Muhammad Syed
Penrith
Summary
Dedicated and results-oriented Senior Accountant with nine years of extensive experience. Possesses a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) qualification and completed Master's in Professional Accounting (MPA). Proven expertise in financial management, analysis, and reporting within dynamic corporate environments. Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance with regulations, streamline financial processes, and contribute to strategic decision-making. Skilled in leveraging financial insights to drive business growth and efficiency. Adept at fostering strong cross-functional relationships and delivering high-quality results. Seeking opportunities to apply seasoned financial acumen and leadership skills in a challenging and progressive corporate setting.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Financial Accountant
Scentre Group
03.2023 - Current
- Debtors/Collections Reporting: Spearhead weekly reporting to senior management, including GM/Director finance, ensuring comprehensive insights into debtors' status and collections.
- Team Management: Supervise and guide a team of financial accountants and payment leaders, fostering an environment of collaboration and high-performance standards.
- JV Distributions Forecasting: Lead the fortnightly forecasting of JV distributions payments, ensuring accuracy and timely processing.
- Month-End Journal Review: Oversee and validate month-end journals prepared by the team, ensuring accuracy and compliance with accounting standards.
- National Recharge Process: Manage the monthly recharge process for over 50 Business Units across nationwide shopping centers, optimizing financial operations.
- External Audit Liaison: Act as the primary liaison for external audits, guiding auditors through processes and providing necessary documentation and reports.
- Expense Reporting Review: Drive quarterly expense reporting reviews, identifying potential areas for enhancement and optimization.
- Comparative Model Development: Initiate and develop comparative models, enhancing feasibility checks and supporting contracts administration processes.
Financial Accountant
Scentre Group
06.2019 - 03.2023
- Debtors/Collections Reporting: Orchestrated weekly reporting to senior management, including GM/Director finance, providing comprehensive insights into debtors' status and collections.
- National Recharge Process: Managed the monthly recharge process for over 50 Business Units across nationwide shopping centers, optimizing financial operations.
- FBT Reporting: Prepared and submitted yearly FBT reporting for 38 shopping centers across Australia, ensuring compliance with tax regulations.
- Expense Reporting Review: Led quarterly expense reporting, diligently identifying areas for potential improvements to enhance efficiency.
- Audit/Tax Pack Preparation: Prepared HYE & YE Audit/Tax packs for the assigned entities, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- External Audit Coordination: Acted as the primary liaison for external audits, guiding auditors through processes and providing necessary documentation and reports.
- Month-End Journals: Prepared and posted month-end journals for shopping centers, maintaining accurate financial records.
- Stakeholder Relationships: Fostered and maintained effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration.
- Ad-Hoc Reporting: Delivered ad-hoc reports for senior management, ensuring timely and insightful information for strategic decision-making.
Leasing Finance Analyst
Scentre Group
06.2018 - 06.2019
- Budgeting and Forecasting: Prepared annual budgets and long-term forecasts for three shopping centers, each housing over 200 tenancies, ensuring financial clarity and strategic planning.
- Portfolio Forecasting: Generated bi-monthly forecasts for the allocated center portfolio, conducting comprehensive variance analyses for 200+ sites. Presented insights to retail managers for consolidated business-level decision-making.
- Financial Solutions: Investigated financial queries and problem areas, providing data-driven solutions to leasing executives, enabling successful outcomes through insightful analysis.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborated across three separate teams of senior staff to deliver monthly reporting to external Joint Venture partners, ensuring accurate and transparent financial communication.
- Portfolio Management: Took ownership of asset portfolios, overseeing financial and commercial activities for each center by fostering strong relationships with Leasing Executives and Retail Managers.
- Leasing Analytics Presentation: Presented leasing analytics to asset teams during monthly asset meetings, facilitating informed decision-making processes.
- Ad-Hoc Reporting: Provided ad-hoc reports to support leasing executives, ensuring timely and relevant information for strategic leasing decisions.
CX Finance Analyst
Scentre Group
01.2018 - 06.2018
- Budgeting and Forecasting: Accountable for preparing yearly budgets and forecasts for the allocated center portfolio, ensuring accuracy and presenting findings effectively to stakeholders.
- Compliance Liaison: Led the coordination with councils for timely receipt of council/land tax notices, averting penalties and resolving existing irregularities.
- Stakeholder Communication: Effectively prepared and presented financial information to key stakeholders, facilitating informed decision-making processes.
- National Recharge Process: Managed the monthly recharge process for over 50 Business Units across nationwide shopping centers, optimizing financial operations.
- Financial Analysis and Support: Provided insightful analysis for administration, facilities, and center managers, enhancing financial understanding and enabling informed decision support.
- Month-End Journals: Prepared and processed month-end journals, including accruals, ensuring accurate financial records.
Banking Officer
Scentre Group
01.2015 - 12.2017
- Bank Reconciliation: Managed and prepared monthly bank reconciliation reports for NSW & QLD shopping centers, Foreign Currency, and corporate accounts, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
- Car Park Revenue Analysis: Conducted trend analysis on monthly Car Park revenue reports, providing valuable insights into revenue patterns.
- External Audit Liaison: Collaborated with external auditors, providing necessary documentation for investigating banking transactions, ensuring transparency and compliance.
- Month-End Journals: Prepared and posted month-end journals to relevant object accounts and subsidiaries, maintaining accurate financial records.
- Auto Bank Reconciliation: Led the auto bank reconciliation process, facilitating automatic matching of transactions at the beginning of each month after ledger closure.
- Deposit Clearance: Investigated and collaborated with account administrators to clear outstanding deposits, ensuring streamlined banking operations.
Education
Certified Public Accountant -
CPA Australia
06.2019
Master's in Professional Accounting -
University of Technology, Sydney
07.2012
Bachelors of Business Administration -
Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
12.2009
Skills
- Effective Communication: Proficient in tailored verbal and written communication, adept at engaging stakeholders to ensure clear understanding and collaboration
- Business Acumen: Strong business and commercial aptitude, encompassing comprehensive knowledge of key accounting and finance principles, ensuring adherence to compliance standards
- Team Collaboration: Valuable team player, adept at working within cohesive teams to achieve shared objectives and drive collective success
- Problem-Solving Skills: Creative problem solver with a methodical approach to mitigating discrepancies and resolving issues efficiently
- Financial Reporting and Analysis: Proficient in financial reporting and analysis, deriving key insights critical for informed decision-making processes
- Forecasting and Budgeting: Expertise in forecasting and developing budgetary projections, contributing to strategic financial planning
- Tech Proficiency: Computer literate with proficiency across a range of software including MS Office, TM1, JDEdwards, GL Inquiry, Salesforce, and MYOB, ensuring adeptness in leveraging various platforms for financial tasks
Timeline
Senior Financial Accountant
Scentre Group
03.2023 - Current
Financial Accountant
Scentre Group
06.2019 - 03.2023
Leasing Finance Analyst
Scentre Group
06.2018 - 06.2019
CX Finance Analyst
Scentre Group
01.2018 - 06.2018
Banking Officer
Scentre Group
01.2015 - 12.2017
Certified Public Accountant -
CPA Australia
Master's in Professional Accounting -
University of Technology, Sydney
Bachelors of Business Administration -
Institute of Business Administration, Karachi