Nipuna Ranaweera
Westmead, NSW,New South Wales
Summary
Experienced Manager, Audit and Assurance known for driving audit quality and team performance. Enhanced compliance frameworks and optimised audit processes, resulting in significant operational improvements. Delivered strategic insights and actionable recommendations, fostering robust financial governance.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
13
13
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Manager - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
Sydney, New South Wales
02.2024 - Current
- Formulate audit strategies aligned with industrial and business contexts to enhance contributions to audit service line.
- Coordinating, structuring, and overseeing delivery of audit engagements to guarantee efficient and effective execution within agreed timelines while adhering to relevant professional standards and legal requirements.
- Proven expertise in budget preparation, including reviewing, making relevant updates, finalising, and presenting budgets in collaboration with senior management, while effectively building and leading teams through monitoring budgets, timelines, prioritisation, resource management, and reporting.
- Evaluated financial statements to ensure adherence to relevant accounting standards and reporting requirements, delivering management with recommendations to optimise accuracy, transparency, and overall financial reporting quality.
- Composing written reports, delivering management presentations and sustaining continuous communications to provide relevant technical expertise and guarantee customer satisfaction through high-quality service delivery.
- Assessing entity environment, internal controls, and Information Technology General Controls (ITGC) for compliance with regulatory frameworks of audit clients, identifying control weaknesses, and providing practical recommendations for improvement.
- Reviewing and assessing the reasonableness of management's working capital and cash flow forecasts to ensure that the entity's capacity to meet operational targets and budgets.
- Assessing the compliance with regulatory and reporting requirements including compliance with banking covenants.
- Directed and inspired audit teams of over 10 members, fostering high levels of engagement, provided coaching to coachees to drive performance enhancement and assessed team effectiveness to facilitate continuous development.
Assistant Manager - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
Colombo, Sri Lanka
07.2018 - 07.2020
- Assist audit managers/ senior managers to design overall audit plans and perform planned audit procedures. This includes planning related audit procedures, walkthrough tests on key/complex processes identified at the audit client, testing controls, completing substantive procedures, and completing conclusion related procedures.
- Planned, organised, and monitored audit engagements to ensure compliance with professional standards.
- Prepared reports and delivered management presentations, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Assessed internal controls and ITGC for compliance, identifying weaknesses and recommending improvements.
- Led teams effectively by managing budgets, timelines, and resources through comprehensive reporting.
- Motivated and coached team members to improve both individual and collective performance.
- Managed a portfolio of clients, fostering sustainable relationships with all stakeholders.
Senior Executive - Internal Audit and Reporting
United Motors Lanka PLC
Colombo, Sri Lanka
06.2017 - 06.2018
- Developed comprehensive internal audit plans to assess risk management processes and compliance standards.
- Reviewed financial statements and operational reports to ensure accuracy and adherence to regulatory requirements.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify areas for process improvement and enhance overall efficiency.
- Conducted detailed assessments of internal controls and provided recommendations for strengthening governance frameworks.
- Review and monitoring of SEC compliance reporting and other statutory compliances including tax reviews.
- Review of quarterly financial statements and consolidation working to ensure that the accounts are in line with all the reporting requirements, before submitting the quarterly unaudited financial statements to the regulators.
- Assessed the Group’s performance against monthly, quarterly, and annual budgets, and reviewed variances to identify reasons for non-achievement.
Senior associate - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
Colombo, Sri Lanka
07.2015 - 06.2017
- Led audit engagements from planning to completion ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Developed and maintained strong client relationships through regular communication and updates.
- Reviewed financial statements for accuracy and adherence to accounting standards and policies.
- Mentored junior staff by providing guidance on audit procedures and best practices.
Education
Accounting and Finance
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
United Kingdom 11.2022 - 11.2023
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka 03.2011 - 06.2018
Bachelor of Science - Public Management
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Sri Lanka 08.2010 - 01.2015
Skills
- Expertise in GAAP standards
- Regulatory compliance knowledge
- Familiarity with ERP systems
- Data interpretation talent
- Financial reporting analysis
- Tax preparations understanding
Accounting and Financial Management Software
Hands of experience in Xero, Pronto-Xi, Yardi, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, SAP, IFS and QB
Reporting and business intelligence tools
Hands of experience in Power BI and Tableau
Other software applications
Sharepoint, Saleforce, and Microsoft Teams
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Manager - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
02.2024 - Current
Accounting and Finance
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
11.2022 - 11.2023
Assistant Manager - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
07.2018 - 07.2020
Senior Executive - Internal Audit and Reporting
United Motors Lanka PLC
06.2017 - 06.2018
Senior associate - Audit and Assurance
Pricewaterhousecoopers
07.2015 - 06.2017
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
03.2011 - 06.2018
Bachelor of Science - Public Management
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
08.2010 - 01.2015