Benson Huria Karumba

RESUME Benson Huria Karumba P.O. Box- – Nairobi, Kenya --Personal Profile I am a highly motivated individual with over 15 years of working experience having graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor of Education in Technology and CPA Kenya – ICPAK (Institute of Certified Public Accountant Kenya) Member Number 18304. I am self-driven, ambitious, innovative, analytical, a fast learner, and pride myself as a true team player with good interpersonal skills. I possess a great desire and drive to prosper in all work that I venture into. I strongly believe in honesty and integrity, and I am very reliable. I have also acquired a high degree of versatility, endurance and experience in my professional work having worked in different organizations and currently working as Finance Manager. I desire to work within a challenging and rewarding environment, which will give me an opportunity to utilize my acquired skills, apply my academic knowledge that leads to both personal and organizational growth to international standards. Career Objective  To upgrade and put into use the vast knowledge acquired in the working environment to help meet the company goals and to advance my career. Educational Background Institution: United States International University Kenya Duration: January 2010 to July 2013 Examination: Masters in Business Administration Grade attained: G.P.A of 3.5 Institution: Moi University Duration: April 2002 - July 2006 Examination: Degree Course in Bachelor of Education (Technology Education) Grade attained: Second Class Honours (Upper Division) Institution: Othaya Boys Secondary School Duration:- Examination: K.C.S.E. Grade attained: B plain Professional qualifications .  Certified Public Accountant Kenya - C.P.A (K) – ICPAK Member No. 18304  Computer Programming – Java  Introduction to Business Analysis Work Experience Duration: May 2022 – to date Post: Finance and Procurement Manager Duties:     Budgeting and Forecasting - Prepare biweekly cash requirements, monitoring cash flow and reconciles cash accounts to maintain appropriate cash balances. In charge of the project procurement Fixed Assets and Inventory Management - Manage and coordinate inventory control and tracking of project equipment, including property logs, serial numbers, and tags. Financial Accounting and Reporting - -    Reviewing payment vouchers in support of payments for project activities and suppliers’ invoices confirming such payments are in accordance with the laid down procedures and policies, accurate, complete, adequately supported by all underlying appropriate documents, and correctly coded to the appropriate expenses and tracking code and project code. Monthly, Quartery and Yearly financial reporting for the management, programmatic, donor, and statutory reporting Anticipate risks associated with funds management and coming up with risk mitigations strategies. Financial analysis and dissemination to the program staff and management Maintenance of financial systems. End month financial processes Establish and maintain sound and transparent accounting and fiscal control procedures and make appropriate recommendations for improvement when necessary. Handling the tax matters – preparation of taxes, payments and overall liaison with Revenue Authority. Preparation of payroll data. Primary assistant to the Finance and Administration Director in administration, operations, IT and HR functions Supervision of accountant and operations assistants Compliance – - Perform compliance review on all project expenditures and ensure strict compliance with internal and external financial and accounting policies and procedures. - Liase with both internal and external auditors to ensure all issues are closed and audit completion. Duration: January 2023 – May 2023 Post: Ag. Finance and Administration Director Duties:         Lead project finance and operations including general administrative process, financial management, grant management, procurement, accounting, administration, human resources, information technology, logistics, start up and close out project activities. Designing and delivering systems for donor funded financial management and reporting, training staff and partners on value for money principles and due diligence instituting financial systems and preparing and managing budgets. Supervision of finance, operations, grants, procurement, and logistics teams Building successful relationships with donors, partners, staff, and suppliers to develop success. Management of grants Work with the technical teams to ensure timely project implementation. Management of expenditure, and preparation of pipeline estimates and implementation of risks mitigation measures Overall, in charge of financial planning and reporting Duration: April 2021 – April 2022 Post: Finance Manager Duties: To dive deep into details and think at the ground level with and aim to play offense as a business and systems thinker – scalability of platform, improvements to unit economic and scaling model, global shared services – as well as defense – dealing with leakage, fraud prevention, and air-tight controls in challenging operating environments. Reporting directly to Managing Director. Duties:  Prepare board packs for self and Managing Director and participate in board meetings.  Maintain budgetary oversight of all departments within the company; work closely with managers and senior executives on budgeting and forecast process.  