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Ali Omar Al Attas
Group Financial Controller
Jeddah
Summary
I started my career at Ernest Young Int’l., this experience lasted for approximately 7 years. Thereafter, I joined Unilever Arabia in the Commercial Department looking after Home & Personal Care, this experience lasted for 10 years, thereafter; I’ve got the chance to Join AMSB &Co as Financial Planning Manager. I have been in this role almost for 5 years., then, I joined Rolaco Group of companies as Head of Finance looking after finance and accounting matters, and recently working as Group Financial Controller Pure Consultancy Group. I’m looking for an executive role utilizing my experience in accounting/auditing/mgt reporting/forecasting/budgeting with the aim of achieving organization’s targets.
Professional financial leader equipped to drive strategic financial management and operational efficiency. Strong focus on team collaboration and delivering results. Known for adaptability, reliability, and analytical thinking. Expertise includes financial planning, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Skilled at fostering cohesive teams and navigating dynamic environments.
Overview
1
1
Certification
34
34
years of professional experience
Work History
Financial Advisor
Pure Consulting Group
01.2017 - 12.2024
- Started working as Financial Advisor for Pure Consulting Group covering areas like establishing Policies and Procedures for various functions, preparing feasibility studies, Preparing Annual Budget, thereafter, with the expansion of the group, and in 2020...I've been promoted to GFC handling day to day group operations covering 15 different divisions and companies.
- Key accomplishment
- Preparation various feasibility studies for various clients covering different segments of businesses…Sports center, Manufacturing, Restaurant chains, FMCG's
- Preparation annual budget/forecast for various clients (FMCG)
- Identified cost savings opportunities that resulted in improving the net bottom line without jeopardizing service quality.
- Handling audit for the entire group and managed to get signed audit report before the deadline set by zatca or MOC
- Helping management in their decision-making process for project review and new investments
- Involved in the committee for moving from old system (Quick Box) to (Odoo) and shared knowledge and experience in simplifying reporting system
- Handling all issues of VAT & zakat related matters and managed to recover SAR 0.5m
- Handling daily issues in withholding tax, e invoicing issues.
- Managing year end closing for the entire group with the objective of minimizing zakat exposure and getting clean audit opinion
- Managing Merger/Acquisition and Closure process for divisions/companies within the group
- Involved in a committee moving one of the group companies to be an IPO (still under progress)
Head of Finance & Business Controller
Rolaco Trading & Contracting
03.2015 - 12.2015
- Appointed as Head of Finance & Business Controller for Rolaco Trading & Contracting.
- Key accomplishment
- Restructuring the Finance Dept. that resulted in saving of SAR 0.5m without having any Business interruption
- Running day-to-day operations
- Automation of the overhead report
- Budget owner
- Introducing OPEX file
- Introducing Weekly Sales Report
- Introducing a new P&L Template
- Introducing monthly full year forecasting, giving an early warning signal to the management on a yearly closing P&L compared to Budget by division to take corrective action
- Helped key managers to take long leave without having any business issues
Financial Planning Manager
AMSB& Co.
11.2010 - 02.2015
- Appointed as Financial Planning Manager for AMSB& Co.
- Key accomplishment
- Leading Budget process for the entire company (P&L)
- Establishing the Financial Planning Dept.
- Bringing focus on the return on our investment (ROI) for all Consumer promotions
- Closure of loss-making branches/divisions
- Unifying the discount structure for catering customers
- Changing compensation scheme from FOC to Credit notes to all customers
- Establishing the grey model for pricing KSA vs. GCC & Levant countries
- Gross Margin improvement nearly by 0.5% year on year.
Category Development Manager
Unilever
04.2009 - 09.2010
- After being in Unilever Finance Department for 9 years, and another 7 years in E&Y, I thought to try a new experience for my career development by joining the Unilever Sales Department as Category Development Manager who is responsible for consolidating all Marketing, Sales activities, and Customer Marketing events into a consolidated sales plan communicated to the key stakeholders (Supply chain, Distributor, Channel Managers) to ensure delivery of category targets by region by channel.
- Key accomplishment
- Improved the forecast accuracy to be within -+ 5%
- Manage to get the desired results without overspending on our investments
- Played a key role in getting Lux Soap sales back to sales norms
- Played a key role in re launching lifebuoy soap, Vaseline, Rexona & Axe
- Presented the annual sales plan to the Executive Committee
- Conducted a full two-month market visit covering all channels, understanding market reality and came up with my recommendation for better utilization of the resources
Finance Manager for Home & Personal Care
Unilever Arabia
10.2005 - 03.2009
- Appointed as Finance Manager for Home & Personal Care (Unilever Arabia), Managing day to day requirements by the business partners, I,e budget control, Carrying visibility study for all new innovation, dealing with Supply chain, highlighting to the Marketing VP and Marketing Directors all possible risks and opportunities, managing the volume discount given to customers and Advertising and Promotions spend, and challenging the marketers on their spends, fully responsible for delivering accurate monthly/yearly forecast, and responsible for the preparation of the annual plan in consultation with all departments concerned.
- Key accomplishment
- Issuance of the Annual Budget
- Achieving double digit growth year on year
- Closely monitoring our spending ($140M) for all stakeholders and markets through rigorous follow up on the actual spent vs. budget
- Participated in implementing a new procurement system called” Ariba”
- Heavily involved in moving from manual approval process to an automated approval system for all customer/consumer related expenses (project Uniflow)
- Played a major role in helping the system to take the appropriate decision for all innovation year on year
- Heavily involved in reducing our working capital from 15% to less than 5% of our total turnover
- Reporting on a monthly, quarterly, yearly, actual performance vs. forecast and target, highlighting key issues and recommending a possible solution.
