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Resume-A Argall Fin Controller July 15
- 1. Alan C. Argall MBA, FIPA 17 Barossa Place, Edensor Park NSW 2176 0403 247 478 [email protected] //au.linkedin.com/pub/alan-argall/70/793/362 SUMMARY: A professional and energetic Financial Controller with extensive knowledge and experience in the fragrance and cosmetics industry in Australia and USA (primarily import and distribution organisations). More recently I have had extensive experience with a Not-for- Profit company in the disability sector. A hands-on leader who motivates, trains and guides finance teams to provide a high level of service that exceeds expectations of all levels of the organisation. During my career I have been instrumental in adding value to the organisations I have worked with as a key member of senior leadership teams and strategic planning teams providing financial analysis and advice. CORE COMPETENCIES: • Strong leadership skills which have produced committed teams able to focus on the task at hand and the requirements of senior management. Achieved by establishing and maintaining good team relationships and communication. • Strong mentoring skills with experience in guiding younger inexperienced team members both in business and in a personal capacity. • Change management skills whereby I have successfully implemented change by achieving team commitment and “buy in” on the way forward. • Team player who works well with all staff and stakeholders, relating well to others regardless of position. In particular have always maintained a very positive working relationship with peer group managers. • Adaptable to changing circumstances and flexible in rearranging work schedules as the job dictates. Very much a ‘roll-up the sleeves’ person. • Driver of budgeting and forecasting processes which provide a solid financial basis for the organisation’s strategic plans. • Demonstrated ability to review finance team’s work processes and systems, implementing changes to ensure organisational objectives are achieved. • IT Skills: Technology One, Attache, SAP, BPICS, Microsoft Excel (V-Lookup, Pivot Tables) and Word.
- 2. CAREER SUMMARY: Ability Options Ltd A not for profit company with funding and revenues exceeding $37 million and more than 600 employees. Ability Options provides people with a disability and/or their families with accommodation and living assistance, case management services, respite services, management of individualised funding, NDIS, employment at its wholesale nursery and assistance in finding employment. These services are covered by seven business units. Financial Controller October 2010 to May 2015 Reporting Structure: • Financial Controller and Commercial Manager report directly to Chief Financial Officer/Company Secretary • Direct reports to Financial Controller: Senior Accountant and Accountant individualised funding, Assistant Accountant/Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable clerk and Balance Sheet Reconciliations clerk. Key Responsibilities: • Review monthly Board Paper with commentary and accompanying dashboard. • Review monthly financial summaries and business unit results, analyse variances to budget and forecast, and review commentaries prepared by accounting team partners before submission to Chief Executive Officer. • Review annual budgets and quarter forecasts. Work with managers as needed to aid completion of their operating and CAPEX budgets and forecasts. • Partner with business managers to provide analysis and solutions to improve business performance. • Review financial viability of projects and tenders before lodgement. • Review accounting processes with team members to improve operating and reporting efficiencies. Liaise with consultants on appropriate modifications to the system. • Review and recommend updates to policies and procedures to reflect the changing needs of the organisation whilst maintaining effective internal controls. • Ensure funds held are managed effectively to maximise interest earned within policy guidelines. Includes ensuring foreign exchange forward hedging is in place for nursery transactions. • Supervise and mentor accounting team of 5. • Manage year end audit and prepare Annual Reports. • Maintain relationships with bankers. • Review GST and FBT returns before lodgement. Key Contributions: • Improved monthly reporting to Senior Leadership Team and Board. Reduced reporting from previous practice of two weeks to four days. Achieved by motivating
- 3. and guiding the team to achieve our agreed goal. Quality of reporting improved dramatically providing Senior Leadership Team with tools to better manage and report on their business units. • Manage Final Accounts and Annual Reports The audit report to the Board was reduced from several pages in the year 2009/10, to 3 minor points for the 2010/11 audit and clean reports in 3 subsequent years. Auditors are provided with full reconciliations and schedules to agreed timelines to enable this. This reduced the time spent on site by the audit team and time spent finalising annual reports. • Implemented Technology One Technology One (General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Fixed Assets modules) was implemented in five months (initial consultation to fully operational) replacing Attache. Have now implemented Purchasing Module along with attendant time saving processes such as barcode scanning which has simplified accounts payable invoice processing halving the time spent processing each invoice. • Established proper Budgeting process Implemented an effective budgeting and quarterly forecasting process which requires full ownership by senior leaders. Budgets and forecasts are now prepared by senior leaders and their line managers. Accounting team members now liaise with the leader of their allocated business unit to contribute where practical (as part of their growth as a team member). This has reduced the time spent on the budget and forecast process by 15 hours each quarter and has moved the focus to reviewing the end product. • Managed self-managed clients’ funds Managed transformation of management and reporting of clients funds received initially as part of a funding pilot scheme. Provided clients with clear and concise monthly statements of remaining funding which had the benefit of reducing the significant number of phone queries from clients re unspent funds. • Implementation of process for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Involvement in the NDIS trial in The Hunter necessitated the ability to invoice weekly for services provided (to facilitate prompt payment for services provided) and to establish appropriate accounting treatment to enable analysis of service profitability. By improving the process and utilising technology available with existing partners we reduced the process from 7 hours per week to 2 hours. Incolabs Pty Limited / Soda Brands Limited A cosmetics and skin care importing and wholesaling company (having transformed from local manufacture during my tenure) with revenues exceeding $30 million and more than 50 employees. By the very nature of this kind of business a very strong emphasis was placed on marketing, with very close scrutiny and control of marketing expenditure. Financial Controller/ Company Secretary November 1999 to October 2010 Reporting Structure: • Financial Controller/Company Secretary reported directly to the Managing Director and the Board.
