Dawn Bowater

DAWN BOWATER- | Clyde North, VIC 3978 | - Professional summary ¨ Experienced ACCA qualified accountant with a broad industry background including manufacturing, construction, retail, and service industries ¨ Initially qualified in mid-tier business services before moving to industry ¨ Ten years of Australian experience gained in varying sectors mainly in contract roles in financial accounting capacities ¨ Broad experience in managing multiple stakeholders including leading a team in a complex company environment ASX, NYSE, and SME CAPABILITIES ¨ Financial reporting has been a core part of all of my roles. Specifically, I have held ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ responsibility for preparing full P&L and Balance Sheets monthly in my most recent roles. This includes presenting results to management using PowerPoint. Group reporting for ASX and NYSE reporting including statutory reporting pack, monthly data submissions using FRIDA, and tax pack using OneSource. Also, SOX reporting and oversight of financial controls during my role at ITW. My time at Futuris focused on budgeting and planning. Co-ordinated multiple submissions and consolidate, explaining variances to management at a high level. At Car Parking Solutions (CPS) my primary focus was on process improvement, troubleshooting, and balance sheet reconciliations. Cashflow forecasting was fundamental to my duties at CPS, Gelpack, and elsewhere. My responsibilities have included payroll and all payroll and company returns and I have acted as a key liaison to external service providers such as banks and auditors. My communication skills are excellent, and I enjoy acting as a business partner. I can help drive management to make better decisions. Commercially aware and operate with a relaxed but focused attitude. I am confident that I can add value in a very short time due to my contract experience I have used many ERP systems, often acting as the system administrator. Able to quickly pick up new systems skills. I have advanced Excel skills including familiarity with LOOKUP, SUMIF, PIVOT, and others. Hands-on when required, but I also enjoy mentoring and delegating to subordinates. I have managed teams of up to six and have substantial people management experience gained both in Australia and in the UK. I have an open door, empathetic approach, and believe in working collaboratively to meet company deadlines. Computer skills ¨ Microsoft Excel (VLookup, HLookup, Pivot, SUMIF, etc), Word, Outlook, and Powerpoint ¨ ERP systems: Xero, QAD – MFG Pro, Sage 300, AP21, Pastel, ECi M1 ERP, Navision, MYOB, FRIDA & Hyperion ¨ Microsoft and Apple Mac operating systems Selected employment history Camec Pty Ltd, Dandenong South, Victoria Manufacturer and Importer of RV parts, part of Fleetwood Corporation Ltd. ASX listed Senior Financial Accountant (contract role) February 2020 – April 2020 ¨ Head Office based interim role producing monthly accounts and balance sheet reconciliations using Navision ERP system Tribe Breweries Pty Ltd (Mornington Peninsula Brewery), Mornington, Victoria Craft Brewery Privately owned Finance Manager (contract role) September 2019 – February 2020 ¨ Branch-based interim role controlling the Finance function (2 direct reports) at Mornington and reporting to inter-state head office, producing monthly accounts and balance sheet reconciliations using Xero and Dear systems ¨ Achievement: Quickly grasped the fundamentals of brewery accounting and excise returns to aid the Head Office in Sydney during the closure of Mornington Finance Dept ITW Construction Asia Pacific – Residential Division, Moorabbin, Victoria Manufacturer of self-drilling screws and fasteners for the building industry. NYSE listed Senior Financial Accountant (contract role) November 2017 – June 2019 ¨ Financial accounting lead for Buildex business during the restructuring ¨ Month-end accounts, preparing BAS returns and balance sheet reconciliations using QAD Enterprise Applications (MFG Pro) ¨ Raising manual invoices, inter-company charges, bank reconciliations, payroll duties FBT ¨ Improving accounts payable processes and other end of month routines to facilitate a 3day month-end close ¨ Finance lead in twice-annual stock takes for the Buildex business ¨ Group reporting to Australia and US Head Office including statutory disclosure, compliance (SOX) and tax pack using OneSource, monthly reporting to US parent using FRIDA reporting tool ¨ Achievement: Learnt MFG Pro and ITW procedures to expedite a 3-day month-end close and satisfy other local and corporate requirements PAS Group Ltd, Mount Waverley, Victoria Retail clothing chain with multiple legal entities. ASX Listed Financial Accountant (14-week assignment) May 2017 – August 2017 ¨ Head Office based role performing reconciliations for newly acquired entities ¨ End of financial year tax, disclosure, compliance (ASX), and BAS returns ¨ Achievement: