Thia Howard
Kempton Park,GP
Summary
I have 10 years' experience in finance and credit management, including 5 years in a Junior Debtors Manager role. I have developed strong expertise in minimising credit losses, reducing delinquent accounts, and implementing proactive collection strategies to improve cash flow and overall collections performance. I am experienced in managing the full accounts receivable function, forecasting, maintaining accurate debtor reporting, and strengthening credit control processes. My role has also included training and mentoring new staff, monitoring performance, and supporting team integration within the department.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Credit Controller
Reitzer Healthcare
09.2023 - Current
- Responsible for managing the full credit and accounts receivable function for the distribution division, reporting directly to the Finance Executive.
- Manage and reconcile manufacturing and distribution companies.
- Review credit limits and limit increase requests on all debtor accounts. Block overdue accounts.
- Prepare forecast reports.
- Bank reconciliations and cashbooks, maintain up-to-date and accurate financial records.
- Manage corporate customer portfolios, ensuring adherence to trading terms, rebates, customized statements, trading agreements and resolving payment or reconciliation issues.
- Oversee customer claims for damaged, short, expired and returned stock.
- Conducted credit assessments, affordability evaluations for new debtors and made recommendations according to the companies credit risk appetite. Maintain customer records and documentation.
- Monitor outstanding accounts, perform follow-ups, and ensure timely collections in line with company KPIs.
- Maintain and implement Standard Operating Procedures.
- Process credit notes for claims; prepare monthly credit report and debtors Analysis.
- Handle inter-company receivables and reconciliations to ensure accurate across-entity accounting.
- Identified early warning signs of financial distress and recommended corrective actions to mitigate revenue risk.
- Private healthcare group operating across manufacturing, distribution, FMCG.
- Major accounts and systems; Shoprite, Clicks, Pick n Pay, Massmart, Pepkor, Spar, Boxer, Takealot, Amazon, Cash and carries, wholesalers, pharmacies and other retailers.
- General Financial & Compliance Support.
- Prepare month-end deliverables, Journals, month end close processes, reviewing trial balance, income statement, and balance sheet accuracy.
- Assist management with VAT reporting and audit preparation, ensuring supporting documentation is complete and accurate.
- Maintain and improve SOPs within the finance department to strengthen internal controls and meet audit requirements.
- Provide administrative support for audits and financial reviews across all entities.
Senior Credit Controller
Arwyp Medical Centre
02.2021 - 03.2023
- Upload Cash books daily.
- Reconcile bank accounts.
- Reconcile complex medical insurance claims, resubmit and resolve disputes.
- Posting journals.
- Set and monitor monthly collections targets.
- Managed high-value debtor portfolios across private, corporate, institutional, and internal accounts.
- Conducted credit assessments, affordability evaluations, and ongoing reviews in line with the National Credit Act and internal governance standards.
- Oversaw pre-legal and legal collections, working closely with attorneys, tracing agents, and internal legal teams.
- Engaged with medical schemes, insurers, corporate payers, and clients to negotiate settlements and resolve disputes.
- Created and implemented standard operating procedures to improve team efficiency and compliance.
- Allocate new accounts to staff.
- Prepared month-end deliverables and Forecast, Account status, New debtors take on and collections report.
- Train and mentor Junior staff.
- Large private hospital and healthcare services provider operating in a highly regulated environment.
Credit Controller
TiAuto Investment
08.2019 - 01.2021
- Upload cash books daily.
- Reconcile bank account.
- Submitted new customer credit applications and debtors financials to underwriters.
- Managed credit insurance applications and limit adjustments via Appro (CGIC).
- Monitored overdue accounts and followed up in line with debtor ageing and KPIs.
- Reconciled debtor accounts and resolved POD and payment queries.
- Managed cross-border accounts in accordance with credit agreements.
- Prepared handovers for overdue and high-risk accounts.
- Distribution and investment-focused business providing trade credit within local and cross-border markets.
Accounts Controller
Ocean Network Express
07.2014 - 07.2019
- Receipt EFT and dollar payments are receipted timeously and accurately.
- Debtors, Creditors and Bank.
- Clear the bank Recon daily.
- Extract daily debtors reports and reconcile Debtor receipts daily.
- Manage and monitor client credit limits and outstanding payments from debtors.
- Capture of trade creditors invoices and EFT payments timeously and accurately.
- Ensuring all documentation is filed daily.
- Validation and Processing of credit notes, Reallocations, Journals.
- Managing Debtor Refunds.
- Any other additional requirements and/or ad-hoc projects as required by Supervisor or Manager.
- Adherence to company SOP's and general accounting rules always.
- Follow up with branches on all outstanding costs/invoices regularly.
- Petty cash management.
- Compilation of finance reconciliations.
- Submit and process payments for creditors.
- Global shipping and logistics company operating in international trade and freight services.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce Generic - Accounting, Business Management
01.2025
Higher Certificate Accounting Science - undefined
01.2016
National Certificate: Bookkeeping - undefined
01.2016
Matric - undefined
01.2013
Skills
- Analytical mindset
- Ability to work independently
- Teamwork
- Professional communication
- Effective communication
- Target driven
- Time management
- Issue resolution
- Adaptability
- Integrity
- Accountability
- Optimism
- Decision making
- Accumatica
- Microsoft Navision
- Sage
- SAP
- Debtors Manager
- Appro (CGIC)
- TransUnion
- Microsoft Office packages
- Azure
- Advanced Microsoft Excel
- SQL
- Python
- Power BI
- Oracle
Extracurricular Certifications
- Goldman Sachs Controllers Job Simulation on Forage, 2025-11-30
- Standard Chartered Banking and Coverage Credit Analyst Job Simulation on Forage, 2025-11-30
- Goldman Sachs Operations Job Simulation on Forage, 2025-12-31
Personal Information
Title: Credit Supervisor
Timeline
Senior Credit Controller - Reitzer Healthcare
09.2023 - Current
Senior Credit Controller - Arwyp Medical Centre
02.2021 - 03.2023
Credit Controller - TiAuto Investment
08.2019 - 01.2021
Accounts Controller - Ocean Network Express
07.2014 - 07.2019
UNISA - Bachelor of Commerce Generic, Accounting, Business Management
UNISA - Higher Certificate Accounting Science,
ICB - National Certificate: Bookkeeping,
Eden College - Matric,