- Updated our support expenditure manual and cascading to all stakeholders
- Responsible for issuing the complete budget for the entire business for all our brands starting from sales forecast till expected profit
- Heavily involved in project OPSO, “Optimization Promotional Sell Out” which is assessing the return on our investment before we start the activity
- Played major role to get the Unilever Global award thrice within the span of 4 years.
Finance Manager for Home Care
Unilever Arabia
11.2002 - 09.2005
- Appointed as Finance Manager for Home Care (Unilever Arabia). Responsible for preparation of the variance analysis reports, analyzing the business results, providing meaningful and actionable information for all my customers involved in the budgeting exercise which involves a lot of interaction with so many departments, supply chain, , Preparing the monthly and quarterly commentaries as well as reports to GFC Dept. Preparation of the monthly forecast. I have been playing a key role in managing year-end results along with the supply chain dept. Also, have been responsible for monitoring spending vs. budget.
- Key accomplishment
- Co-ordination of month end closing activities to ensure the timely completion & accuracy in the monthly results.
- Managing the planning exercises through coordinating with the different users. Also, responsible for the price structures, produce the variance analysis reports, and in charge of the different systems used by the department.
- Assist the Group Management Accountant in preparing the Annual Business Plan, Long Term Strategic Plans, and forecasts for the month and quarter.
- Actively supported Group Management Accountant Team and other members of the team in achieving the departmental targets.
- Participation in the annual budgeting exercise (Trading Trend (P&L)
- Preparation of Ad-hoc reports & analysis for the Finance Directors, Marketing managers
- Preparation of charts & graphs for the monthly meetings
- Providing analytical support to explain trends in Business performance.
- Monthly submission of various reports to Business Group.
- Provided full support to the regional team for updating all new innovations sales, shares, distributions reach
- I was the main reference for any issues related to only Yemen business
Assistant Commercial Manager for Personal Care
Unilever Arabia
09.2000 - 10.2002
- Joined Unilever Arabia as assistant Commercial Manager for Personal Care, maintained accurate forecast and analyzed the variances vs. actual, in addition, carried out all financial management of Personal Care categories
- Key accomplishment:
- Responsible for the required monthly results and day to day work.
- Provided full support to the IT team on behalf of HPC Support for SAP Implementation.
- Brought down the month end closing from 7 days to 2 days over the period 6 months. This ensured speedy information for quick decisions.
- Monitoring compliance with controls relating to support expenditure and processing debit notes.
- Monitor Support spends by brand by market by line of expenditures vs Plan monthly and highlighting key issues.
- Revised and issued Support Expenditure Manual.
- Liaison with the Auditors & implemented existing Audit recommendation.
- Reconciliation of records and maintaining creditor list. (UG, SG & Bco all accounts)
- Identification of opportunity and risk in Turnover & Profit vs targets
- Preparation of the price structure for all GCC considering the grey factor
- Monitored write off proposals & minimized the write off by reviewing delisted & obsolete stocks.
Junior Auditor
Ernest & Young International
Jeddah
01.1991 - 01.2000
- Immediately after graduation from KAAU, I Joined Ernest & Young International – Jeddah branch as a junior auditor, then in two years’ time promoted to Assistant auditor, then promoted to be an auditor in 1994, and senior auditor in 1997, I was involved in so many audits covering Banks, FMCG, Hotels, Insurance, and industrial factories.
- Key accomplishment
- Planning and execution of audits of various industries.
- Study and evaluation of existing control procedures and environment and Drafting management letter to rectify and improve internal control weaknesses.
- Preparation of financial statements in accordance with International Accounting Standards/Saudi Standards in timely manner.
- Involved in many assignments other than audits I,e Fraud investigations, bookkeeping, Review of Arabic books and records, Leading limited scope assignments
- Compilation, consolidation and review of financial statements for various clients.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Accounting
King Abdul Aziz University
01-1991
Skills
- Financial planning
- Budgeting
- Accounting
- Auditing
- Forecasting
- VAT Management
- Financial analysis
- Merger, Acquisitions and Business Closures
Certification
SOCPA Associate and VAT Specialist
Languages
Arabic (mother language) / English
Timeline
Financial Advisor
Pure Consulting Group
01.2017 - 12.2024
Head of Finance & Business Controller
Rolaco Trading & Contracting
03.2015 - 12.2015
Financial Planning Manager
AMSB& Co.
11.2010 - 02.2015
Category Development Manager
Unilever
04.2009 - 09.2010
Finance Manager for Home & Personal Care
Unilever Arabia
10.2005 - 03.2009
Finance Manager for Home Care
Unilever Arabia
11.2002 - 09.2005
Assistant Commercial Manager for Personal Care
Unilever Arabia
09.2000 - 10.2002
Junior Auditor
Ernest & Young International
01.1991 - 01.2000
Bachelor of Arts - Accounting
King Abdul Aziz University
Courses taken
- Risk management, July 2025, Conducted by SOCPA
- New IFRS implementation in KSA, 2024, Conducted by SOCPA
- Value Added Tax, 2017, conducted by MFTC
- Zakat, new regulations, March'17, conducted by MFTC
- Developing Leadership & Talent, Conducted by Unilever, June 2010
- Completed 19 modules in Sales fundamentals through e learning, conducted by Unilever
- Supply chain awareness course, conducted by Unilever, Jeddah 2009
- Certified Management Accountant Course (2006/2007 for 6 months)
- Leadership effectiveness program- Jeddah 2002
- Ron Kaufman active learning, focusing on customer satisfaction, April 2002
- Budgeting- conducted by Saudi Organization of CPA’s, Jeddah 2002
- Coach to win, 2002
Computer Skills
Excel/Word/power point
Contact address
- Jeddah, Mobile 0568399919
- E mail aattas68@gmail.com