Vidya Desai

Core Responsibilities Annual Responsibilities Ad Hoc Responsibilities

• Direct all aspects of the company’s accounting and finance functions, ensuring full compliance with regulatory and internal requirements.
• Oversee daily finance operations to support smooth business activities across multiple offices.
• Manage cash flow and liquidity by preparing regular cash flow forecasts, mitigating financial risks, and optimising fund allocation.
• Administer and troubleshoot Deltek Vantagepoint, including system set-up, maintenance, and optimisation of related processes.
• Produce accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue forecasts to support strategic decision-making.
• Prepare comprehensive financial reports and management accounts, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Review bookkeeping and internal reporting to maintain high standards of financial integrity.
• Develop, implement, and maintain financial policies to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Oversee all tax matters, ensuring timely submissions, accurate calculations, and adherence to relevant legislation.
• Conduct detailed financial risk assessments to proactively identify and mitigate potential issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance reporting accuracy, streamline workflows, and improve overall financial performance.
• Mentor junior finance staff, enhancing their technical capabilities and supporting their professional development.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the finance function, driving productivity and operational efficiency.
• Lead the creation and forecasting of annual budgets for multiple regional offices, providing detailed variance analyses and flagging key issues or emerging trends.
• Ensure budgets align with organisational objectives and long-term financial strategies.
• Oversee the preparation and submission of annual financial statements to internal and external stakeholders.
• Engage with external auditors to ensure seamless audit processes, timely information delivery, and swift resolution of audit queries.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry and regulatory changes to safeguard the organisation from emerging risks and market developments.
• Streamline financial processes by implementing advanced accounting software and developing customised reporting solutions to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Recruit high-performing finance team members to strengthen departmental capability.
• Manage banking administration, including account set-up, mandates, and ongoing relationship management.
• Review complex or unusual contract terms to protect the organisation’s financial and legal interests.
• Research tax implications for regional and international bids to support informed tender decisions.
• Lead discussions with lenders to secure favorable borrowing terms and strengthen the organisation’s financial position.
• Manage the establishment and set-up of new companies, ensuring compliance with legal, financial, and operational requirements.

• Managed full audit cycles, ensuring compliance with regulatory and internal standards. This included audit planning, testing, and review of audit programs to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
• Conducted risk assessments and identified areas for operational and control improvement.
• Evaluated internal controls and recommended enhancements to strengthen efficiency and governance.
• Assessed financial statements for accuracy and adherence to accounting principles.
• Prepared clear, comprehensive audit finding for audit partners and client's senior management.
• Mentored junior auditors and facilitated training to build team capability.