Quickly grasped AP21 to investigate variances and resolve process issues Mountain Harvest Group Pty Ltd, Gembrook, Victoria Frozen food manufacturer of potato and seafood products (FMCG). Privately owned Finance Manager (interim role) November 2016 – February 2017 ¨ Head Office based role with responsibility for management reporting and P&L, Balance Sheet and cash flow modelling for the company directors for multiple companies ¨ Oversaw a team of 5 responsible for general ledger, purchase ledger, accounts receivable, cash book, payroll, and production planning ¨ Achievement: Aided the expansion of the business through recruitment of staff and supporting the team with various administrative tasks including debtor financing ¨ Achievement: Identified several reconciliation issues and liaised with relevant internal and external parties to achieve results Car Parking Solutions Pty Ltd, Scoresby, Victoria Importing, installing, and servicing car parking stacker systems. Privately owned Finance Manager (liquidation) May 2015 – September 2016 ¨ Head Office based role with responsibility for management reporting (6 entities) to the company directors and other stakeholders ¨ Working capital, project costing, monthly reporting, foreign exchange ¨ Oversaw 4 staff responsible for Sage development, purchase ledger, debtors, cash book, and payroll using Sage 300 ERP ¨ Achievement: Immediately appraised the Trial Balances and reporting framework, identifying several urgent reconciliation requirements and development needs. Prepared an action plan to resolve these issues and further develop Sage to enhance productivity across all departments ¨ Achievement: Addressed the backlog of invoice entry and financial year close activities Pressed Juices Pty Ltd & Interactive Printer Solutions Pty Ltd, Notting Hill, Victoria A retail chain (FMCG) and printer cartridge importer. Privately owned Finance Manager (interim role) September 2014 – April 2015 ¨ Responsible for month-end close, cash forecasting, and reporting results to management ¨ Achievement: Quickly gained the required background knowledge to handle overseas branches, additional companies in the group, and new accounting systems Gelpack Enterprises Pty Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria A manufacturer and importer of flexible packaging solutions for retail and industrial Finance Manager (liquidation) November 2013 – June 2014 ¨ Responsible for month-end close and reporting results to management. Oversaw 6 staff responsible for inventory reconciliations, general ledger, sales ledger, purchase ledger, reception, cash book, payroll, and sales order entry. ¨ Achievement: Developed a cashflow model to manage day-to-day cash requirements for the senior management team ¨ Achievement: Re-submitted BAS returns to recover incorrectly handled deferred tax Futuris Automotive Interiors Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne, Victoria A first-tier automotive components manufacturer supplying Ford, GM, and others in Australia, Thailand, China, and the US. Turnover $400m, part of Elders Limited, ASX listed Senior Management Accountant March 2011 – June 2013 ¨ Head Office based role. Consolidation and reporting of Futuris Group companies to Executive team and parent company using Hyperion ¨ Co-ordination of the 5-year plan, including analysis of Business Cases for new programs. ¨ Achievement: Played a key role in vendor due diligence activities - heavily involved in preparing data and analysis to aid the sale process ¨ Achievement: Improved the Workforce Planning process by streamlining the collection, consolidation, and timely reporting of personnel data to facilitate enhanced decisionmaking (timesaving of 2 days compared to the previous process) Hoerbiger UK Limited, U.K. 2008 – 2009 Finance Manager ¨ Achievement: Dealt with a backlog of overdue returns ¨ Achievement: Oversaw the transition of the CGram system onto SAP Denso Manufacturing Midlands Limited, U.K. 2004 – 2007 Assistant Finance Manager ¨ Achievement: Improved Accounting systems by working closely with the Systems Analyst to automate the general ledger postings for material and stock transactions. These changes reduced the time taken to reconcile stock and material usage from 3 days to half a day Smiths Aerospace Limited, U.K. 2000 – 2004 Assistant Finance Manager ¨ Achievement: First move into industry, gained experience of day-to-day business issues Rabjohns, Chartered Accountants, U.K. 1998 – 2000 Audit Senior ¨ Audit, statutory accounts, and corporation tax for small and medium-sized businesses ¨ Achievement: First role with responsibility for supervising and training others. Crowther & Co. Chartered Accountants, U.K. Trainee Accountant/Auditor 1996 – 1998 Education and qualifications ACCA - 2000 (CA equivalent) BA (Hons) Economics – 1995, University of Wolverhampton, U.K. Interests Foster carer and volunteer with Cheltenham Cat Rescue group