SPHIWE BLOSE
Senior Finance Director | Group Controlling
Louvain-la-Neuve
Summary
Highly effective and experienced Senior Finance Director skilled in leadership and finance, with over 18 years of experience in Hospitality (2 years & 8 months), FMCG (6 years), HealthCare/ Pharmaceuticals (4 years & 6 months), IT (2 years & 6 months) and Medical Devices (2 years).
Excellent reputation for resolving problems and improving customer satisfaction. Reliable professional, offering excellent communication and good judgement.
Dedicated Finance leader with history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand.
A leader passionate for developing highly effective teams, leading with empathy and values, a leader that creates systems that empower the organization to the highest level of performance
Result driven, self-motivated and resourceful Finance Business Partner with a proven ability to provide key financial data, support and reporting to assist in key business decisions.
Possessing strong financial control and reporting skills and rigorously ensuring that all statutory and corporate obligations are met.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Finance Director | Group Controlling | EMEA
Radisson Hotel Group
Brussels
06.2020 - Current
- Co-develop strategy and execution of long term financial strategic plans (5YP) alongside EMEA Executives
- Manage team of employees, overseeing hiring, training and professional growth of employees.
- Lead finance initiatives and provide data based and forward-looking recommendations
- Lead and co-ordinate finance -related IT projects and initiatives across functions, together with the CIO and the EMEA Leadership team
- Responsible for Total EMEA payroll together with CRO and HR Executives
- Drive compliance and implement internal audit recommendations
- Business partner to the EMEA Management team, including the CEO, CFO, CIO, CRO (Resources), CLO (Legal) and other Executives
- Responsible for the preparations of the weekly, monthly and quarterly presentations to the Board and Shareholders
- Co-develop, implement and oversee activities for robust month end reporting, quarterly forecasts and annual budget setting process, including analysis and monitoring of the P&L, Cash Flow management and investment (Capex) plans across EMEA
- Improved Payroll management by (1) integrating HR systems (WorkDay) with Finance systems (SAP BPC) and (ii) creating a standard Payroll model and presentation to the CEO, driving agile business decision making on resource management
- Developed and implemented a standard Initiatives/Investment Business Case model, resulting in standardized approach to investment requests for the company
- Saved €5m on insurance premiums by implementing cost-saving initiatives that addressed long-standing problems.
- Part of the key stakeholders involved in the separation project between Radisson EMEA with America business
- Drive implementation of the P2P and One ERP projects across EMEA
Head of Controlling/Associate Director | MEA
Merck and Procter & Gamble
Johannesburg
06.2018 - 01.2020
- Co-develop strategy and execution together with MEA Managing Director and Cluster Executives
- Led projects and analyzed data to identify opportunities for improvement in MEA Cluster
- Collected $4million outstanding receivables from a long non-performing customer in Saudi Arabia after partnering with Saudi Arabia General Manager in successfully driving an exit agreement with the customer
- Managed team of employees, hiring, training and growth of employees
- Created a standardized and simplified weekly sales forecast model for MEA, aligned to the Regional Head Office reporting requirements
- Developed a new Gross to New (G2N) management and tracking tool for Saudi Arabia, improving accrual process and driving transparency in G2N management, the highest % of Sales reduction
Finance Controller/Associate Director | Africa
Merck (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
11.2017 - 05.2018
- P&L management, forecast accuracy, cost control and resource allocation
- Run the planning/forecasting processes, deliver consistent, ambitious and reliable plans
- Design, maintain and drive monthly business reviews
- Introduced a new Kenya Sales incentive plan, link pay to performance, result double digit sales growth
- Recommended increasing 3PL distributors from 3 to 6 in Kenya, resulting in extended business footprint and negotiating power and saved over $200k by stopping of automatic discounts to distributors
- Created and distributed new Trade spend ROI tool for South African entity, driving structured investment evaluation and decision making
Business Controller | Southern Africa (SNA)Cluster
Johnson & Johnson Medical (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
07.2015 - 10.2017
- Support and drive strategy, coordinate finance activities, manage team of employees, hiring, training and growth of employees
- Prepare monthly business review decks & presenting to the board
- Drive business partnering, financial and service excellence
- Saved $2million by collecting long-standing open government receivables
- Successfully led TM1 planning tool roll out for SA finance team and provided training
