Seby Varghese

[email protected] | P +965 65534141 | https://www.linkedin.com/in/seby-v-53a506a/

SUMMARY

Results driven leader with over 19 years of diverse corporate finance experience, with leading renowned global & regional organizations. Accomplished at managing cost efficient operations ensuring quality assurance, key financial process design & accounting system improvements. Expertise in Corporate and Operational Accounting, Financial Reporting and Business Development

EXPERIENCE

National Real Estate Company, Kuwait

Finance Director Jan 2014 – Present

Kuwait Stock Exchange listed real estate developer with over 40 years of strong record in development and management of rental & sales portfolio covering commercial, residential, shopping malls and resorts, valued over $2 Billion across MENA region

Key Responsibilities

Heading corporate finance with CFO and collaborating closely with operating units managing all Financial and Commercial matters of parent and subsidiaries

· Manage month end closing, consolidation, financial reporting and analysis

· Management of financial planning and budget process

· Preparation and maintenance of a centralized system of accounting policies

· Preparation for quarterly webcasts, company communications and corporate annual report

· Benchmarking and measuring performance of company operations against peers

· Provide financial feasibility and analyses for capital investments, pricing decisions, and contract negotiations

· Managing Group’s audit, addressing queries to financial statements and accounting, coordinating to provide information for quarterly reviews and annual audits in accordance with guidelines defined under IFRS

Major Accomplishments

· Managing a diverse corporate and operational F&A team of 15 in Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and UAE

· Led all efforts to develop the information memorandum and financial model to raise $700 Million financing as part of a strategic initiatives to develop a Super Regional Mall in UAE

· Implemented Corporate Performance Management system (Adaptive Planning) for Group and automated budgeting, consolidation and reporting for Group

· Implemented Oracle EBS Property Management and supported with the migration from legacy Real Estate Management System

· Internal controls and cash management measures implemented in key areas resulting in a working capital ratio over 1.2 and a reduction of debt to equity levels from 1.0 to 0.5

· Automated multiple manual processes saving on time, financing and extraordinary charges to the extent of $100,000

· Joined as Finance Manager and promoted to Financial Controller in February 2017 to oversee Group’s Corporate Finance & Investor Relations function

· Promoted in 2018 to Finance Director to support with realigning and defining Group’s strategy. Heading the strategy segment towards divestment of non-core investments and initiative to refinance existing bank borrowings

KGL Logistics, Kuwait

Financial Controller Mar 2010 – Jan 2014

Kuwait Stock Exchange listed warehousing & logistics firm focused at end to end supply chain solutions across GCC, with a strategic focus on US Government (USG) contracts

Key Responsibilities

Heading finance function and supporting CFO with day to day operations and strategic initiatives of Group

· Prepared and maintained a centralized system of accounting policies to meet US Government contracting and Kuwaiti regulatory authorities’ requirements

· Management of financial planning and budgets, month end closing, consolidation, financial reporting and analysis

· Managing and maintaining enough lines of credit to support business operations

· Preparation of financial feasibility and analyses, for capital investments, pricing decisions and negotiations

· Major Accomplishments

· Managed a diverse accounting team of 12 based out of Kuwait, UAE and Qatar

· Managed pricing and negotiation of Defense Logistics Agency’s largest awarded contract for warehousing & distribution services valued at $350 Million

· Led all efforts at certifying systems and processes to perform US Government contracting work as part of USG Audit

· Established overhead recovery rates for contract pricing and recovered $1.3 million on cost reimbursable contracts

· Served as Acting CFO for over a year, when CFO was on corporate restructuring exercise

· Implemented Oracle EBS and automated online procurement and payment processes within application

· Internal controls and cash management measures implemented in key areas maintaining a working capital ratio over 2.0 and a reduction of debt to equity ratio from levels 0.4 to 0.04

· Reengineered existing processes in the Department, developed policies and streamlined key activities to achieve business objectives and requirements of Kuwait Stock Exchange and local regulatory bodies

· Supported with the credit rating and raised new equity finance of $70 Million through capital markets

· Joined as Sr. Finance Manager and was promoted to Financial Controller in February 2011

Agility Logistics, Kuwait & USA

Sr. Finance Manager Dec 2001 – Feb 2010

Largest Warehousing & Logistics Company in the Middle East with operations worldwide providing innovative Supply Chain Solutions through Warehouse Rental & Management, Transportation, Freight, Customs, Security Service and Contract Logistics with an annual turnover of $8 Billion

Key Responsibilities

· Prepared and maintained a centralized system of accounting policies to meet US Government contracting requirements

· Management of financial planning and budgets, month end closing, consolidation, financial reporting and analysis

· Preparation of financial feasibility and analyses, for capital investments, pricing decisions and negotiations

Major Accomplishments

· Elected with 14 senior executives for AGILITY’s Leadership Development Program and successfully completed it in 2009

· Led pricing of US Army’s largest awarded contract to support activities in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait valued at $14 Billion

· Led pricing of Defense Logistics Agency’s largest awarded contract for warehousing & distribution valued at $240 Million

· Implemented DGS’s accounting application and peripheral systems

· Led all efforts at certifying systems and processes to perform US Government contracting work as part of USG Audit

· Supported with start-up of DGS Finance by successfully bringing together a team of 32 professionals, to include hiring, setup of systems, treasury and reporting functions, and managed operations with zero turnover between years 2006 and 2009

· Joined as an Accountant and climbed to ranks of Sr. Finance Manager by May 2008

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE – Newcastle NSW, Australia June 1999

Master of Business Administration; Cumulative GPA: 2.9/4.0

Area of specialization – International Trade & Finance

BANGALORE UNIVERSITY – Bangalore, India May 1997

Bachelor of Commerce, Cumulative GPA: 3.4/4.0

Area of Specialization – Cost Accounting, Management & Financial Accounting

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY – Bangalore, India Apr 1997

Hons. Diploma in Computer Science; Cumulative GPA: 3.8/4.0

Area of Specialization – Computer application & management

SKILLS

· Planning & Forecasting

· Cash flow Management

· Risk Management

· Bookkeeping

· Financials Management

· Financial Modeling

· Project Management

· Reporting & Analysis

· Auditing & Compliance

· Internal Controls

· Financial Systems & Controls

· Pricing

· Business Development

· Procurement

· Recruitment

· Team Management

· Investor Relations

ADDITIONAL

Certification: Certified Real Estate Modeler 2017, Certified Financial Modeler 2015

Languages: Fluent in English; Conversational Proficiency in Hindi, Arabic, Malayalam, Tamil

Seby Varghese Finance Director

Education