Kashif Ali Email & Phone Number

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

• Revamped and Automated Month-End Closings: Strategically planned and automated month-end closing procedures, ensuring timely management review and consistently meeting or exceeding group reporting deadlines.• Led Comprehensive External Audits: Successfully completed external audits for eight Middle East entities, covering UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Egypt, ensuring compliance and financial transparency.• Managed Tax Compliance and Reporting: Oversaw withholding tax, VAT, corporate/income tax, and payroll tax matters, leading accurate and timely submission of monthly, quarterly, and annual tax returns across UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Egypt.• GL Cleansing for Financial Integrity: Conducted GL account cleansing at the balance sheet level, enhancing accuracy and reliability of financial information for Middle East entities, contributing to better-informed decision-making.• Budgeting, Forecasting, and Analysis: Supported the annual budget process, conducted monthly forecasts, cost center analysis, employee compensation planning, and margin analysis, aligning financial planning with strategic goals.• Financial Modeling and Process Optimization: Developed financial models using Oracle Hyperion and MS Excel Power Query to streamline monthly analysis, enhance reporting, and optimize critical finance processes.• Month-End Journal Entries in SAP ERP: Finalized monthly, quarterly, and annual journal entries in SAP ERP, ensuring accurate and consistent financial closures.• Created Advanced Excel Templates and Models: Designed templates in MS Excel for A/R & A/P aging from vendor/customer data dumps, GL-based trial balances, financial statements, rebate calculations, and tax return tracking, significantly reducing manual efforts.• Organized Financial Documentation: Structured key documentation, including financial agreements, statements, and transaction backups, ensuring efficient access and compliance with audit standards.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

• Automated Intercompany Reconciliations: Spearheaded automation for inter-company reconciliations across 15 global logistics entities using Salesforce and Oracle FCCS, reducing manual intervention and enhancing accuracy in cross-border financial consolidation.• Optimized Month-End Closing for Logistics Segments: Streamlined month-end close to deliver timely, segmented financial statements, offering P&L insights across logistics functions—transportation, FOB, warehousing, handling, packaging, and freight—enabling precise margin analysis for each service line.• Enhanced Logistics Accruals & Intra-Group Invoicing: Automated monthly accruals, intra-group invoicing, and bulk approvals in Salesforce CRM, specifically tailored for the logistics sector, ensuring seamless alignment with complex supply chain activities.• Secured AED 15M Overdraft Facility: Negotiated a 15M AED financing facility, strengthening cash flow management to support high-volume logistics operations and enhance working capital flexibility.• Customized Reporting for Logistics KPIs: Developed reports in Salesforce, Tableau, and MS Excel, focused on logistics KPIs, including freight costs, distribution expenses, and route profitability, improving visibility and decision-making in cost control.• Managed External Audits & VAT Compliance: Led external audits and quarterly VAT submissions, addressing audit queries efficiently and ensuring full compliance across multiple jurisdictions.• Enhanced A/P and A/R Reconciliations: Reconciled over 200 A/P and A/R accounts, improving efficiency by introducing an online document submission portal for logistics partners and automating ERP reconciliation processes, reducing time and errors.• Improved Treasury Operations: Introduced bulk payment instructions in online banking, automated GL bank reconciliations, and collaborated with IT to enhance ERP internal controls, strengthening cash management and financial governance within logistics cycles.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Developed dynamic FMCG KPI dashboards and performance reports tracking essential metrics such as sales performance, inventory turnover, distribution effectiveness, customer loyalty, product profitability, brand health, fast-moving products, gross margins, and stock reorder levels. These analyses empowered decision-making, enabled efficient stock management, and improved customer satisfaction.Conducted in-depth data and business analyses, identifying performance gaps through benchmarking against industry standards, leading to strategies that enhanced efficiency and profitability.Collaborated closely with the commercial department to optimize pricing models and discounting strategies that maximized revenue growth and preserved healthy margins, contributing to competitive market positioning.Performed advanced financial assessments including breakeven analysis, payback periods, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), and Return on Investment (ROI) to evaluate the viability of various business segments and initiatives across group companies.Prepared consolidated financial statements for group entities, ensuring precise compliance with financial standards and presenting a comprehensive view of the company's financial health.Created and managed flexible annual budgets and rolling weekly cash flow forecasts, maintaining precision in cash management and aligning forecasts with evolving business needs.Secured a significant AED 20 million trade finance facility, including structured sub-limits for working capital loans, accounts receivable discounting, supplier financing, letters of credit (LC), and guarantees (LG), which supported operational liquidity and business growth.Facilitated the shift to e-commerce by integrating the company’s website with a secure payment gateway, enabling direct online sales and a streamlined customer purchasing experience.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

