Kate Smithwick CA, AOICD
Melbourne,Australia
Summary
Head of Finance with over 18 years of experience leading financial operations across the FMCG sector and leading global organisations. Wide-reaching experience across multiple Finance related fields with well developed competencies in all facets of business planning, analysis and reporting.
Proven track record at BASF, enhancing profitability by 10% through strategic realignment and process improvements. Expert in cash flow management and cross-functional team leadership, adept at driving business process enhancements and fostering collaborative environments.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Finance – Agriculture Solutions Division
BASF
Melbourne, Australia
08.2022 - Current
- Realignment of finance team responsibilities to increase efficiency and improved alignment to sales teams and business partners
- Development of an Asia Pacific Region profitability model to determine the impact of pricing and working capital delivering increase of profitability of 10% across ANZ
- Streamlined S&OP process to reduce duplication, consolidation of our ANZ business to deliver overall profitability impacts and growth sales strategy for the year
- Implementation and delivery of PowerBi dashboard for tracking sales and profitability for sales team on a daily basis
- Leading a team of 4 staff with Australia and New Zealand revenues in excess of €150m, collaborating directly with APAC Region and local GM on all financial matters relating to business strategy, performance management, budgeting, forecasting, cash management and sales analysis
- Development of finance team to leverage off individual strengths and encourage a collaborative working environment
- Ensure the business operates in a financially compliant manner, leverages sales growth opportunities and proactively monitors risks to propose risk mitigation strategies and business control measures
- Leading customer rebate management
- Financial analysis and recommendation during the S&OP process
- Evaluate and monitor distributor business models to ensure maximum value is achieved
- Ongoing review of pricing strategies to ensure maximum value and profitability is achieved
- Process improvement to ensure business procedures are continually improved
- Support Agriculture Solutions management, both locally and within the Asia Pacific Region
- Facilitate and drive the setting of Australia & New Zealand budgets and KPls with local and Asia Pacific Region
- Preparation of monthly Management Business Reports covering performance against key KPI’s and gap analysis
- Prepare rolling sales and EBIT forecast (IBP) on a monthly basis to achieve working capital targets
Senior Finance Manager – Operations, Costing and Capital
Murray Goulburn/Saputo Dairy Australia
Melbourne, Australia
11.2017 - 08.2022
- Integration of Lion Dairy and Warrnambool Cheese and Butter businesses into Operations Finance team
- Rolled out standardised ways of working across ten manufacturing sites including moving total manufacturing into one standard reporting structure
- Instrumental in delivering $20m of profit improvement savings year over year
- Integrated all site reports into one platform which allowed for streamlined monthly review with key management
- Ongoing projects working directly with CFO to deliver strategic initiatives
- Lead a team of 15 staff across multiple locations working directly with GM Operations to deliver an optimised operations strategy
- Building strategic plans around optimisation of milk solids with the ultimate aim of driving value through the supply chain network
- Development and preparation of insightful financial information and appropriate tools to drive improvement in the Manufacturing pillar financial profitability
- Work with site leadership teams to ensure effective cost control which would enable the most efficient plant cost base
- Preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual Executive and Board reports
- Creation of value through the Business including major investments within the company’s 10 manufacturing facilities
- Embed strong financial controls and compliance and review process relating to Manufacturing Finance
- Leading, coaching and developing team of seventeen people across ten manufacturing sites
- Ongoing development and succession planning of finance team to ensure strong engagement within the team
- Participating as a key member of the manufacturing leadership team and exert and influence
- Leading to provide standardised costing principles across all sites
- Ensure accurate transfer and standard costing systems of all products and monitoring variances to standards
- Providing appropriate challenges to monthly results, quarterly forecasts and annual budgets to ensure operations results are in line with corporate strategy
- Reviewing Operations Capital Expenditure Requests, ensuring that justifications are based on sound financial evaluations and meet company guidelines
- Also, monitoring expenditure against approvals ensuring spending is within approved limits
- Leading and managing budgets and forecasts for Manufacturing
- Ensure high performing finance team and succession plans are in place
Commercial Finance Manager – Freight
Murray Goulburn
Melbourne, Australia
09.2016 - 11.2017
- Leading tender process for outbound freight driving substantial savings through the business
- Business lead for SAP roll out for all freight
- Participate as a key member of Supply Chain team in setting and driving the Supply Chain strategy and ensuring sound commercially based decisions
- Driving the rollout and embedding reporting of KPI alignment disciplines and processes
- Providing timely and relevant forecast and budget process providing meaning to the overall freight position
- Manage finance costs for freight to a sustainable and low cost base
