax advisers, auditors, lawyers), calculated and entered Transfer Pricing and Tax provision adjustments, executed deferred revenue evaluations, filed statutory accounts and tax returns, managed financial and tax audits, monitored work performed by other accountants, reconciled local GAAPs to US GAAP, organised knowledge transfers and handovers. - Safeguarded business continuity and integrity by driving transitions of multiple legal entities from rapidly departing accounting manager to other colleagues, including new hires overseas. - Improved tax accounting and reporting by obtaining information from local consultants and reconciling it to views represented by internal tax department, performing provision to tax reviews and integrating all this into tax packages. - Put corporate compliance back on track by addressing outstanding FY19 audits, eliciting support from other departments and stakeholders, preparing documentations and resolving issues with auditors. - Drove system improvements by analysing business requirements and pushing towards their resolution in Jira.
Provided accounting, financial and tax reporting services to a large multinational pharmaceutical client, drove integration of 13 newly acquired legal entities in CH, CZ and HU into corporate, organised handovers both incoming from businesses sellers and accounting services providers as well as outgoing to Deloitte, led entity shutdown, supported corporate income tax filings in CH. - Maximised financial reporting outcomes by evaluating and transforming one dimensional accounts from various legacy systems into a complex, multi-dimensional, corporate HFM environment. - Enhanced accounting quality by enforcing production of consolidated accounts within 2 groups, effectively managing insourcing strategy and resolving long standing issues with regard to intercompany imbalances, intercompany profit elimination on consolidation and VAT reporting. - Ensured provision of income tax accounting and reporting according to FASB 109, ASC 740 and FIN 48 by effective alignment and coordination with accounting services providers, local accounting functions and in house corporate tax strategy teams.
Provided oversight of financial and accounting operations and vendor disbursement cycles in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Canada and Australia. Authorised tax filings and payments, delivered month end close for 15 reporting entities, and supervised statutory and taxation reporting, including auditors and lawyers management. Established general ledger and fixed assets registers across International organisation as part of Oracle ERP implementation project, additionally for three legal entities in Germany. - Strengthened accountability of accounting, taxation and payroll services providers in seven countries by leading transfers of HR, payroll, tax and accounting responsibilities to new provider. - Internalised accounting and reporting activities from third party services providers by leading ERP Oracle system implementation for group of 12 companies, overseeing accounts transfer from third party services providers, performing UATs, hosting project meetings, and prioritising and driving operations between finance and IT project teams. - Enhanced finance function by supporting transformation project, and efficiently driving knowledge transfer management and work handover to Corporate in US including payroll, HR, management and financial accounting. - Sustained employee relations by directing and coordinating payroll and benefits processing across seven countries in timely manner, and adhering to local regulations. - Completed external EY audits and statutory filings in eight jurisdictions. For example, following ERP Oracle system implementation, completed largest entity audit in Switzerland, by undertaking travel to corporate, securing services of colleague to assist from another division, devising succession plan, allocating monthly close, and focusing on statutory accounts.