Cheruvari Vishvanath (Vish)

Experience

• 

  Mettur Beardsell Limited

  Jan 1977 - Jan 1977

  Management Trainee
• 

  Ashok Leyland Limited

  Mar 1978 - Jul 1985

  Assistant Mnager-Finance

  Manufacturers of commercial and heavy duty vehicles and parts and industrial engines

• 

  National Methanol Company

  Jul 1985 - Sept 1987

  Senior Accountant and Internal Auditor

  Key Achievements• Conducted internal audit assignments relating to contractual obligations of the American partners under the Joint Venture agreement for the manufacture of Methanol.• Visited the head offices of the Joint Venture partners in Belgium and the USA as part of the audit around the agreed terms of the joint venture sales agreement.• Achieved improved cash flows for the company by discovering delayed or blocked transfers of USD 1 million of product sale proceeds by the overseas Joint Venture partners.• Introduced improved financial and accounting systems and controls in all major areas (Accounts Payable, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Inventory Control Stock take process, etc).• Developed and implemented improved inventory stock take procedures to ensure effective internal controls over materials and stores items. Show less

• 

  Ahmed Mansoor Al-A'Ali BSC(c)

  Oct 1987 - Jul 2005

  General Manager-Finance

  Key Accountabilities • Responsible for overall direction, co-ordination, control and supervision of all accounting, financial, budgeting, internal control, banking, insurance and legal activities of the Group.• Manage relationships, both internally within the Group, with associate companies, and externally with banks and other stakeholders.• Manage the development and roll out of ISO: 2000 requirements, including work instructions.• Develop annual capital and revenue budgets, rolling plans based on changes in major budget assumptions.• Manage the maintenance of the Group's project cost ledger, reporting project profitability statements and advise management appropriate cost and pricing decisions make or buy decisions, etc.Key Achievements • Scoped and managed the implementation of a fully integrated Financial Management and Information System (FMIS), and successfully rolled out the new FMIS well within budget and agreed timeframes. • Conducted management and proprietary internal audits and reported back to the shareholders matters relating to costing, performance, project pricing and profitability issues.• Developed improved internal control reporting processes across the construction projects of the Group.• Led financial analysis and feasibility studies of potential joint ventures with overseas sub-contractors to achieve efficiency gains and be more competitive (e.g. electrical sub-contracts, construction related products).• Managed feasibility studies for diversification programmes to determine the financial viability of ventures not related to construction, e.g. brand names in the fashion industry. I visited Milan, Italy to study and report the viability of setting up a brand name (Gianni Versace) outlet in Bahrain. • Provided proactive advice around investment decisions–whether to build or own commercial properties in a government initiated project (the ‘Bahrain Financial Harbour’). Show less

• 

  Department of Labour

  Oct 2005 - Sept 2011

  Manager- Banking, Treasury and Financial Services

  •Contribute to Finance and organisational strategic direction to enable the Department to progress towards its goals. Provide the Strategic Leadership Team with financial advice and support to add value.• Challenge traditional thinking, propose and agree new concepts to aid the delivery of organisational outcomes.• Interact with Banks and Treasury to negotiate and conclude hedging deals.• Manage treasury and foreign currency operations, cash flows, processing, general ledger account reconciliation and financial accounting functions to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.• Manage compliance with taxation legislation and compliance with Sensitive Expenditure and other Financial Policies.• Manage the Delegations Framework, Delegations and Contractors' Register and, and the Fixed Assets register.• Lead and manage the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements, including external reporting.• Manage relationships with workgroups across the organisation (e.g. ICT, Property), to ensure robust work in progress (WIP) and fixed asset creation processes are in place for smooth project completion and capitalisation of ICT and other projects (oversight of CAPEX and OPEX processes).• Manage stakeholder relationships with The Treasury, banks, Internal Audit, Audit New Zealand and the Office of the Auditor–General.• Provide technical advice in relation to accounting standards (IFRS) and other legislation.• Manage and coordinate the preparation of briefing papers and responses to questions for Select Committee for the Annual Accounts, Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and Official Information Act (OIA) requests.• Lead change by recommending improvements to business design, processes and service delivery.• Deliver results with emphasis on quality, make timely decisions, and uphold leadership and management accountabilities around performance management, learning and development of staff capability. Show less