- Provide capital project justification and business case preparation support
- Provide project justification, validation and analysis
- Provide guidance on opportunities to reduce cost bases where applicable and take the lead in pursuing and supporting new business activities
- Analysis of freight activities, financial results and forward projections
- Monthly close, and delivery of insightful reports for the respective freight teams
- Maintain integrity and accuracy of financial information
- Weekly reporting & latest estimates as required
- Project justification, validation and analysis
- Working with CI team in tracking project activity and savings
Commercial Analyst – Inbound Logistics
Murray Goulburn
Laverton, Australia
04.2015 - 09.2016
- Lead the roll out of twelve month health & wellbeing program for tanker drivers which included Garmin devices and the development of a total wellbeing hub
- Designed and implemented a comprehensive budgeting/forecasting template that incorporated key KPI’s and metrics to track achievement and accurately calculate expected costs
- Accounting, reporting, budgeting and forecasting activities for Inbound Logistics to meet management and statutory accounting requirements
- Analyse and investigate Inbound Logistics P&L for variances against budget and forecasts, providing commentary for Senior Management
- Partnering with Group Manager Inbound Logistics providing commercial insights and financial analysis to achieve financial objectives
- Develop accurate & insightful reporting across multiple channels
- Performance reporting - weekly, monthly and yearly
- Maintain Inbound Logistics reporting metrics and identify opportunities for improvement
- Track expenditure, provide insights and deep dive into trend analysis
- Commercial Project work making recommendations through the use of data and analysis
- Capital project justification, validation, analysis and tracking project activity and savings
Finance Business Partner – Digital Products (Contract)
Sensis
Melbourne, Australia
10.2014 - 04.2015
- Development of two year business plan for new start up business (Skip - https://www.skipapp.com.au) with presentation to Sensis CEO for approval
- Setting up new financial system and development of policies and procedures for new separate legal entity
- Partnering directly with the Digital Product and Innovation team to provide financial insight, analysis and commercial advice
- Prepare financial forecasts and present monthly management reports with analysis and commentary identifying key factors and trends impacting financial and operational performance
- Provide product based profitability modelling and reporting, develop allocation methodologies and liaise with divisions to determine appropriate and agreeable strategies
- Manage and coordinate the Digital Products bottom up budget process to tight deadlines
- Develop financial models to assist the business in exploring and identifying opportunities
- Ad hoc project work or deep dive analysis with the business on products as needed
- Managing two direct reports, one of which is located interstate
Senior Freight Analyst – Material, Planning & Logistics Finance
Ford Motor Company
Campbellfield, Australia
12.2013 - 09.2014
- Costing and analysis of multi-year logistics tenders presented to the Ford Australia Board with recommendations
- Quarterly preparation and presentation of freight reserve review to Ford CFO
- Partnering with Logistics team to develop businesses cases for significant freight cost savings for Ford Australia
- Development of month end reports detailing key performance metrics for freight that are used by Logistics and Sales & Marketing teams
- Recognition from Ford Asia Pacific for promoting a positive finance team environment
- Monthly analysis and reporting of freight and duty benchmarked against budget, forecast and targets to the Logistics Team and Senior Management
- Monthly forecasting of freight by type and by product
- Monthly cash flow forecast and variance explanation
- Preparation and analysis of yearly budgets with year over year variance explanations
- Completion of future years’ business plan for freight and duty for regional reporting
- Performance of annual internal control testing (including rectification of identified deficiencies) to ensure all processes and procedures adhere to SOX compliance
- Administrator of non-standard freight request web portal
- Calculation of annual dealer freight equalisation charge to ensure an equitable outcome for both Ford and dealers
Senior Finance Analyst – Marketing & Sales Finance
Ford Motor Company
Campbellfield, Australia
09.2011 - 12.2013
- Quarterly preparation and presentation of variable marketing reserve review to Ford CFO
- Introduced reporting of contribution margin of each vehicle line by buyer type to improve business decisions
- Design and implementation of Hyperion database for the Marketing & Sales Finance function which significantly improved reporting timing and accuracy
- Identification of processes around month end activities that significantly improved turnaround of monthly results reporting
- Improvement in accuracy of monthly forecasts through design of concise forecast templates and consistent processes across all vehicle lines
- Financial analysis of pricing proposals, product actions and variable marketing programs
- Monthly reporting of variable marketing programs benchmarked against budget, forecast, sales targets and profitability targets to Marketing and Sales team
- Development of business case for introduction of new models into the market and new series within model lines
- Consolidation and reporting of monthly results for all vehicle lines revenue, material cost, duty and variable marketing to senior management
