CHINENYE A. AGBARAKWE
ACCOUNTANT
Surrey,BC
Summary
With over ten years of experience in auditing, finance and accounting and working with non-governmental organizations, I have a proven track record of driving financial growth and success for companies. My expertise includes financial reporting, planning and analysis, budgeting, and compliance. As the Head of Finance, I have a strong leadership and people management skills, Excellent communication, and presentation skill Excellent at collaborating with cross-functional teams and providing guidance to junior staff.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Head of Finance
Neem Foundation
01.2020 - 09.2023
- Oversaw and managed program-wide accounting and finance functions, including transaction recording, cash management, banking, payroll, receivables, and payables.
- Provided technical and administrative support to the program team throughout the grant lifecycle, ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
- Directed budget development and established robust budgetary controls and recordkeeping systems.
- Maintained and updated budget trackers and delivered insightful budget analysis.
- Conducted training on donor requirements and compliance for project staff.
- Actively participated in project audits and the organization's annual general audit.
- Managed the organization's financial strategy and end-to-end transactions, ensuring compliance with IFRS standards and regulatory requirements.
- Maintained internal controls and safeguards for income, costs, and program budgets.
- Collaborated closely with audit teams to mitigate operational risks.
- Analyzed financial data and communicated accurate and timely financial reports to senior management.
- Assisted in the annual budgeting and planning process, administering, and reviewing financial plans, and addressing variances.
- Reported to the Board of Directors on full-year and quarterly financial reports, providing insights into financial trends and operating models.
- Oversaw financial, project/program, and grants accounting, ensuring expenditure alignment with budgets.
- Prepared precise financial reports for government, corporate, and foundation grants.
- Managed organizational cash flow forecasting and assessed program operations' financial efficiency.
- Strengthened internal communications throughout the organization, fostering a positive work environment.
- NGO
AUDIT SUPERVISOR
Grant Thornton Nigeria
05.2015 - 01.2019
- Led audits in diverse sectors, including Non-Profit Organizations and Public Sectors.
- Managed audit teams, ensuring effective approaches within budget.
- Regularly updated Managers or relevant Partners on audit progress and budget-related issues.
- Reported audit findings, emphasizing risk-related matters.
- Reviewed junior team members' work for quality and timely completion.
- Facilitated effective teamwork, offered feedback, and provided coaching.
- Resolved technical client queries.
- Evaluated business processes for efficiency and risk, suggesting improvements.
- Enhanced business processes for clients.
- Fostered strong client relationships.
- Planned and managed key reporting processes, considering accounting complexities.
- Prepared Audited Financial Statements for various clients.
- Reviewed Management Letters and work papers by Assistant Accountants for accuracy and completeness.
AUDIT ASSOCIATE
Grant Thornton Nigeria
05.2013 - 04.2015
- Partake actively in annual inventory- taking and cash exercise.
- Carrying out approved audit programming procedures and assisting in testing financial systems.
- Provide support and technical assistance to the engagement team.
- Ensure that client acceptance and reacceptance procedures are conducted before the commencement of any engagement.
- Ensure that fixed asset register is updated regularly, and depreciation calculated for outsourced audit client.
- Perform preliminary analytical procedure on audit engagements.
- Assist in accounting system documentation and walk through during audit engagements.
- Assist in performing substantive procedures during audit engagements.
- Perform other technical and administrative duties as assigned by managers.
- During year-end audits, I assisted with audit planning and acted as a liaison between clients and auditors.
- Overall, my experience in Grant Thornton involved preparing financial statements, conducting financial analysis, managing budgets, assisting with audits, and addressing complex accounting issues.
AUDIT INTERN
PriceWater House Coopers (PWC)
- Vouching of source documents for audit.
- Review of minutes of Bord meetings for any issue which is significant to the engagement.
- Perform other technical and administrative duties as assigned by the manager.
Education
MBA - Finance
University Canada West
06.2024
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Imo State University
01.2011
Senior Secondary School Certificate - undefined
Federal Government Girls' College
01.2007
Skills
- Compliance
- Entrepreneurship
- Certified Public Accountant
- Forecasting
- Budget Management
- Financial Reporting
- Collaboration
- Analysis
- Communication Skills
- Emotional Intelligence
- Risk Management
- Controls Oversight
- Management Team Leadership
Certification
- Member, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
- Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ACA)
- Member, Association of Accounting Technicians West Africa (AAT)
Accomplishments
- The scope of my professional activities involved conducting both statutory and project audits for various clients across different sectors in Nigeria. These audits ensured compliance with financial regulations and the accuracy of financial statements. In addition to audits, I conducted comprehensive internal control reviews to assess and improve financial and operational processes, identifying areas for optimization and risk mitigation.
- In my role as Senior Finance Officer, I effectively managed daily accounting and finance functions, maintained donor compliance, and provided crucial financial reports to senior management and the Board of Directors. I contributed to risk mitigation through audits, optimized financial efficiency in collaboration with program teams, and improved internal communication and the work environment.
Timeline
Head of Finance
Neem Foundation
01.2020 - 09.2023
AUDIT SUPERVISOR
Grant Thornton Nigeria
05.2015 - 01.2019
AUDIT ASSOCIATE
Grant Thornton Nigeria
05.2013 - 04.2015
AUDIT INTERN
PriceWater House Coopers (PWC)
MBA - Finance
University Canada West
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Imo State University
Senior Secondary School Certificate - undefined
Federal Government Girls' College