Financial Accountant

Profile.

Education / Qualification

AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) – Qualified Member

College – AAT Level 2, 3 & 4

College – GNVQ Advanced in Information Technology

High School – 8 GCSEs (Grades A–C)

Systems used

Microsoft packages including advanced Excel, SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, Sage, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems

About

Qualified AAT member with a broad range of experience across core finance functions, including General Ledger, Fixed Assets, Intercompany, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Credit Control, and financial analytics. Proficient in SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and Sage accounting systems, with a strong track record of maintaining accuracy and integrity in financial reporting. Known for a keen eye for detail and the ability to perform effectively under pressure, consistently meeting tight deadlines and delivering precise, high-quality financial submissions

Career Summary.

• Managed month-end close processes across multiple entities, ensuring all companies were fully reconciled and closed within strict deadlines
• Completed full balance sheet reconciliations for 50 entities, maintaining accuracy and resolving discrepancies efficiently
• Reviewed cost and revenue postings, identifying inaccuracies and performing reclassifications and adjustments where required
• Maintained and updated revenue schedules, ensuring correct allocation of rental income and full reconciliation to ledger balances
• Calculated and posted monthly revenue releases and other income streams in line with reporting requirements
• Prepared and posted prepayments and accruals, including monthly adjustments and releases across all entities
• Reconciled fixed asset registers and processed monthly depreciation journals
• Calculated and posted loan interest, ensuring accuracy and compliance with agreements
• Managed intercompany recharges, ensuring accurate cost allocation across group entities
• Reconciled development and investment property balances, including build costs and contract payments
• Performed intercompany reconciliations, resolving variances and ensuring balances aligned group-wide
• Conducted P&L reviews against budget, analysing variances and providing clear explanations
• Partnered with Finance Director and Commercial teams to investigate and resolve ledger queries
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure accurate and timely reconciliations
• Provided financial insight and support to wider business functions
• Reviewed statutory accounts prior to submission, ensuring accuracy and compliance
• Supported audit processes, including preparation of documentation and responding to auditor queries

• Delivered weekly and monthly reporting and performance analysis across the revenue-to-cash cycle for the .COM business segment
• Conducted monthly P&L analysis on corporate gift card cost accounts, providing variance commentary and posting accruals
• Performed balance sheet reconciliations to identify risks relating to store loans, highlighting and investigating aged items
• Reconciled corporate cash receipts to sales orders, resolving discrepancies and ensuring accuracy
• Managed reconciliation of the corporate debtor account, ensuring all transactions were correctly recorded and aligned within SAP
• Investigated and resolved financial variances, improving accuracy and control across reporting processes
• Rebuilt and enhanced balance sheet reconciliations to align with evolving business processes and controls

• Senior member of the General Ledger team, specialising in asset accounting across 50+ countries, including multi-currency postings, reconciliations, and month-end close
• Led and developed a team of two associates, overseeing workload, performance, and training
• Acted as SME for asset accounting on a large-scale SAP S/4HANA ERP implementation, contributing to FIT-GAP analysis, UAT testing, go-live, and post-implementation support (including international testing)
• Delivered P&L and Balance Sheet analysis, ensuring issues were identified and resolved ahead of month-end close
• Prepared and posted HQ journals to resolve financial statement discrepancies
• Completed monthly fixed asset reconciliations to the General Ledger, ensuring accuracy and integrity of reporting
• Managed global depreciation runs within the asset module for all entities
• Identified and resolved asset consolidation issues in line with strict reporting deadlines
• Played a key role in the transition of asset accounting operations, delivering training and process documentation to offshore teams
• Acted as SME on the implementation of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) within the asset module, including system testing and rollout support
• Drove process improvements, enhancing efficiency and control across asset accounting activities
• Led onboarding of new entities into the asset module, ensuring smooth integration and compliance
• Planned and coordinated month-end activities, allocating tasks and managing team resources effectively
• Primary contact for Group Audit queries relating to fixed assets, ensuring timely and accurate responses
• Achieved a 70% reduction in consolidation issues, significantly improving data quality and reporting accuracy
• Partnered with performance management to develop and monitor team KPIs
• Managed intercompany asset transfers, including gain/loss calculations and journal postings
• Collaborated with global stakeholders to resolve asset-related queries and discrepancies
• Ensured compliance with JSOX controls, maintaining accurate documentation and audit trails
• Shared best practice and coordinated process improvements across global service centres, positively impacting performance metrics

Other roles with JTI:

Fixed Asset Associate — Dec 2014 – May 2018

Intercompany Associate — Nov 2007 – Dec 2014

Accounts Payable Associate — Aug 2006 – Nov 2007