• 

  Department of Internal Affairs (NZ)

  Dec 2011 - Aug 2012

  Financial Controller

  Key Accountabilities • Ensure the integrity of financial information in the general ledger, maintain an effective internal control environment and monitor financial results against expectations.• Ensure that high quality, accurate financial and performance reporting is made available to stakeholders in a timely manner at month end and year end.• Ensure compliance with all relevant Treasury policies, and maintenance of an effective internal control environment for funds management.• Lead effective and efficient interim/final audit process, including managing the Department’s Audit Committee process, review and sign off of the annual financial statements.• Ensure that financial reporting meets the needs of stakeholders and complies with generally accepted financial reporting standards, Treasury instructions, the Public Finance Act and any other relevant legislation.• Provide advice and leadership for key projects, ensuring that accounting and taxation implications are clearly understood for decision making purposes.• Develop and maintain a customer-focused approach to the delivery of timely, accurate, appropriate financial information and advice.• Foster the development of positive relationships between Finance Group staff and the organisation.• Build and maintain the team’s capability to meet current and future needs and requirements. Key Achievements • Leading the work around development, enhancement and roll out of the Department’s Financial Delegations Policy and the Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy, tax processes and associated systems and operating procedures.• Managing the processes around review and clean up of balance sheet account reconciliations and the Work in progress/capital (WIP/Capex) projects for timely capitalisation into the Fixed Assets register.• Managing the development of improved month end, year end and annual audit procedures to ensure a robust and efficient periodic and annual reporting process. Show less

• 

  Hutt Valley District Health Board

  May 2013 - Nov 2013

  Financial Accounting Manager
• 

  New Zealand Red Cross

  Nov 2013 - Jun 2017

  Financial Controller
• 

  Ministry of Health New Zealand

  Sept 2019 - Sept 2020

  • Contractor-Finance

    Apr 2019 - Sept 2020

  • Acting Financial Controller

    Sept 2019 - Mar 2020
• 

  Crown Law

  Dec 2020 - May 2021

  Contractor - Finance

  Prepare accountability documents including the annual report, budget estimates and updates (OBU, MBU and Supplementary Estimates documents) and submit them to Treasury on CFISNet. Coordinate interim and final audit process. Keep up to date with, and ensure compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Prepare month-end journals and ledger reconciliations. Ensure tax compliance and robust internal controls. Business partnering, working closely with managers and support them in meeting financial responsibilities. Show less

• 

  Department of Corrections New Zealand

  May 2021 - Apr 2023

  Contractor - Finance

  Prepare documentation for Joint Ministerial approval (e.g., Waikeria prison incident, ex gratia payments), internal technical accounting papers (treatment of demolition costs, insurance claim, Decmil NZ liquidation and related accounting matters), annual report disclosure notes (post balance date event, business continuity expenditure, fixed asset write – off, insurance settlement, etc.)Maintain internal and external stakeholder relationships, liaise with Treasury for In Principle Expense Transfer (IPETs) requests, setting up new appropriations. Prepare work schedule for the October Baseline Update (OBU). Coordinate the annual report process with Audit NZ to ensure completion within statutory deadlines. Manage and report compliance around finance policies, legislation (taxation, Public Finance Act), accounting standards and Treasury guidelines and processes. Show less

• 

  Department of Corrections NZ

  Apr 2023 - now

  Finance Manager Corporate Finance

  Manage the corporate finance team comprising ten staff. The role involves building relationships with project managers to ensure robust monitoring and timely of project and asset costs, review of project business cases, capital work in progress and capitalisation of the Department’s fixed assets in accordance with PBE IPSAS accounting rules including the new Treasury Guidelines that addresses appropriate accounting of Software as a Service (SaaS) costs.Responsible for liaising with Treasury on funding drawdowns and managing Public Private Partnership (PPP) swap deals, monthly and annual reporting and audit, general ledger review, GST, FBT, WHT matters. Show less