Tawanda Gono

• Prepare the monthly and quarterly board pack for group consolidation. Review financials with non-finance team members. • Develop, implement, and review the annual budget, including variance analysis against key metrics. • Contribute towards cost-cutting strategies for opex optimisation and improving operational efficiency. • Prepare key Balance Sheet reconciliations and monthly audit file. Review VAT returns and income tax computations.

• Set up the Finance & Admin department and initiated record keeping, statutory registration, and submissions (VAT returns, ITF 263 NSSA). Developed costing manuals for job costing. • Led projects budgeting, variance analysis, and return on investment metrics. Monitor KPIs. • Developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and internal controls for the Admin, Client Services, and Design departments. • Reviewed financial performance and led Cashflow management procedures, budgeting, and forecasting. Liaised with key debtors and creditors. Capital-raising initiatives through the RBZ Auction.

• Reorganised functions within the Creditors department to eliminate payment duplications saving the company over US$100 000. • Initiated streamlining of Debtors, Creditors & Treasury processes to maximise inter-departmental coordination and increase process efficiency. Ensured compliance with financial statements in terms of IFRS and GAAP. • Excellent stakeholder management for both internal (supply chain, branch managers, senior management, board members) and external parties (customers, suppliers, banks). • Consolidated Trading Management Accounts and provided cross-functional Finance business partnering support. Analysed branch performance against budgets/forecasts for the COO. Assisted with Cashflow management and reviewed all payment requisitions. • Responsible for the correct implementation of Internal Controls in the finance and administrative functions. Mentored junior staff.

• Progressively reduced stocktake variances from 20% to 13% in the first nine months for the first time in the branch’s history through analysis of historical trends, research into best practices, and dedicated teamwork. • Led a team of 34 to achieve US$4m annual revenue during the 2019 hyperinflationary environment. • Promoted to head a newly refurbished, 10-member, loss-making branch with 70% inexperienced new staff. • Trained, developed, and built a winning team that turned a profit within a year, recording the highest Q1 2013/2014 growth rate out of 14 branches countrywide.