Manage the external audit process for financial statements; ensure that Company follows internal policies and relevant regulations.  Development of business models for growth.  Overall, in charge of tax and payroll functions.  Lead cash and risk management – manage banking relationships, cash flow forecasting, working capital, etc.  Lead the department in recruiting and retaining top staff; manage the development of staff through performance management process.  Ensure that systems and controls are in place to minimize and mitigate risk of fraud/leakage, as well as proactively audit key functions and accounts.  Support business expansion strategies by forecasting and assessing the financial impact of key decisions. Duration: October 2020 – March 2021 Post: Head of Unit - Finance Duties:  Prepare board packs for CFO.  Maintain budgetary oversight of all departments within the company; work closely with managers and senior executives on budgeting and forecast process.  Manage the external audit process for financial statements; ensure that Conservancy follows internal policies and relevant regulations. Duration: April 2018 to October 2020 Post: Finance Officer Duties:  Responsible for overall control of expenditure against budget for all projects. o Ensuring timely payments and expenses reporting in line with internal polices, identifying and resolving invoicing issues, accounting discrepancies and other financial related issues. o Ensuring accuracy of billing and invoicing in line with the hosting agreements and ensuring regular reconciliation with the host organizations for the hosted countries. o Ensuring accuracy in recording of financial information in the general and subsidiary ledgers, in a timely manner and regular reconciliation of bank, cash, payables and receivables and timely follow up of outstanding items. o Expenditure posting, management, verification, and monitoring in line with the budget o Ensuring that all staff settle advances and/or loans in line with established policy and procedures and that all accounts are settled at the time of termination of service o Work with administrative staff and the Representative to ensure smooth office operations and cost savings where possible  Grants processing, posting and management of processes and payments, Sub grantee financial reports review and review of grants contract and sub grantee trainings.  Ensuring the compliance with the Finance and Operations Manual, including procedures for electronic and physical data storage, backups, and security.  Co-coordinating the renewal of insurance as required by law  Manage and directly supervise a team of qualified and experienced staff, Supervise and coach national finance staff and other staff, ensure that each member of the finance team has a clear job description and receives regular feedback on performance. Pursue an active policy of capacity building of the finance staff.  Assist in preparation and adherence of cash flow reports, annual budget and work plans, and re-forecasts  Coordinate the preparation of financial information in the organizational annual report  Maintaining of fixed assets register, computing of depreciation and preparing of fixed assets schedules and ensuring up to date and correct inventories of all project equipment       Preparing and taking part in internal and external audits, resolving all the audit issues raised, Act as contact with external auditors on accounting matters and, to make available to them all records required for the purpose of auditing the accounts, including any additional audits for funding agencies. Ensuring that internal controls are properly in place, including regular visits to project offices. o In Liaison with the finance management team, reviewing and updating internal controls and procedures manual Preparing payroll and payroll variances report, payment of salaries and allowances promptly; ensure the timely payment of taxes and other statutories, insurance and benefits, and ensure the maintenance of accurate payroll records. Ensuring compliance to all legal and regulatory authorities Key contact for banking and treasury activities. Financial Monthly Management Reporting, Statutory Reporting, BVA Reports and any other ad hoc reports Duration: July 2016 to March 2018 Post: Financial Coordinator Duties: Reporting  Ensuring all accounting records and supporting documentation for all financial transactions is maintained in a systematic order and in safe and secure conditions  Submission of monthly income statement and balance sheet.  Preparation of annual financial reports and management accounts.  Maintaining accurate and effective financial controls on all transactions.  Category performance analysis support.  Plan, assign and review payables and receivables accountant’s work.  Ensure financial reports comply with GAAP and IFRS principles Control and compliance related Activities.  Checking of Sales managers and salespersons expense claims to ascertain validity, accuracy, completeness, and compliance to organization policies.  Checking of clearing and import duty invoices to ascertain validity, accuracy, and completeness.  Establish and enforce proper accounting methods, controls, policies, and principles.  Prepare and support for Internal and External audit acting on Management Reports. Indirect Taxes and Statutory deductions reporting.  