Fashion

CPA (Certified Public Accountant) - California, USA

15 yrs of Accounting experience including retail at David Jones, Australia



· Perform month end procedures including P&L actual vs. forecast analysis, preparing accruals and journals, working with key department / budget owners and assisting them in forecasting all campaigns with readily available data. Campaigns ranging up to $1.5M in budgets.
· Assisting in the seasonal budget preparation for the whole Marketing department (Catalogues, Mass Media/ Advertising, Events, Publicity, Visual Merchandising and Online/Digital Marketing budgets)
· Conducting regular compliance sessions with the marketing team to ensure understanding of company's policies and procedures. Then following up to ensure processes and approvals are met resulting in faster, more efficient, and accurate reporting
· Improved and created new reports to ensure consistency in the Marketing department, accuracy of budgets and forecast, data analysis, easy accessibility of information for management decision-making
· Calculating the Catalogue Page Rate Model and determining profitability of each of the catalogues in different scenarios
· Conducting yearly fixed asset inventory in the marketing department
· Calculating financial KPIs within the marketing team - determining each individual's budget performance
· Assisting in external and internal audit requirements and compliance

Skills Used
- Management skills
- Audit/compliance
- Organizational skills - Attention to detail
- Reporting

Financial Analyst - Marketing

· Performed month end procedures including P&L actual vs. forecast analysis, preparing accruals and journals, working with key department / budget owners and assisting them in forecasting with readily available data; assisted in the 2009/10 budgets
· Preparing KPI reports such as monthly and yearly P&L performance, store profitability report, Sales and GP, YTD spend on major operating cost lines, Like for Like sales analysis, Top 10/Bottom 10 store reports, Goods in Transit report, Company vs. Other Retail Store Sales Ranking, and adhoc reports as per business needs
· Approving and coding of invoices/AMEX expenses, maintaining Procube (reporting tool) dimensions such as new store set ups, hierarchies, GP%, etc; renewing certificates of currency; ABS reporting
· Tested the accuracy of data in the AP21 GL system upgrade and ensuring management reports are correct; tested the new web enabled Retail Business Analysis report (RBA) such as Sales, GP, and Payroll for accuracy and security access 
· Participated in inventory stock take, assisted in the preparation of stock take packs, worked with the logistics and finance team to coordinate the warehouse stock take

Management Accountant

· Performed month end closing procedures, consolidating APAC accounts, and preparing management reports for decision-making, budgeting, and forecasting purposes
· Assisted in year end audit and in the preparation of financial statements
· Managed the “Maintenance” revenue renewal process in preparing maintenance support quotes based on Software License Agreements, liaising with sales, legal, and customer care departments, invoicing, and recognizing revenue
· Managed the “Professional Services (PS)” invoicing process liaising with the PS Manager in determining work performed by each consultant in each PS engagement based on SOWs (Scope of Work) and PS Agreements. Managed the “Training/Education Services” invoicing process liaising with the Training Manager and determining revenue recognition.
· Responsible in part on the transition phase of the acquisition from implementing new accounting systems, closing and consolidating offices and accounts, consolidation for audit purposes, budgeting and forecasting, calculating bonuses and commissions
· Responsible for calculating Transfer Pricing and Shared Services recharge for the APAC region and maintaining the PS VSOE model for APAC. Responsible for preparing cross charges for PS billable time across all regions of webMethods and preparing intercompany invoices against each region.
· Generated reports such as P&L for Professional and Education Services, cash and travel expense reports, intercompany reconciliation reports, AR Aging, invoice registers, and ad hoc reporting in all of APAC region
· Performed accounts payable function for cross training purposes
· Assisted in implementing/testing the new budgeting tool (Osoft), prepared the budget/forecast report in compliance with Osoft’s input template screens, inputting the forecast into the new system, and reconciling the forecast report with Osoft’s reports

Financial Analyst

· Prepared weekly and monthly internal management reports for business decision-making and for quarterly forecasting purposes. Reports include variance analysis of P&L accounts, Actuals vs Forecast, period to period analysis of each line of business and products
· Performed month end closings such as reconciliation of accounts, booking journal entries, and preparing monthly management reports. Assisted in year end audit by preparing reports, reconciliations, providing documents, and assisting in the preparation of financial statements
· Tested changes and updates in the AP, fixed asset, cash management, and HR modules to ensure functions are working properly in the Oracle 11.5.10 upgrade
· Assisted is quarterly forecasting. Member of team in testing the new Hyperion Planning reporting tool, data validation, training, and using the tool to input and reconcile the master budget to the new reporting tool
· Performed AR, payroll, and AP functions for cross training purposes. Documented step by step procedures for future training.

· Served clients in a variety of industries such as performing audits and reviews of non-profit and for-profit entities from small to million dollar in total asset companies. Audits include financial audits, financial aid audits, retirement plan audits, government grant audits and agreed-upon procedures.
· Completed engagements from planning, fieldwork testing, and preparing financial statements and reports for proper financial reporting disclosures while supervising and managing one to two staffs. 
· Performed audit test work to prove the existence, completeness, valuation, and presentation assertions such as cash reconciliation, investment analysis, fixed asset additions and disposal testing, accounts receivable and accounts payable testing, inventory counts, equity or net assets testing, revenue and expense analysis. · Prepared tax returns for individuals, partnerships, and non-profit organizations

Senior Auditor

· Researched, analyzed, and developed management and ad hoc reports to support business needs and resolve corporate and field reporting questions
· Performed reconciliation and validation of the billing, payroll and AR subsystems. Streamlined processes by adding a number of controls to reduce errors and improve Service Level Agreements with customers
· Worked with accounting and information technology personnel to troubleshoot data and system issues
· Maintained and supported systems for reporting according to business and accounting standards and practices
· Member of team in company wide initiatives – web-enabled reporting solutions, design and testing of user interfaces, and system conversions to Peoplesoft Financials and HR - that required working with other departments in gathering requirements, designing and testing of various projects, and maintaining and supporting the system after implementation
· Assisted in building a complex Access database for a new Bonus program that required an understanding of RHI’s business and accounting rules

Business Systems Analyst

Find out detailed information about Celestine de Leon,  in Orange, CA

Celestine de Leon: in Orange, CA

Celestine de Leon

David Jones Ltd

Apparel Group

Webmethods (now Software AG)

Verisign Australia

Hood & Strong LLP

Robert Half International Corporate HQ

California State University East Bay (Hayward)