LOUISETTE VAN HELSDINGEN
Gordon's Bay
Summary
A highly motivated Financial Administrator with over 20 years of experience managing all office duties within the company. I have strong work ethics, able to work well both in a team as well as using own initiative. I am organised and able to work under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines, driven by perfection with attention to detail. I am versatile and willing to learn new things and constantly improve myself in achieving the organizational goals. I'm friendly, professional and adaptable with a positive outlook on life. I'm an active listener with good communication skills and creative thinking that can be applied when solving a problem and resolving conflict.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Assistant
Kromco (Pty) Ltd
Grabouw
06.2023 - Current
- Scheduled and confirmed appointments for clients, customers, and executives to maximise time management.
- Handled sensitive information with discretion, adhering to data protection laws and company policies.
- Managed diaries and organised meetings and appointments for senior executives to optimise their schedules.
- Collaborated with other departments to ensure cohesive business operations and effective communication.
- Arranged international travel, visas, accommodation, and itineraries for executives to facilitate seamless business operations.
- Prepared reports, presentations, and briefs to support decision-making processes for leadership teams.
- Implemented and maintained filing systems, ensuring efficient organisation and retrieval of documents.
- Maintained organised calendar covering team meetings, trips and appointments.
- Acted as the first point of contact for visitors, providing a professional welcome and directing them appropriately.
- Sat in on meetings, hearings and conferences to document activities.
- Assisted associated departments with clerical and administrative support.
- Helped staff with special projects by setting up schedules and organising resources.
- Organised corporate events, including conferences and dinners, to enhance company culture and stakeholder engagement.
- Provided support for special projects as assigned by executives, contributing to the achievement of company objectives.
- Connected with professionals in outside offices and distant locations to coordinate work.
- Sourced vendors for supply, office equipment and facilities maintenance needs.
- Monitored inventory of office supplies and placed orders when necessary to avoid disruptions.
- Controlled access to executives by screening, redirecting, and responding to incoming correspondence to maintain confidentiality.
- Developed and maintained administrative processes to improve efficiency and support executive team productivity.
- Took messages from clients and relayed them to relevant staff promptly.
- Used technical and detailed information to prepare comprehensive reports.
- Arranged supplies and spaces for staff meetings and trips.
- Coordinated office maintenance and repair works to ensure a safe and pleasant working environment.
- Liaised with staff, suppliers, and clients to foster positive relationships and streamline communication.
- Trained and mentored junior administrative team members in procedures.
- Worked with accounting to collate financial records for management team budget meetings.
Small Business Owner
Bush & Living Interiors
Hoedspruit
02.2022 - 05.2023
- Dynamic entrepreneur selling my own created art pieces.
- Created bespoke, one-off fine art pieces to detailed specifications, for maximum client satisfaction.
- Communicated effectively with clients to ascertain and deliver against exact artistic requirements.
- Communicated with galleries, markets and private collectors to facilitate art sales.
- Demonstrated abilities in realistic constructive and life drawings to produce first-class fine art.
- Utilised feedback from gallery visitors and online platforms to refine artistic approach and enhance audience engagement.
- Selected and adapted oil, watercolour and gouache paints to desired finish.
Financial Administrator
Vector Fencing (Pty) Ltd
Hoedspruit
09.2002 - 01.2022
- Married into a family business, I chose to devote myself to the company for more than two decades, serving as a personal assistant to the Managing Director, controlling all finances, and managing office-related responsibilities.
- Debtors and creditors.
- Maintaining database.
- Customer service, preparing quotations, and tenders for projects.
- Processing orders, verifying best price comparisons, and ensuring customer satisfaction with ETAs.
- Sending customer invoices and monthly statements.
- Payment processing.
- Bank and journal entries, and ledger allocations.
- HR/Payroll.
- VAT, tax, UIF submissions, and EMP declarations.
- Budget control and monthly reporting.
- Marketing - creating the company website, maintaining it, and advertising on social media platforms.
- The company specialises in electric fencing, gate automation, and two-way radio communication.
- Reason for resignation: divorce.
- Proficiently used a wide range of bookkeeping software throughout various roles, including Sage and QuickBooks.