- 4. • Direct reports to Financial Controller: Management Accountant, Paymistress, Accounts Receivable clerk and Accounts Payable clerk. • Key Responsibilities: • Managing a team of 4 in finance and administration (had been as many as 9), overseeing all accounting and other financial processing activities. • Build and maintain relationships with bankers and key suppliers. • Liaise closely with auditors (Statutory Accounts and Tax Returns) and legal advisors. • Preparation of monthly and annual P&L, Balance Sheet & Cash Flow forecasts for local management and overseas parent management, developing and improving reports as necessary. • Prepare commentary analysing monthly operating results and liaise with management team colleagues to identify remedial action as required. • Driving annual Capital and Operating Budget process, regular reforecasting thereof and 5 year financial plans. • Review financial viability of sales journey cycle promotions, which were significant profitability drivers for the business. • Maintain SAP financial system. • Ensure compliance with internal controls, company policies, procedures and instructions, accounting standards and ASIC requirements. When necessary establish accounting principles, practices and policies. • Preparation of monthly BAS, and annual FBT & Income Tax returns. • Oversight of debtors and payroll, and payment, reconciliation and management of creditors. • Ensure monthly reconciliations were performed on all general ledger balance sheet accounts and corrective action taken as necessary. • Negotiation of insurance renewals and mobile and fixed line phone and photocopier contracts. • Management of cashflow within availability. • Management of motor vehicle fleet. • Management of $1.2million administration department budget & company secretarial matters. • Established and maintained asset registers for both book and taxation purposes, ensuring authorisation compliance and protecting assets as appropriate. Key Contributions: • In later years worked closely with new owners, who were much more strategic and entrepreneurial than previous owners, learning much along the way. • Consolidation of financial operation through the implementation of SAP Finance database (conversion from AS400 BPICS), thus enjoying cost savings exceeding $300,000. • Implemented improved cash-flow forecasting practices which resulted in better financial management. • Cost savings of $50,000 through the negotiation of photocopier and mobile and fixed phone agreements (new/renewals). • Establishment of financial reporting to enable financing facilities and address ownership requirements.
- 5. • Improved fleet management costs and management time and effort. • Worked closely with Administrators through a Voluntary Administration and subsequent Deed of Company arrangement which ultimately lead to acquisition of Incolabs by Soda Brands. Yardley of London (Australia) Pty Limited A fragrance and cosmetics importing and wholesaling company with revenues exceeding $25 million and more than 60 employees, with a very strong emphasis placed on marketing strategy. This necessitated very close scrutiny and control of marketing expenditure. Finance Director / Company Secretary January 1992 to October 1999 Key Contributions: • Managed integration of sister company from Melbourne into the Sydney operation achieving the expected synergies of using only the existing Sydney infrastructure. Savings in administration costs alone exceeded $1 million. • Responsible for managing transition of the operation from Auburn to North Ryde in 1995. • Yardley Australia was a profitable operation. We were very effective at controlling debtors so cashflow was always good with only pressure being requirement to remit funds to England on a regular basis. • English parent was wound up by banks in late 1998. I managed the closure of the Australian operation in mid 1999 paying all employees their entitlements in full and paying all creditors in full before remitting surplus funds to the UK administrators, which were far in excess of the administrator’s expectations. Yardley North America Inc. Vice President Finance April 1989 to December 1991 Yardley of London (Australia) Pty Ltd Chief Accountant March 1979 to April 1989 QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: • Master of Business Administration, Australian Institute of Business • Fellow of Institute of Public Accountants (FIPA) • Certificate of Accounting, Liverpool TAFE • Able Owl Excel Courses – Formulas and Functions & Import, manipulate and report • Various management team development courses focussing on teamwork and understanding what it was that we wanted the company to achieve and how we could best achieve that goal. • FBT and salary packaging courses • Company Secretary’s Fundamentals run by Chartered Secretaries Australia REFEREES: