Amie Gara
Finance Manager
Summary
A results driven, self-motivated and vibrant Finance Manger with a proven ability to provide key financial data, support and reporting to assist in key business decisions. Having excellent communication skill and able to build strong relationships both within and outside of a finance department as well as effectively communicating financial information to non-finance colleagues. Enthusiastic and eager to contribute to team success through hard work and dedication
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Language
Work History
Finance Manager
SR2 REC LTD
Bristol
06.2021 - Current
- Scaling recruitment agency £25Mil turnover – defining a finance role within the company
- Completing the entire end to end process processing invoices – running the pay and bill facility, purchase and sales ledger, debtor management
- Ensuring all transactions (invoices, receipts, etc.) have been entered onto the accounts system correctly
- Maintaining sales and purchase ledgers, including credit control responsibilities
- Completing bank reconciliations for all companies
- Responsibility for making bank payments across Group (contractors, overheads and salaries)
- Setting up a USA Entity and bank account
- Assisting the accountants with year end
- Supported operations management, sales and marketing efforts to increase revenue and overall financial health.
- Processed invoices and contacted appropriate parties for timely payment receipt.
- Prepared monthly reconciliation of bank accounts and took corrective actions on deviations.
- Balance sheet reconciliations
- Month end journals for Accruals and Prepayments, WIP and depreciation on fixed assets and car
- Credit Control
- Payroll and commissions calculations
- Reporting for non financial staff and CEO
- Dealing with Client and contractor queries
- Completing VAT tax returns
Group Financial Controller
TimesTwo Investments Limited
07.2019 - 05.2021
- Redundancy due to covid, investment and incubation hub for recruitment entrepreneurs – whether it is start up or scale up businesses, I provide key financial and administration support to our group businesses on a day to day basis, being responsible for the entire finance function and reporting solely to the investors and CFO
- I have gained an in-depth knowledge of the new IR35 off payroll working regulations over the last couple of years which is business critical to recruitment agencies moving forward
- Looking after 7 companies on a day-to-day basis
- Producing monthly management accounts for all companies, including manual journal entry
- Producing balance sheet reconciliations that support the monthly MI, including accruals and prepayments
- Ensuring all transactions (invoices, receipts, etc.) have been entered onto the accounts system correctly
- Maintaining sales and purchase ledgers, including credit control responsibilities
- Completing bank reconciliations for all companies
- Responsibility for making bank payments across Group (contractors, overheads and salaries)
- Providing monthly cashflow analysis to the CFO
- Completing month-end and year-end procedures, including closing down the nominal ledgers
- Managing a small team
- Setting up new bank accounts for start-up businesses or migrating accounts to our current bankers, if required
- Maintaining on-going high-level banking relationships
- Setting up an invoice discounting facility and managing this process from start to finish
- Operating this invoice discounting facility on a monthly basis, including monthly reporting to the provider
- Preparation of the year end statutory accounts for all Group companies
- Managing the year end audit/accounts processes from start to finish, including liaising with auditors
- Providing quarterly VAT analysis reports
- Completing quarterly VAT returns, including electronic submission
- Implementing new payroll software across Group
- Completing monthly payroll for Group companies
- Completing HMRC monthly reporting of RTI
- Setting up a new pension scheme, including communication with the Pension Regulator where necessary
- Implementation of new accounts software across Group
- Managing the data migration from one accounting system to another, ensuring it was done correctly and within the desired timescale
- Implementing a new timesheet system, including managing communications to contractors and ensuring it linked seamlessly to the accounting software
- Day to day operational support to our businesses
- Maintaining HR files and staff contracts, including managing holidays
- In-depth knowledge of the new IR35 legislation with off payroll regulations – working with the recruitment agencies to ensure contracts are correct and umbrella companies used where necessary
- Understanding and working out furlough documentation and calculations
- Key partner in ensuring annual insurance renewals are done correctly, including provision of key financials
- Managing all internal IT requirements and liaising with our outsourced providers as and when necessary
- Setting up new companies on Companies House
- Registering businesses with HMRC
- Setting up new domain names and communications
- Ad hoc administration responsibilities
Financial Controller
RSG/ Sanderson Recruitment PLC
07.2014 - Current
- Established recruitment agency – leading a team to run the day to day activities and ensure tasks and deadlines were completed competently
- Produce monthly management accounts
- Balance sheet reconciliations
- Managing a team
- Liaising with the board and reporting into the Finance Director
- Accruals and prepayments
- Complete bank reconciliation
- Complete month end and year end procedures
- Provide the accountants with reports for audit and statutory accounts
- Provide VAT quarterly analysis reports
- Maintaining the purchase and sales ledger
- Completing VAT tax returns
- Entering invoices and receipts
- General ledger control
- Looking after 8 different companies
- Payroll
- Pensions
- Staff benefits
Financial controller
Prolab Nutrition Europe LTD
09.2012 - 07.2014
- Established B-B/ B-C business providing goods to the health food industry
- Produce monthly management accounts
- Balance sheet reconciliations
- Accruals and prepayments
- Complete bank reconciliation
- Complete month end and year end procedures
- Provide the accountants with reports for audit and statutory accounts
- Maintaining the purchase and sales ledger
- Completing VAT tax returns
- EC Sales and Intrastat filings
- Dealings with stock brokers for international payments
- Entering invoices and receipts
- General ledger control
- Payroll
- Pensions
Cash Office manager
Safeway/ Morrison's Supermarket Plc
01.2003 - 09.2012
- Managed cash office department reducing cash losses and staff of 8
- Compiled sales figure reports for weekly management meetings
- Worked closely with departmental supervisor- delegating tasks and responsibilities
- Handled customer queries and enquires
- Organised staff rotas and cover to meet staffing targets
- Prioritize and delegate staff tasks and responsibilities
- Resolve problems and issues
- Developed close working relationships with senior members of staff
- Worked as a team to meet required deadlines
- Trained staff to ensure they were fully competent and the legal requirements were met.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Eased team transitions and new employee orientation through effective training and development.
Education
AAT Level 4 -
City of Bristol College
01.2014 - 02.2015
AAT Level 3 -
City of Bristol College
02.2013 - 12.2013
AAT Level 2 -
City of Bristol College
02.2012 - 07.2012
BETEC Diploma in sport - Level 3 -
Filton College
01.2003 - 01.2005
GCSE -
ST Thomas More School
01.1998 - 01.2003
Skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skillsComputer skills across a wide range of platformsWilling to learn new skills and build my knowledge
Comprehensive understanding of the demands and workings of the recruitment sector
Trustworthy with financial, HR and payroll responsibilitiesA sound understanding of the month end processHobbies
- House renovations (this is the second house flip)
- Going to the gym (just been cleared to go back)
Timeline
Finance Manager
SR2 REC LTD
06.2021 - Current
Group Financial Controller
TimesTwo Investments Limited
07.2019 - 05.2021
Financial Controller
RSG/ Sanderson Recruitment PLC
07.2014 - Current
AAT Level 4 -
City of Bristol College
01.2014 - 02.2015
AAT Level 3 -
City of Bristol College
02.2013 - 12.2013
Financial controller
Prolab Nutrition Europe LTD
09.2012 - 07.2014
AAT Level 2 -
City of Bristol College
02.2012 - 07.2012
Cash Office manager
Safeway/ Morrison's Supermarket Plc
01.2003 - 09.2012
BETEC Diploma in sport - Level 3 -
Filton College
01.2003 - 01.2005
GCSE -
ST Thomas More School
01.1998 - 01.2003