- Processed employee payroll monthly by reviewing timesheets and paying within agreed timeframes.
- Oversaw month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of financial statements.
- Managed financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting, to support business objectives.
- Managed accounts payable and receivables, raising invoices, reconciling accounts and processing cash transactions.
- Coordinated with external auditors to facilitate annual audits, achieving clean audit reports.
- Trained and mentored junior finance team members in accounting processes to enhance overall team performance.
- Coordinated smooth operation of monthly payroll, facilitating timely employee payments.
- Executed year-end audits, working with external auditors to confirm clean financial audits and implementing any improvement suggestions promptly.
- Handled customer and employee finance queries, complaints and concerns, resolving with balanced solutions.
- Trained and supervised finance team members, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
- Monitored expenses, income, budgets and petty cash records and acted upon errors.
- Established and maintained productive client relationships.
- Reported on financial situation to guide decision-making and budget formulation.
- Administered payroll, calculated taxes, and managed employee benefit contributions diligently.
- Handled client invoices by assessing, processing and approving.
- Created credits and rebills to ensure accurate billing, conducting on a daily basis.
- Dealt with all queries, complaints and accounted amendments regarding client and company finances.
- Managed financial transactions and maintained accurate records to support fiscal responsibility.
- Kept database accurate and up to date by proactively communicating with internal and external customers.
- Managed and confidently dealt with all account discrepancies, resolving in a timely manner.
- Maintained strict confidentiality of financial records, upholding ethical standards and compliance.
- Prepared VAT returns and liaised with tax authorities to comply with regulations and deadlines.
- Developed and implemented efficient accounting systems, improving productivity and accuracy.
- Processed invoices, prepared payments, and reconciled accounts to maintain financial integrity.
Office Administrator & Tour Guide
Bombyx Mori Silk Farm
Hoedspruit
10.2001 - 08.2002
- Assisting large groups of people on daily scheduled tours.
- Reason for resignation: New work opportunity.
- Managed office correspondence, including emails, phone calls and mail, efficiently and promptly.
- Handled incoming calls and correspondence, providing timely responses to enquiries and bolstering company communication.
- Managed daily office operations, coordinated meetings, and scheduled appointments for seamless business functionality.
- Coordinated fast, accurate clerical work for forms, files and general data entry.
- Greeted and welcomed visitors, alerting relevant staff of guest arrival.
- Raised purchase orders, liaising with suppliers to keep all orders delivered on time and in full.
- Oversaw effective file management to keep office records up-to-date.
- Managed inventory of office supplies, negotiated with suppliers, and placed orders to maintain optimal stock levels.
- Managed telephone and switchboard operations for timely call handling.
Education
Grade 12 -
Ben Vorster Highschool
Tzaneen01.2000
Grade 7 -
Drakensig Primary School
Hoedspruit01.1995
Skills
- Bookkeeping
- Administration
- Customer Service
- HR/Payroll
- SARS Submissions
- Marketing
- Pastel
- SAGE ONE
- MS Excel
- MS Word
- MS PowerPoint
- EFiling
- E@syFile
- Photoshop
- Office administration
- Executive support
- Document preparation
- Event coordination
- Data confidentiality
- Appointment scheduling
- Diary management
- Excel spreadsheets
- Board meeting preparation
- Social media knowledge
- Letter writing
Languages
Afrikaans
English
Custom Section
White
Personal Information
Hobbies: Painting/Drawing, Mountain Biking, Running, Photography, Team Sports, Golf, Hiking, Traveling, Music, Dancing
Certification
- Pastel Accounting
Interests
- Art
- Music
- Hiking
Timeline
Executive Assistant
Kromco (Pty) Ltd
06.2023 - Current
Small Business Owner
Bush & Living Interiors
02.2022 - 05.2023
Financial Administrator
Vector Fencing (Pty) Ltd
09.2002 - 01.2022
Office Administrator & Tour Guide
Bombyx Mori Silk Farm
10.2001 - 08.2002
Grade 12 -
Ben Vorster Highschool
Grade 7 -
Drakensig Primary School