Ai Choo Bennett

Experience

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  Early Career

  Jun 1980 - Nov 1998

  Audit, Accounting, Financial Accounting. Began in practice. Trained with medium and Big 4

  Progressed from trainee accounting to audit clerk with Bellman, Messik then with Deloitte through to qualifying and then progressed my career through smaller companies as company accountant and group financial controller.

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  Active Imaging Plc

  Jan 1996 - Nov 1998

  Financial Controller

  Cash flow management and forecastingPlanning and management reporting on commercial and corporate areas of the business.Management of team, including Payroll, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.Statutory financial accounting, compliance and reporting.

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  Siemens, Rank and BG Plc

  Dec 1998 - Mar 2000

  Interim management accountant

  Covering for maternity on management reporting, downsizing in a shared service centre and daily sales reporting respectively

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  Palm

  Apr 2000 - Jan 2009

  Senior Financial Accounting Manager EMEA

  Led a high-performing core team of 4 to 6, responsible for eleven legal entities throughout Europe and the Middle East, passing all Statututory and tax Audits, with no missed deadlines, FP&A in G&A, Shared services in Accounts Payable, Payroll, Employee Expenses, Treasury, Intercompany, Fixed assetsStarted as Financial accounting Manager. Through streamlined processes and improved quality, I took on additional responsibilities and integrated an additional seven legal entities without additional staff, without compromising on the integrity in the financial records.Managed the Balance sheet control and review process with clean results.Managed the FP&A reporting process on G&A and working together with non-financial partners to identify hidden costs allocate costs accurately.European representative of the Palm Foundation charity Show less

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  RealNetworks

  Nov 2009 - Feb 2011

  European Reporting Manager
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  Harris Corporation

  Mar 2011 - Mar 2015

  Senior Financial Accounting and Compliance Manager EMEA

  Applying Harris Business Excellence and developing a high performing team through change management, performance management and ethical leadership. Implementing automation and engaging partner commitment, internal and external. Cross-functional team leadership in the Purchase to Pay process, Treasury and Banking, implementing streamlined procedures and reducing overheads. General Ledger accounting at local Statutory and US GAAP level, including leading internal and external audits. Preparation of Statutory Accounts. Business integration, divestment, combination, development, outsourcing and governance. Also managed Payroll, Expenses and Fixed Assets - a team of 36. Countries including UK, Ireland, Norway, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi, UAE, Russia, Hungary, Indonesia and others. Show less

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  GSK

  Aug 2015 - Mar 2017

  Contract Financial Accountant

  Project-based contract accountant:Merger and acquisition accounting and integration accounting, from different systems to one.

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  Self-employed

  Jun 2016 - now

  Financial Consultant

  To provide solutions to business challenges.

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  Mavenir

  Dec 2017 - Aug 2021

  Tax Accountant on fixed term

  Compliance filing of a number of global local entities, 150 in total. Overarching plan, resource, assist, monitor the global team to achieve filing of delayed years by the end of 2018, besides being directly responsible for specific countries, including Saudi Arabia, Czechoslovakia, Thailand and Pakistan.

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  Citizens Advice

  Aug 2022 - now

  Adviser