Profile
I am a Zimbabwean national working in a huge vertically integrated family business group here in Doha, Qatar. I have worked in many finance roles but currently I am employed as a Finance & Commercial Controller within the luxury fashion business in Ali Bin Ali Establishment. I work for two divisions, Galeries Lafayette department store and mono-brand renowned fashion stores such as Balmain, Philip Plein, Ermanno Scervino and 100% Capri. Before this, I worked for 5 years within its FMCG & Logistics business stream. The FMCG wing is the largest distribution and manufacturing company in Qatar. When I was in FMCG, I managed the finance and administration of two divisions dealing in the distribution of Procter & Gamble, Braun, KAZ, BAT, MARS, BEL, BARILLA, HEINZ, EVIAN & UB BISCUITS. I was in this position for 5-years.
I am ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) fully qualified. I also hold a B. Comm degree in Accounting and served 3 and half years of articles with the internationally recognized big 4 firm, Ernst & Young Accountants. I am IFRS accomplished and have had exposure to training on convergence of US GAAP to IFRS. I also have an MBA.
I have an "hands-on approach" and have worked in a Group Financial Controller role with similar exposure to a broad spectrum of responsibilities as a CFO would have. I pay particular analytic attention to finer detail, keep abreast with global macroeconomic and industrial developments and International Financial Reporting Standards. I strongly believe in coaching and mentoring junior staff and have a proven track record of stable, managerial and commercial experience in the full finance & business functions from banking, retail, distribution, consultancy, costing, front to end promotional & A&P accounting, internal control and risk management, new project feasibility, budgeting to financial reporting, financial management including a strong background in contract preparation, interpretation, implementation and legal compliance. I have also performed extensive work in strategic planning and execution having structured a MBO and a venture capital investment. My finance career spans a period of 21-years, of which 18-years was in a senior level position within professional, commercial, retail and manufacturing entities.
I also work well with different nationalities and I am an excellent communicator who dovetail across various multi-functional lines. I can have been a key member in steering committees involved in core ERP system selection and various system development projects within Ali Bin Ali and Edgars. I was a key member of Oracle EBS and Oracle Retail implementation. As Group Company Secretary at Edgars Stores Zimbabwe Ltd (Edcon), I was involved in Board Meeting representations, Shareholder & Analyst Briefings and issuing of Cautionary Statements, Scrip, Annual Report & Press Briefings.