Romeo Chikosha

Financial Operations & Oversight

• Direct and manage daily financial activities, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and treasury operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
• Develop and enforce robust policies and procedures to maintain compliant, streamlined, and scalable financial processes.
• Optimize cash flow to support operational needs and strategic initiatives while ensuring liquidity and financial stability.
• Implement and maintain strong internal controls to safeguard assets, mitigate risks, and prevent fraud or discrepancies.

Strategic Financial Planning & Leadership

• Lead the annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes, aligning with organizational goals and growth strategies.
  Partner with the executive team to formulate long-term financial strategies, identify investment opportunities, and drive sustainable growth.
• Conduct scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and risk assessments to navigate market volatility and organizational changes.
• Spearhead capital-raising initiatives, cultivating relationships with banks, investors, and other financial stakeholders to secure funding.

Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Deliver timely, accurate, and comprehensive financial reports to the executive team, board of directors, and key stakeholders.
• Analyze financial performance, KPIs, and market trends to provide data-driven insights and strategic recommendations.
• Develop and maintain advanced reporting tools and dashboards for real-time visibility into financial health and performance.
• Translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insights to guide executive decision-making.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with local and international financial regulations, tax laws, and accounting standards (e.g., GAAP/IFRS).
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies, ensuring seamless audits and reviews.
• Proactively identify and mitigate financial risks, including credit, operational, and market exposures.
• Maintain meticulous documentation to support compliance, audits, and regulatory requirements.
• Technology & Process Innovation
• Oversee the evaluation, selection, and implementation of cutting-edge financial systems to enhance operational efficiency and accuracy.
  Drive automation of routine financial processes to reduce manual effort, improve scalability, and support data integrity.
• Champion continuous process improvements to align financial operations with industry best practices and organizational goals.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and excellence.

Financial Processing and Management

• Oversee daily financial transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and treasury functions.
• Design and enforce policies and procedures for accurate, efficient, and compliant financial operations.
• Monitor and optimize cash flow, ensuring adequate liquidity for operational and strategic initiatives.
• Implement financial controls to mitigate risks and prevent discrepancies or fraud.

Strategic Financial Planning

• Drive the financial planning process, aligning budgets and forecasts with company objectives.
• Collaborate with the executive team to develop long-term financial strategies and identify growth opportunities.
• Conduct scenario planning and risk analysis to anticipate financial impacts of market or organizational changes.
• Lead initiatives to secure funding or capital, including managing relationships with banks, investors, and stakeholders.

Reporting and Analysis

• Deliver timely and accurate financial reports to the executive team, board, and relevant stakeholders.
• Analyze financial trends, KPIs, and key business metrics to provide actionable insights.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting tools for real-time financial performance tracking.
• Translate financial data into clear, concise recommendations for decision-making.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with local and international financial regulations, tax laws, and accounting standards.
• Act as the primary liaison with auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory authorities.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks, including credit, operational, and market risks.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation to support audits and compliance reviews.

Technology and Process Optimization

• Oversee the selection and implementation of financial systems to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Automate routine financial processes, reducing manual intervention and increasing scalability

• Internal Control: Ensure adherence to exemplary internal control environments, identifying areas for improvement and implementing measures. Lead the internal and external audit relationships, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Delegation of Authority: Manage and operationalise an appropriate Delegation of Authority Matrix, including spend approvals and decision rights.
• Period End Close: Ensure accurate, timely, and complete period end close (P&L, BS, and CF). Conduct substantive reviews for Asset Management.
• Technical Compliance: Oversee technical compliance, reviewing business processes and trading operations for appropriate technical treatment. Collaborate with Group finance and audit teams on changes and judgemental accounting decisions.
• Performance Reporting: Consolidate and report actual performance for different business units, communicating overall performance to senior management.
• Balance Sheet Control: Conduct quarterly reviews of high-risk balance sheet accounts to ensure accurate reflection of the business’s financial position.
• Banking and Cashflows: Manage bank accounts and relationships. Oversee cashflows and working capital management.
• Statutory Accounts: Lead the team in delivering statutory accounts and associated Board and Committee reporting in line with regulatory requirements.
• Finance Operations: Manage Finance operations teams , supporting their needs and ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Financial Systems: Ensure well-documented financial systems and processes, identifying areas for improvement and automation.
• Tax Management: Oversee all aspects of taxation, including corporation tax and VAT.
• Asset Management: Oversee accounting processes, period end close, and control mechanisms for the Asset Management business unit.
• Professional Indemnity: Understand professional indemnity risk and provisioning methodology, working with relevant teams to mitigate risks and ensure adequate reserves and insurance.
• Procurement and Fleet: Manage the Procurement and Fleet teams, driving efficiencies and cost savings through strategic procurement decisions. Support the company’s carbon emission targets.
• Team Leadership: Demonstrate exemplary behaviours , focusing on operating profit and cash generation. Continuously review team structure and responsibilities to meet business needs and provide cross-training.
• Ad Hoc Projects: Undertake ad hoc investigations and projects as requested by the Finance Director, Managing Director, and senior management team.
• Supervised accounting department operations and team of up to 15 employees.