As the Group Financial Controller at Tetco Group, I managed financial operations across five companies in oil & gas, manufacturing, engineering, and hospitality, including Tetco Oil and Gas Equipment, Machines Steel Engineering Structures, Nuremberg Auto Spare Parts, Comfort Garments Manufacturing, and Planet Café and Restaurants. I led a team of 10 accountants and ensured effective financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and cost management.Key Achievements:Leadership & Team Management: Directed the finance departments of five entities, implementing a unified chart of accounts for consolidated reporting and elimination of intra-group transactions, enhancing financial efficiency.ERP Implementation: Spearheaded the implementation of SAP Business One and managed the migration to SAP HANA, optimizing reporting processes and improving data accuracy across the group.Financial Planning & Analysis: Led quarterly forecasts and annual budgets, conducting in-depth variance analysis to optimize revenue generation, cost control, and capital expenditure management.Cost Control & Profitability: Introduced cost control measures, identified profit optimization opportunities, and provided insights to improve operational efficiencies across diverse sectors.Consolidated Financial Reporting: Prepared consolidated financial statements under IFRS for the group and delivered strategic financial insights to senior leadership for effective decision-making and long-term growth.Strategic Financial Consulting: Provided financial consulting to senior management, identifying new business opportunities and advising on investment strategies and long-term financial planning.Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Developed and tracked key performance indicators (KPIs), driving continuous improvements in business performance and supporting management in achieving strategic goals.

Icad, Abu Dhabi. United Arab Emirates

In my previous role at Diamond Steel Industries, I have developed and oversaw accounts, finance, costing, stores, procurement, and HR departments in line with business requirements. I have examined requirements and procured plant and machinery from Italy, New Zealand, China, and local vendors accordingly while leading deployment of machines and calculation of per hour machine costs. I also have created a time-keeping and allocation system as well as a payroll process in various projects. I have led, coached, and mentored a team of 15 members for the implementation of the EZ Business Accounts and Warehousing system in the company. Some of my key accomplishments are: • Aligned project profitability, pricing, budgets, costing, and estimations with an organization-wide financial accounting system by devising a project-based accounting system.• Influenced in the development, success, and growth of the company as a leading member. Launched costs cutting campaign which resulted in a 20% reduction in costs, JIT inventory efficiencies, and reduction of procurement lead time.• Automated manual procedures, controls, and authorizations by initiating ERP system/EZ Business ERP package.• Delivered periodic and ad-hoc reporting of financial results through the development of an accounting system compliant with accounting standards and accounting principles. Automated procedures to deliver management accounting reports, balance sheet, P&L, and cash flow statement with a single click.• Contributed to the development, success, and sales of the company to a group of companies as a leading member.• Recruited labor and other staff from different countries to meet staffing needs.• Created and executed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and a robust system of internal controls across organizations that contributed to corporate success.

Lahore

• Operational internal audits of over 200 branches all over Pakistan. Managed 11 internal audit teams consisting of 22 audit senior associates and associates• Reporting directly to internal audit head of department on the performance of branches• Internal audits of various departments of the organization

I have been taken on various assignments relating to audit and review of financial statements, review of systems, review of compliance with code of corporate governance, internal audit, book-keeping, and financial reporting. The key entities on which I have carried out assignments are listed below.FINANCIAL SECTOR:● Crescent Commercial Bank Limited (CresBank)● Crescent Standard Investment Bank Limited● Crescent Leasing Corporation Limited● Mashreq Bank Pakistan Limited● First Standard Investment Bank Limited● Trust Commercial Bank Limited● Safeway Mutual Fund Limited (Closed End)● Asian Stocks Fund Limited (Closed End)● Crescent Standard Modaraba● Guardian Securities (Private) Limited (Stock Brokerage House)MANUFACTURING and REAL ESTATE SECTOR:● Ghani Glass Limited● Technimen Gemma (Private) Limited (Sialkot)● Colony Mills Limited (Multan)● Colony Industries (Private) Limited (Lahore)● M.M Beverages (Private) Limited (Amrat Cola) SERVICE SECTOR:● MetaApp (Pvt.) Limited● Pakistan Association of Printing and Graphic Arts Society● Ark Transport SystemTRADING ORGANIZATIONS:● J.C Penney Purchasing Corporation (Pakistan Operation)● International Brands (Private) Limited● United Brands (Private) Limited● Applied Products (Private) LimitedGOVERNMENT AND NGOs:● National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)● Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of Disabled● Chand Bagh Foundation● Population Council*● Islamic Relief*● Nai Zindagi*● International Labour Organization (ILO)**These were joint audits with the team from Moore Stephens International (London) on behalf of the European Commission (EU). Technical Accounting

Certified Public Accountant (Cpa-Usa), Accounting And Finance, A

License# PAC-CPAP-LIC-032508

Certified Information System Auditor (Cisa), Is Audit

License# 19159650

Chartered Accountancy - Finalist, Accounting

Activities and Societies: AuditorChartered Accountancy

Masters Of Commerce, Accounting, A

Cpa, Accounting And Finance

I qualified my AICPA for the Montana State Board of Accountancy