- Improved HFM reporting process, created a new SOP and trained all Finance staff
Finance Controller | Consumer Channel Group | SNA
Microsoft South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
02.2013 - 06.2015
- Strategy formulation and driving execution
- Provided strong financial leadership, resulting in profitable growth – consistently over-achieved QFA (Quarterly Forecast Accuracy) every quarter in FY14 (i.e. Q1 (CM +$3.1M VTB), Q2 (CM +$2.1M VTB) and Q3 (CM +$0.7M VTB)
- Introduced new Distributors/Partners’ Revenue target setting and tracking models, resulting in joint business planning between Microsoft leadership and Customers
- Actively listened to customers' requests, confirming full understanding before addressing concerns
Finance Business Partner | Africa Cluster
Glaxo Smith Kline South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
04.2010 - 01.2013
- Overall management of the P&L statement for South Africa and Africa Emerging Markets (Annual budget and quarterly forecast process management, deck preparation & presentation and S&OP)
- Created a new ROI analysis model for Marketing spend, used during every business review as it resulted in better decision for management
- Established new, simplified and better A&P tracking process as well as established a standard Brand P&L format for NPDs (New Product Launches) – resulting in standardization and simplification, leading to ease of decision making for management
- Led a successful roll out of ONE Management System across Africa cluster with over 30 countries
Senior Financial Analyst | CS & Logistics | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
07.2008 - 03.2010
- Delivering Cost savings on Freight costs
- Involvement in strategy formulation for Customer Services & Logistics and Finance Department
- Thorough Inventory management to meet and leverage favorable cash targets
- Staff management
- Internal Controls management and improvement
- T&E budget management for CS (Customer Service Department)
- Finished Product costs variance (PPV) analysis
- Annual Standard cost Budget/Forecast model preparation and submission
- Freight/Custom Duties Budget/Forecasting and contract management with Logistics Service Providers
- Freight and Customs Duty Invoicing process management
- Reduced Inventory in FY08-09 by $4MM vs Previous fiscal year, inventory DOH were below 90 days
- Saved the company $1.2MM on Inbound Freight in FY08-09
- Built better relationships with 3PL suppliers and met POT (payment on time) target of 95% in FY 08-09, invoices allocated per PO and matched GR to IR
Profit Forecasting Manager | Gillette | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
07.2007 - 06.2008
- Overall Gillette P&L management including monthly and quarterly Revenue & P&L commentary to CEEMEA HQ Finance
- Budget & Quarterly Forecast preparation and submission, deck completion and presentation to LT & HQ
- Successfully and accurately mapped financial data from an old Gillette ERP system to P&G’s SAP ERP, resulting in accurate financial reporting and presentations to the subsidiary and HQ leadership team
Brand Financial Analyst | Hair Care | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd, Hair Care
Johannesburg
05.2005 - 06.2007
- Budget and forecast model preparations and submissions for Hair Care brands
- Hair Care Business Product P&L management
- Sku rationalization/reduction analysis and recommendations
- Price, mix, volume and competitor analysis
- Contributed to strategy formulation
- NPV calculations for New Product launches
- Overall Marketing Spend Management ownership, Budget and forecast preparation and tracking/analysis including year-end accruals management
- Self-Assessment audits for Marketing Department
- Met Hair Care Band BT Profit Target in FY06-07, BT Profit improved by +4.2% after successfully discontinuing a loss-making brand to allocate resources to profit making brands
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting and Auditing
University of Natal (UKZN)
South Africa 02.2000 - 12.2003
Skills
Developing financial strategies
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Quote
"People who shine from within do not need a spotlight"
Timeline
Senior Finance Director | Group Controlling | EMEA
Radisson Hotel Group
06.2020 - Current
Head of Controlling/Associate Director | MEA
Merck and Procter & Gamble
06.2018 - 01.2020
Finance Controller/Associate Director | Africa
Merck (Pty) Ltd
11.2017 - 05.2018
Business Controller | Southern Africa (SNA)Cluster
Johnson & Johnson Medical (Pty) Ltd
07.2015 - 10.2017
Finance Controller | Consumer Channel Group | SNA
Microsoft South Africa (Pty) Ltd
02.2013 - 06.2015
Finance Business Partner | Africa Cluster
Glaxo Smith Kline South Africa (Pty) Ltd
04.2010 - 01.2013
Senior Financial Analyst | CS & Logistics | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd
07.2008 - 03.2010
Profit Forecasting Manager | Gillette | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd
07.2007 - 06.2008
Brand Financial Analyst | Hair Care | SNA
Procter & Gamble (Pty) Ltd, Hair Care
05.2005 - 06.2007
Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting and Auditing
University of Natal (UKZN)
02.2000 - 12.2003
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