• Managed the financial reporting for the organisation
• This included monthly financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, 5-year financial plans and all statutory financial reporting.
• Provided sound financial support and insights to enable the board to make critical business decisions.
• Presented financial results and insights to the Board.
• Played a key role in the formulation of the business's strategy.
• Managed the taxation affairs of the organization and liaising with the external tax firm for specialist advice.
• Managed the cash flow of the company and ensuring it has the appropriate treasury controls.
• Managed hedging and foreign currencies (whenever it were necessary)
• Managed the External Auditor relationship and ensured the organisation is compliant with accounting standards.
• Managed the company's banking and borrowing arrangements.
• Managed the company's financial systems.
• Conducted investment appraisal and analysis.
• Presented results to non-finance people to understand.
• Recruited, trained, mentored and developed the staff.
• Oversee Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Tax, Treasury, Payroll, Financial and Management Accounting functions
• Risk Management to ensure the business has a solid risk framework in place
• Oversee commercial decision making from tender analysis, margin analysis, pricing analysis etc.
• Advised and implemented best practice methods to increase revenue and reduce costs
• Advised on market changes and provided strategic financial recommendations to the board.
• Managed and tracked budget and accounting information including billing, collections, and tax information.
• Reviewed all formal finance, HR, and IT related policies and procedures.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Over six years as head of finance department, trained juniors to minimize costs while maintaining service quality.
• Contributed to the revenue growth from ZAR 50 million to more that ZAR 250 million
• Successfully implemented and monitored an Integrated Management system which was very key in the certification of ISO 9001:2015,ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018
• Successfully implemented and managed payroll system using Sage One Bridged cash flow deficits by arranging and channeling of funds by implementing better credit control.
• Managed a high-performing finance team, providing mentorship and professional development opportunities to improve overall performance.
• Established strong relationships with key vendors, negotiating favorable terms to benefit the organisation's bottom line.

• Posted of financial transactions for the clients
• Processed sales invoices, Accounts Payables invoice and credit notes
• Secured financial information by complete system back-up
• Prepared monthly/recurring general journal entries
• Computed payroll
• Prepared General Ledger reconciliation to control accounts
• Processed Accounts up-to Trial Balance
• Completed and submitted IT12's (personal income tax)
• Completed and submitted IT14's (company income tax)
• Completed and submitted VAT201 forms
• Completed and submitted EMP201 forms
• Completed and submitted EMP501 forms
• Conducted biannual payroll reconciliation and submission
• Conducted PAYE and VAT registration for clients.
• Attended SARS appointments
• Prepared monthly Management and Performance report
• Did routine Spot-cash counting at branches
• Processed and Reconciled the Cashbook and Bank
• Prepared Cash flow forecasts
• Petty Cash Management
• Prepared Fixed Asset Register and reconciled to balance sheet
• Computed Depreciation/Accumulated Depreciation Schedules
• Ensured compliance by administering timely payment of statutory Taxes
• Assisted in the development and implementation of strategy, targets, work routines and objectives in the Accounting and Finance function in order to manage achievement of service delivery goals of the client
• Prepared and reported monthly Management Accounts.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Showcased my ability to analyze financial data, prepare accurate financial reports and provide valuable insights to clients.
• Demonstrated my expertise in ensuring compliance with accounting standards, tax regulations, and industry specific requirement. This was very key in achieving clean Financial Statements audit and random audit by the tax authorities.
• I identified inefficiencies in a client's accounting processes and implemented improvements to streamline operations, including introducing a cloud-based server for invoice storage and redesigned workflows.
• Identified legal tax savings and recommended ways to improve profits.
• Initiated comprehensive account assessments to check viability, stability, and profitability of business operations.
• Developed financial models to assess and analyze financial performance of clients.