Computation and filing of PAYE,VAT,Withholding Tax, Withholding VAT, Withholding Rental Taxes on I Tax.  Computation and filing of employee statutory deductions with statutory agencies Intercompany Balance Sheet and Income Statement Accounting and Reporting.  Intercompany Accruals. These include Rebills and Recharges, IT charges, Management fees among others.  Submission and managing of Intercompany Balance sheet and Income Statement to related parties.  Confirmation of Intercompany balances Solving/proposing solution to all intercompany mismatch issues in the periodical mismatch reports and other Intercompany transactions.  Computing Intercompany aging analysis. Cash and Bank and GL Reconciliations.  Maintain strong internal controls for payment collections at the payment receipt location level and safeguarding against loss.  Responsible for maintaining and performing bank and loan reconciliations  Act as an agent to the bank on behalf of the company and e-banking disbursements and payments.  Custodian of all cheque books and responsible for tracking every cheque leaf used  Prepares requests for cash and ensures all disbursements have appropriate supporting documents and ensure and conduct monthly cash counts Fixed Asset and Accrual Accounting.  Managing the Fixed Asset Register.  Depreciation of fixed assets on monthly basis.  Accounting of accruals for Marketing costs, selling costs, Overheads and General accruals. Employee costs Accounting.  Preparing and booking of the payroll journal.  Calculating and booking of leave accruals  Payroll deduction schedules preparation for payment and submission to respective organizations such as banks, SACCOs, and statutory organs. Inventory Accounting and Reconciliation.  GIT computation and valuation. GRIR match, drop, and revaluations.  Computation and Submission of monthly Inventory actuals by category reported in SAP Costs of Goods Sold and Cost of Goods Manufactured analysis. Administration.  Fostering an enabling work environment, helping staff members to achieve their potential, and ensuring proper functioning and delivery of administration services for staff  Departmental budgeting and cash flow management  Oversee and monitor compliance with HR internal policies and procedures and other legal and regulatory requirements in collaboration with the HR  Assist to ensure travel bookings, accommodation and related logistics, advances are efficiently coordinated  Ensure administrative staff responds to requests from production, sales and engineering staff promptly.  Ensuring compliance to all legal and regulatory authorities  Supervision of Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivables, Administration Assistants teams and their biannual evaluations. Duration: April 2015 to June 2016 Post: Financial Accountant Duties:      Sub ledger to General Ledger reconciliation for retail debtors Accounting for Sales and ensuring accuracy in the General Ledger Maintaining and improving Import Cost Price Model Create and post invoices to intercompany and local suppliers. Assist with preparation of monthly management accounts.     Preparing the Costing schedules for hardware and pricing them Reduction of cost center overheads by enhancing efficiency Preparation of revenue, cost of sales and gross profit. Review of cost center reports to ensure accuracy of entries made and reasonableness of any accruals and/or provisions included in the reports. Verify and follow up any budget cost variances for sales and cost of sales. Responsible for communicating with all department managers and purchasing on inventory levels and locations. Preparation of external and internal audit Perform weekly and monthly physical stock checks and highlight variances and ensure accurate inventory levels are maintained.     Duration: November 2008 to April 2015 Post: Team Leader Financials and Operations, Stocks Accountant and Customer Service Representative Duties:  Supervise all the financial services at the shop while ensuring adherence to the laid down procedures.  Liaise with stakeholders for stock deliveries and ensure reconciliation of daily stock movement.  Accurate and timely preparation of reports for submission; stocks, finance, sales, service, headcount, coaching, and any other ad hoc reports as required by the business.  Management of retail center petty cash, revolving funds & operational float reconciliation and accounting to Finance in liaison with the Retail Centre Manager. Duration: March 2007 - October 2008 Post: Finance and Administration Officer Duties:  Preparing the financial statements of the organization; monthly, quarterly and end of year, which include trial balance, profit and loss and balance sheet.  Preparing the donors report on monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.  Preparing payrolls and bank reconciliations on monthly basis.  Ensuring compliance of statutory returns and reports and preparation and payments of deductions on time.  Planning, organizing, and implementing accounting operations and objectives, coordinating, and integrating the activities towards achieving established goals and objectives.  Preparation of annual budgets as well as the implementation and monitoring these budgets prudentially.  Ensuring that all functions are performed within established budgetary parameters, to include performing cost control activities, monitoring revenues and expenditures and ensuring sound fiscal control.