Asthak Saleem

Proactive and result oriented finance professional with fifteen years of extensive accounting and financial management experience 

Worked in Qatar for five years in the field of accounting and finance and in other country worked for ten years in the field of accounting and finance

Experience Summary

Role

Finance Manager - One Year

Senior Accountant -Five Years

Project Accountant-One Year

Accountant              -Five Years

External Auditor -    Three Years

Country

Qatar                     -Five Years

Sri-Lanka             - Ten Years

Worked in the field of accounting and finance for more than fifteen years. Lastly worked as Finance Manager. (Worked as Accountant in Qatar for Five Years)

Worked as Finance Manager -Irrigation Sectors-Sri Lanka- Responsible for overall financial function (One Year)

Role and Responsibilities

Plan, organize and govern all the financial activities of the organization
Monitor the day-to-day financial operations within the organization including certifying payment
vouchers, payroll processing, asset management and etc.
Prepare monthly and quarterly management reporting
Participate in strategic data analysis, financial decision making, management of working capital
Develop financial control, support project analysis, validation of plans, and ad-hoc requests
Manage the company's financial accounting, monitoring, and reporting systems
Ensure compliance with accounting policies and regulatory requirements
Deal with funding agencies and general treasury in relation to various financial matters
Lead and guide the finance team composed of five members

Worked as Senior Accountant-Agricultural and City Planning Sectors-Sri Lanka-Responsible for overall accounting functions (Six Years)

Role and Responsibilities

Oversee daily accounting activities, including accounts payables and accounts receivables
Supervise, direct, and review the work of the accounting staff (including, but not limited to cash
reconciliations, payment runs, fixed assets activity, payroll, debt activity, recording of expenses
etc.)
Oversee the preparation financial statements on timely basis, ensure that statements comply
with the international regulations and standards and supervise the timely submission of financial
statements to relevant authorities
Maintain and develop strong relationship with Banks and other financial institutions. Negotiate
with such institutions to obtain value services for the company, wherever possible.

Worked as Project Accountant-Health Sector-Sri Lanka-Responsible for overall accounting functions (One Year)

Role and Responsibilities

Review and approved daily payment process, banking activities, journal entries posting etc.
Ensure accurate and timely month-end closing tasks include, accounts analysis, reconciliations,
journal entries, and preparation of various project reports.
Communicate and coordinate with the local offices as well as perform additional assignments for
internal accounting and auditing, as directed by the director.
Management of accounting team towards performing the task as per GFATM guidelines.

Worked as Accountant-Gas Manufacturing, Trading, Construction-Sri Lanka-Responsible for accounting functions (Five Years)

Role and Responsibilities

Reporting to Financial Controller & Finance Manager at Corporate Office, Supervising a team of five
staff. Involved in preparation of management reports & various ad-hoch reports as well as interpreting
the monthly management accounts to the management.
Engaged in evaluating investment proposal considering financial & non-financial indicators for various
investment decision made by corporate management.
Engaged in financial analysis of subsidiary companies and holding company
Engaged in preparation of annual budget subsidiary and consolidated budget for holding company.
Involved in setting up cost accounting of gas manufacturing plant
Setting up internal and management control system for the whole organization and advising the
management on the importance of ensuring the strong control systems within the organization.
Participated in various management meeting in relation to investment analysis, monthly
performance review, receivable follow-up procedure, working capital management and etc.
Ensure accurate and timely month-end closing tasks include, accounts analysis, reconciliations,
journal entries, actual to forecast variance analysis, and preparation of various internal reports.

Worked as External Auditor- Ernst & Young Sri Lanka-Auditing and Compliance (Two Years and Five Months)

Role and Responsibilities

Direct advising to the clients on accounting, financial reporting and regulatory matters including
troubleshooting of issues regarding: International Accounting Standards and Sri Lanka Accounting
Standards
 Effective participation in the areas including the Audit strategies, Risk Assessment, Audit Approach
Plan, Internal Control & Fraud Considerations, Summary Review, Audit Differences, Deviations from
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Assessing Control Environment, Wrap up events, Income
Tax compliance.
Supervision and Preparation of Financial Statements according to SLASs and compared to the clients’
preparation.
Documentation of working as per the company standard after confirming the completeness.
Evaluate the adequacy & effectiveness of the Internal Controls and discuss with the client the
reasons for the weaknesses.
Effective direction and supervision of junior team members in direct participation of Assessing
Control Environment and working for financial balances
Direct participation in the test of control feedback, substantive audit procedure findings, sensitive
audit area discussion and analysis

Part Time Lecturer -Certified Management Accountancy and Associations of Accounting Technicians 

Lecturing experience several subjects including subjects such as Strategic
Management Accounting, Strategic Financial Management, Advanced Management Accounting,
Corporate Reporting Analysis, Advanced Financial Accounting, Management Accounting 
 

MBA (Finance) at University of Colombo

ACMA & CGMA Membership Holder -Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA-UK)
2013

BSc(Hons), Management (Spl) University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka -2010