Cecile Lerat

In charge the monthly financial accounting group reporting and preparation of the statutory financial statements, I manage the close process for the financial accounting team . Key responsibilities and main achievements are:

• Preparation of comprehensive monthly and annual financial consolidation reports for group reporting, integrating income statements, cashflow and balance sheets, other financial data and monthly board reports together with commentary, in line with internal published deadlines.
• Intercompany reconciliation process improvements
• In charge of IFRS16 leases accounting reviewing processes and streamlining and Handing over to a junior person whilst still supervising.
• Coordination with external group and local auditors on multiple audits, ensuring compliance standards were met and preparation of documentation to ensure smooth processes. Solely responsible for the French companies audits. I was able to get the French accounts in line with the deadlines.
• Preparation of statutory financial statements under various jurisdiction. Part of the financial accounting team who achieved in 2025 catch up of compliance filing for the group.
• Being point of contact for special transactions accounting advice of the group.
• Establish relationship with various stakeholders across the business to facilitate collection of information for group reporting and audits.

Following a restructure of the Finance Department I was promoted to Head of Financial Reporting. I built a team to manage the external reporting of SHL Group and the monthly management accounts. I work closely with the Financial control, Tax, Legal and Treasury teams. My key responsibilities and achievements are:

• Trained and managing my team in order to complete group statutory audits, filing of all worldwide legal entity accounts and statistics reporting in line with statutory deadlines, including two consolidated group accounts and 50 subsidiaries (24 countries including UK, France, Italy, Belgium China, India, Philippines, Honk Kong, Singapore).
• Overseeing the Standardization of financial statements.
• Managing the relationship and fees with Group, local auditors and local advisors.
• Responsible for the preparation of monthly consolidated financial statements, ensuring it is published in time for the shareholders and continuing improvements.
• Responsible for the preparation of the quarterly Bank Covenants Reporting.
• Responsible for the accounting of disposals and acquisitions of subsidiaries (US, Japan).
• Participation in the integration of acquired subsidiaries in the group reporting.
• Ad Hoc support and advice to the business and other finance teams.
• Managing and developing a team of four direct reports and one indirect one. (UK, China and India)

In charge of two set of consolidated financial statements and jointly managing the close process and preparation the consolidation of the group management accounts on a monthly basis jointly . Key responsibilities and main achievements were:

• Preparation of Financial Statements UKGAAP and IFRS including managing the group and local statutory audits in line with internal deadlines: two consolidated group accounts and all holdings;
• Successfully transitioned the preparation of all of the UK entities from Words to specialized software CaseWare;
• Participation in preparing and managing monthly reporting close process. together with preparation of consolidated financial statements in line with internal published deadlines.
• Creation of a group consolidated Business Unit to be able to report efficiently and accurately.
• Participation in the revamp and transformation of the monthly reported financial statements process and controls.
• Prepare and submit Covenant and other compliance reporting in line with required deadlines.
• Integration of new subsidiaries in the accounting system to enable its automatic inclusion in the management accounts.
• Participation of the acquisition accounting of an Indian Group and providing help and guidance for its integration in the financial statements and the accounting system.
• Implementation of IFRS16 in the statutory accounts and roll out.
• Established a relationship with Group and local auditors when assistance has been needed.

I oversaw and controlled all the intercompany transactions of the group, ensuring compliance with the Group transfer pricing policies. I worked across the business units and the different support functions. My key responsibilities and main achievements were:

• Preparation financial statements and dealing with audit queries in various jurisdiction ( including France, UK, Australia, Malaysia.)
• Raising awareness and organising training within the finance department in regard to intercompany transactions, IFRS15 and 16.
• Participating in designing process and system fixes/improvements required to stabilize the group's end to end intercompany process, collectively involving the business, project management, finance and the IT department.
• Investigating and resolving all the intercompany accounts out of balance and correcting SAP accordingly to ensure data is accurate.
• Actively participating in the design of the monthly intercompany reporting intercompany reporting pack and reconciliations to ensure transparency and correct allocation of costs.
• Strictly monitoring the intercompany transactions via two mail boxes, challenging the business in their need of intercompany transactions, working in a cooperative way with a large number of stakeholders (project management, finance and transactional departments) to find a solution to their needs in a timely manner.

I have successfully Project managed entire audit processes for a number of large corporate clients, actively secured, developed and maintained key client relationships and participated to the recruitment of the audit department. My key responsibilities and main achievements were:

• Developing project plans, planning and develop audit programs, execute the engagement in timely manner and to tights deadline for each engagement including presentations to audit committees and preparation of statutory accounts.
• My portfolio consisted of large corporate group of companies.
• Groups' turnovers are ranging from £15m to £75m, most of them requiring consolidated accounts either under UK GAAP or IFRS.
• Effectively managing audit teams varying in size from three auditors to six in concomitance.

I have jointly managed the audit operations ensuring efficient and effective utilisation of resources of team of 20 to 30 auditors, including recruitment, coaching and development. My key responsibilities and main achievements were:

• Securing, developing and maintaining key client relationships, managing a portfolio of clients, including audits and statutory financial statements engagements, organising joined audits with Deloitte France teams and developing relationships with the group auditor mainly Deloitte France.
• Managing entire audit processes together with the delivery and presentation of audit memorandums and group reporting to extremely tight deadlines to group controllers/finance directors/audit partners.
• All of my clients were UK subsidiaries of large French group with tight deadlines.
• Company's turnover ranged from £5m to £100m.
• Recruiting and overseeing the training of students undertaking an ICAEW training contract.
• Inspection was undertaken by the institute and I was congratulated, developing and organising training within the firm to ensure audit quality is delivered.

• Ward Williams Limited: (Oct 2008 -Oct 2012) As Senior Manager with responsibility for the Corporate Services Department, I have jointly managed the audit operations (team of 12 auditors). including recruitment, coaching and development. Created a reporting framework for my department to provide Board with data, ie, recovery rate, budget vs actual..
• CSL partnership (2006-2008): Audit manager.
• Ward Williams Limited (2000-2006): Audit senior progressing to Audit manager.
• Garner Bleasdale Chandler (1997-2000): trainee Chartered accountant.
• Mazars Paris (1996-1997): Audit and accounts Junior