Merab Owino

MERAB AKOTH OWINO, CPA Senior Accountant | Financial Reporting | Regulatory Compliance | ERP Specialist E - - q https://linkedin.com/in/merabowino SUMMARY  Nairobi MA CORE COMPETENCIES Seasoned Senior Accountant with over 10 years of proven experience across real estate, FMCG manufacturing, and nonprofit sectors in Kenya and Saudi Arabia. Expertise spans financial management, taxation, ERP systems, audit, and stakeholder reporting. Adept at driving cost- saving initiatives, optimizing liquidity, and supporting strategic decision-making through accurate financial insights. Skilled in crossjurisdictional compliance (Saudi GAAP, IFRS, Kenya regulations), with a strong track record of leadership, system transformation, and audit readiness. ? Financial Reporting & Budgeting Donor & Grant Financial Reporting Financial Statement Preparation & Analysis Excel Dashboards & Financial Modeling  Saved Over KES 17.4 Million in Taxes – Through timely excise tax planning and successful dispute resolution with KRA. b Boosted Rent Collection to 92% – By developing overdue rent reporting tools in real estate finance operations. b Influenced Strategic Sales Turnaround – Implemented internal sales teams, resulting in 84% revenue growth in 3 months. b Led ERP Migration & Automation – Shifted from Excel to ERP, improving accuracy and reducing reporting time by 40%. b Enabled National Expansion – Sustained liquidity for the launch of 12 new depots across Kenya. Compliance, Taxation & Audit Tax Compliance (Zakat, VAT, Excise, PAYE) Audit Coordination & Statutory Compliance Internal Controls & Risk Management egulatory Reporting (Kenya & Saudi Arabia) KEY ACHIEVEMENTS b Financial Management & Reporting  Systems, Payroll Administration & Operational Efficiency ERP Systems: MS Navision, Odoo, QuickBooks, Onyx Cash Flow & Working Capital Management Payroll Administration SOP Development & Process Automation ? Donor & Grant Financial Reporting Audit Coordination & Statutory Compliance Excel Dashboards & Financial Modeling EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS Senior Accountant Member – Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) Real Estate Expertise Ltd 05/2024 Jubail, Saudi Arabia • Manage end-to-end accounting for 300+ real estate units under Saudi GAAP and IFRS • Prepare financial statements, oversee Zakat/VAT filings, and monitor cash flow performance • Transitioned from Excel to ERP (Onyx), improving accuracy and access to real-time financial reports • Collaborate with property managers on budgeting, rent collection, and occupancy KPIs • Raised rent collection efficiency to 92% through automation • Reduced reporting time by 40% through Excel dashboard implementation • Achieved timely Zakat/VAT submissions with zero compliance issues Chief Accountant Sabibu Beverages Africa Ltd 02/2018 - 04/2024 Kiambu, Kenya • • • • • Directed tax reporting, payroll, reconciliations, budgeting, and statutory compliance Provided financial insights to board and influenced key operational decisions Supervised 13 staff and developed SOPs and onboarding workflows Achievements: Saved KES 12.6M through tax planning and avoided KES 4.8M erroneous assessment • Supported launch of 12 new depots across Kenya via strategic liquidity management • Reversed outsourced sales decision, leading to 84% revenue growth in 3 months Diploma in IFRS (June 2025) TRAINING / COURSES Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – KASNEB Accounting Technician Certificate – KASNEB Diploma in Information Technology – Sigotop Career Development College LANGUAGES English Advanced Swahili Advanced TECHNICAL SKILLS MS Navision, Odoo, QuickBooks, Onyx ERP Excel (Dashboards, Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP) Finance Officer Voices of Women in Western Kenya (NGO) 01/2015 - 12/2017 ISO 9001:2015 Certified Internal Auditor & Implementer Nairobi, Kenya • Prepared donor budgets and reports, ensured fund compliance, and led audit processes • Reviewed internal controls and mentored new project staff on financial policies • Passed 3 consecutive donor audits with zero material findings • Improved donor communication and accountability systems • Enforced policies that curbed misuse of advanced project funds Financial Statement Preparation & Analysis Tax Tools (iTax, Zakat Authority Portals) EXPERIENCE Finance Officer Hope for Victoria Children 10/2013 - 12/2014 • • • • • • Kisumu, Kenya Handled budgeting, reconciliations, donor reporting, and procurement controls Ensured timely and accurate grant disbursements and reporting compliance Achievements: Improved expenditure tracking, reducing budget variances by 20% Enhanced fund accountability and audit preparedness Streamlined reporting cycle and donor compliance practices Accounts Assistant Mombasa Maize Millers Ltd 12/2009 - 09/2013 Kisumu, Kenya EDUCATION Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) – University of Nairobi – Second Class Upper Division University of Nairobi Nairobi, Kenya Diploma in Information Technology Sigotop Career Development College