- Monthly forecasting of revenue, material cost, duty and variable marketing by product
- Consolidation, analysis and presentation of monthly forecast for all vehicle lines to senior management
- Valuation and forecast of monthly dealer stocks ensuring future liabilities are accurately communicated to the business
- Monthly cash flow forecast and variance explanation
- Preparation and analysis of yearly budgets for revenue, material cost, duty and variable marketing with year over year variance explanations
- Completion of future years’ business plan for each vehicle line profit for regional reporting
- Training and development of new and junior team members
Finance Analyst – Technology Finance (Contract)
ANZ
Melbourne, Australia
06.2010 - 09.2011
- Identified process improvements in various aspects of the business support role and implemented the changes to be made
- Significant experience of key client processes involving the identification of process controls and potential process improvements
- Experience interacting with senior management in client meetings
- Took on additional work outside role, which involved liaising and working with different business units within the bank
- Strong financial analysis and analytical skills developed from the review of financial statements, including balance sheets and income statements
- Support the business, with a strong focus on month end, budgeting and forecasting, as well as improvements of the existing processes
- Prepare management reporting packs and discuss key highlights with Business Partners
- Liaising with and supporting the Business Partners and business team to ensure accuracy of results and recoverability of all costs
- Completion of month end functions including variance analysis of all costs and FTE to budget and forecast, group reporting and additional reporting
- Preparation of budgets and monthly forecasting
Senior Auditor – External Audit
Grant Thornton
Melbourne, Australia
01.2007 - 06.2010
- Successfully reduced turnaround by six months, through close liaison with client staff and the provision of step-by-step direction, resulting in completed reports to parent entity, on time and under budget for the first time in three years
- Acknowledged with positive reviews from directors and managers regarding demonstrated ability to work autonomously and consistently, and ensuring tight deadlines are met
- Increased efficiency and quality of work performed through successfully incorporating industry knowledge and audit testing, within similar ‘type’ clients and recognised with positive feedback from clients regarding knowledge and professionalism
- Mentor, coach and assist with the development of junior staff through the provision of on-the-job training, appropriate feedback and providing ongoing assistance and instruction as required
- Coordinate and run audits, identify risks, client accounting system key control activities and issues, and present solutions to manufacturing and service based clients
- Prepare and review statutory financial statements, collate information and design appropriate tests for information verification, and report recommendations of key audit findings to senior staff and clients
- Regularly present to management and clients, identified list of errors and adjustments, and provide explanation of detection, implication and discuss remedial action as necessary
- Delegate workload, provide on-going support to junior staff and review as required
Accountant
Trish Anglin & Associates
Armadale, Australia
11.2004 - 01.2007
- Completed tax returns, generated and produced financial statements for individuals, companies, trusts and superannuation funds
- Implemented strategic bookkeeping and BAS procedures for a large complex client, resulting in streamlined processes and increased efficiency in monthly reporting
- Charged with responsibility of running practice in periods of managerial absence ensuring all work was completed, daily backup of system, appropriate mailings went out each day and supervised two staff members delegating workload as required
- Assisted Directors with staff recruitment, and coordinated annual ‘Graduate Evening’
- Coordinated the introduction of ‘green grocery bags’ with company logo as a marketing tool, gifted to clients and accountants to promote and increase brand awareness, and contributed to other marketing activities as required
Education
Diploma of Chartered Accounting -
Institute of Chartered Accountants
01.2010
Bachelor of Business - Accounting
RMIT University
01.2006
Skills
- Budgeting and planning
- Cash flow management
- Business process improvement
- Change management
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Expense management techniques
- Financial operations streamlining
- Working capital management
- Cost reduction strategies
Board Positions
Director & Treasurer
Wyndham Community Cultural Foundation Ltd
Timeline
Head of Finance – Agriculture Solutions Division
BASF
08.2022 - Current
Senior Finance Manager – Operations, Costing and Capital
Murray Goulburn/Saputo Dairy Australia
11.2017 - 08.2022
Commercial Finance Manager – Freight
Murray Goulburn
09.2016 - 11.2017
Commercial Analyst – Inbound Logistics
Murray Goulburn
04.2015 - 09.2016
Finance Business Partner – Digital Products (Contract)
Sensis
10.2014 - 04.2015
Senior Freight Analyst – Material, Planning & Logistics Finance
Ford Motor Company
12.2013 - 09.2014
Senior Finance Analyst – Marketing & Sales Finance
Ford Motor Company
09.2011 - 12.2013
Finance Analyst – Technology Finance (Contract)
ANZ
06.2010 - 09.2011
Senior Auditor – External Audit
Grant Thornton
01.2007 - 06.2010
Accountant
Trish Anglin & Associates
11.2004 - 01.2007
Diploma of Chartered Accounting -
Institute of Chartered Accountants
Bachelor of Business - Accounting
RMIT University
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