Stephen Richards Email & Phone Number

Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

In this role I was the lead Management Accountant working directly with the Summerset’s Sales and Marketing divisions. My role is seen as key in providing ideas and clear insights that enable the Sales team to continue to achieve record success. I am a member of the Sales division leadership group and work very closely with Summerset’s General Manager of Sales.ACHIEVEMENTS:- Responsible for the resale pricing process and pricing analysis across the company portfolio- Extensive experience in dashboard design and implementation that allows clarity and transparency on key metrics used across divisions by all levels of staff- Management of the weekly reporting function for Sales- Extensive experience in budgeting procedures, forecasting and the accompanying variance analysis- Preparation of data for half and full year asset valuation and the associated stock notes for the annual report- Monitoring and updating of company policy for Sales- Very strong relationship management skills and experienced in presentations to all level of staff- On going development of the company’s competitor database and mystery shopping criteria- Part of IT capability review group- Summerset Champion – championing and promoting the first ever company survey- Assistance with preparation and review of Quarterly NZX & ASX performance releases- Development of the residential property market database- Winner of Innovation of the Year award at the Summerset Annual Sales Awards- Accredited member of the Summerset Sales Academy

Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

My role focused on both financial and management accounting responsibilities for WCC. I was tasked with ensuring the Council discharged its responsibilities under the accounting standards in relation to capital assets. The role required very strong presentation, budgeting, analysis & reporting skills and a high level of knowledge on month end tasks, reconciliation procedures, revaluations, statutory reporting & forecasting requirements. ACHIEVEMENTS:- Extensive experience in budgeting procedures, forecasting and the accompanying variance analysis- Highly experienced in performing a range of reconciliation activities to Balance Sheet - Very strong presentation skills to both small groups and large seminars involving all levels of staff- Experienced in undertaking detailed variance analysis and subsequent reporting across a range of areas- Investigation and analysis of transactions within the general ledger and accounting systems as required- Experienced in the preparation of submissions, reports and papers on financial issues relevant to Council - Management and control of asset write offs through the appropriate delegated financial authorities- Preparation of the Notes to the Financial Statements and relevant Disclosures for the Council’s Annual Financial Statements- Responsible for providing accounting services and advice to Council Controlled Organisation’s and Council departments- High level of understanding of asset management including additions, disposals, Work in Progress and impairments- Skilled in undertaking revaluations on a range of asset classes including, infrastructure, land & buildings, & investment properties- Responsible for quarterly and annual statistics returns to Government- Experienced in reviewing, documenting & reporting the impacts of exposure drafts issued by international accounting bodies- Provide guidance on fixed asset processes and procedures to Council Business Units, Audit New Zealand and external groups

Harare Zimbabwe

My role was to identify and report on departmental management performance for TDI’s parent company based in Bermuda and to ensure TDI met its financial reporting requirements in Zimbabwe. This was undertaken whilst on long term leave and then alongside my position at Wellington City CouncilACHIEVEMENTS:- In charge of the day to day financial operations and reporting requirements- Responsible for the accurate and timely monthly and quarterly management reporting on projects based in Kuwait, Mali and South Sudan- Tasked with successfully identifying and streamlining cost savings and business practices- Assisting in the development of management information systems to meet internal customer requirements - Required to undertake a range of General ledger reconciliations and analyse any variances (including operating accounts, creditor and debtor accounts, deposits, loans and prepayments)- Very strong communication & relationship management experience with staff based across various countries and working conditions- Involved in the preparation of tender costing documents for TDI’s parent company based in Bermuda- Tasked with the enhancement of IT services to be used by the Finance team company wide- Undertaking internal audit of company cost management systems and identifying areas for improvement- Responsible for training finance staff and the development of best practice guidelines- Experienced in ensuring salaries & personnel insurance were paid any issues resolved in a timely manner- Responsible for preparing and submitting all taxation returns (including PAYE, VAT, Corporation Tax, NSSA, WCIF, NEC)- Preparation of weekly and monthly cash forecasts for management- Currency Exchange analysis and budget setting across departments- Preparation of information for Audit

Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

My role focused on auditing and undertaking complex reviews of ACC’s largest 1000 corporate clients with multiple levy classifications. The role provided me with exposure to analysing an extensive range of financial statements and management reports to meet ACC’s legislative requirements. This analysis also included non-financial data and required very strong communication and report writing skills to ensure ACC’s quality standards were met, the expectations of clients were understood and where necessary resolved quickly and accurately. ACHIEVEMENTS:- Audit and analysis of a range of financial statements and management reports to meet ACC’s legislative requirements- Audit and analysis of non-financial information and reports to meet ACC’s legislative requirements- A very strong emphasis on report writing and presentation skills to demonstrate why decisions were justified- High level of communication with ACC employees and external clients to ensure accurate levy classification decisions were made- Successfully working to strict deadlines across a range of projects- High achiever with regard to targets and quality assurance; consistently exceeding the required standards and the performance of others in my team- High achiever with regard to timeliness; consistently exceeding the require standard- Winner of Levy and Schemes Most Outstanding Team PerformerWhilst in this role, I undertook and completed a Graduate Diploma in Commerce – Accounting through Victoria University. At this time I was asked to be an Academic Mentor at Victoria University due to the consistently high grades I achieved whilst studying and working.

Brent Cross & Putney - London, United Kingdom

My time at Tootsies saw me responsible for the successful operation of the Putney business unit including all operating functions and ensuring organisational sales targets were exceeded. I was involved in the development and testing of company internal auditing and management reporting systems to reduce exposure to risk and part of the opening team for the company’s flagship restaurant & Training Centre of Excellence.ACHIEVEMENTS:- Detailed analysis of monthly Profit and Loss accounts including reconciliation- Highly experienced in setting and exceeding sales targets- Responsible for driving growth and sales by employees to meet organizational targets - Extensive sales and marketing training- Highly experienced in budgeting, sales forecasting and cost control- Responsible for weekly and monthly variance analysis and subsequent reporting- Perform daily and weekly bank, sales and supplier invoice reconciliations- Building constructive networks with suppliers, staff, external colleagues and customers- Preparation and processing of purchase orders and invoices- Responsible for inventory control and annual stock taking- Experienced in weekly financial performance reporting to Senior Management- Development of weekly management reporting systems in Excel- Development of internal auditing systems to company standards- Responsible for training managers on new daily and weekly management reporting and internal auditing systems- Experienced in reviewing and analysing existing business systems and identifying where improvements could be made- Weekly payroll management and control- Responsible for 20 staff and a management team of 4

Graduate Diploma In Commerce, Accounting

Bachelor Of Commerce (B.Com.), Marketing

Bachelor Of Tourism

Education record

Education record