Jonathan A. Okenla
Summary
Commercially astute, internationally mobile finance professional with 25+ years of success leading financial & commercial operations in multiple industries with demonstrable evidence of providing financial direction and streamlining processes to enhance organisational margins. Extensive expertise in financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting, developing strategic plans as well as managing vendor relationships resulting in significant cost savings. Perceptive, influential leader with acute business acumen and expertise in building and leading high-performance teams to stimulate bottom line growth. Expert presenter, negotiator, and businessperson; able to forge solid relationships with key stakeholders and build consensus across multiple organisational levels.
Results-driven leader with strong background in strategic management and organizational growth. Skilled in developing and implementing effective business strategies, optimizing processes, and driving team performance. Known for adaptability, effective collaboration, and delivering measurable outcomes in dynamic environments. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities, coupled with focus on fostering productive and positive team culture.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
PROJECT CONTROL DIRECTOR
Destinations Development Company
06.2023 - Current
- Company Overview: a Public Investment Fund (PIF) Portfolio Company
- Development finance Lead for a SAR 36Billion ($9.6bn) ultra exclusive GIGA resort development project.
- Responsibilities include Project lifecycle cost control, Capex and cashflow reporting, start-up phase ERP system re-implementation & integration, process documentation & Audits.
- A Public Investment Fund (PIF) Portfolio Company
- Established early-stage chart of accounts structure for reporting development & Infrastructure costs.
- Led reimplementation of development ERP system.
- Created Standard operating procedures for development finance processes.
- Developed Key Project lifecycle assumptions, including Milestones.
EMEA Finance Director
CBRE Inc
10.2022 - 05.2023
- Contract negotiation towards portfolio expansion, pricing, due diligence, mobilisation, recruitment & resourcing as well as full P&L ownership including corporate (Sox) & client reporting for a multi country EO&G delivery contract across multiple European countries.
- Restructured contract delivery team to reduce overheads & enhance operating margins.
- Led Pricing, baseline validation & integration of New Hard Services business line.
- Migrated finance support Infrastructure to regional hub introducing efficiency and positive bottom-line impact.
- Managed business termination delivering a smooth exit transition.
Regional Finance Manager
CBRE Inc
08.2019 - 09.2022
- META/SSA Finance Lead & member of the regional leadership team for a multi-million $ FM/TM/PM Global Services delivery contract.
- Responsibilities included consolidated client reporting across twenty-one disparate geographies, supply chain & variation works management, as well as corporate reporting into a JV across the MENAT/SSA subregion.
- Led the impact analysis of the corporate decoupling contract amendment project on JV Profitability in the META region.
- Transitioned & rolled out SAP ERP to replace multiple manual legacy & outsourced corporate reporting systems.
- Led on account implementation of Legal entity change.
- Streamlined & led roll out of Integrated online client reporting platform across MENT/SSA region.
- Reduced regional UBR & Aged debt levels from 90 to 30 days.
Portfolio Finance Manager
Serco Plc
12.2017 - 06.2019
- Managed portfolio of integrated facilities (FM) and property management (PM) outsourced service delivery contracts.
- Facilitated business efficiency, developed, and managed corporate, operational, CAPEX, and client service charge budgets.
- Held full P&L reporting responsibility for annual revenues more than AED 131m, Lifecycle & Capex works of circa AED 21M & gross portfolio margins of AED 12.7m.
- Managed working capital including Fixed, variable & enhanced services billing, customer receivables & vendor payment processes.
- Commercial review of terms of outsourced (PM) leases & subsequent system processing including reporting of lifecycle revenues of AED 1.1Bn.
- Drove Due Proportion project providing circa AED 900k clawback of historically unbilled tenant service charges.
- Won regional CFO award for review, upload, and billing of eighty-four new tenant leases delayed due to system reconfiguration following the introduction of VAT in the UAE, facilitating billing & recovery of circa AED 32.5m of client rental income.
- Transitioned & integrated new client contract with a portfolio of five additional buildings & more than 75 Tier 1 employees, contributing AED 18m of additional portfolio revenue.
- Created Gap Analysis Model highlighting contract scope gaps, providing senior management with tools required to implement lifecycle recovery plan which turned around a potential AED 2.3M first year loss.
- Streamlined vendor operations, restructuring vendor invoice process across multiple sites, significantly reducing creditor aging days from more than 180 days to 60 days, cutting processing time & introducing efficiency.
- Partnered with other contracts to reduce staff transport costs by coordinating scheduled pick-up times across multiple sites & reducing number of vehicles & trips required, saving an annualised cost of circa AED25k (account) & AED 350k (companywide).
Commercial Finance Manager
Cantel Medical Plc (contract)
05.2017 - 12.2017
- Oversaw commercial finance operations for medical devices manufacturing business, conducting sales, revenue, and margin analyses, and reporting across EMEA.
- Enhanced revenue and profitability reporting by mapping over 15,000 product lines across client's EMEA reporting verticals to simplify sales and product group classification.
- Led project to develop product pricing methodology including intercompany transfer pricing & documented agreed process.
EMEA Finance Manager
Jones Lang LaSalle PLC
11.2006 - 02.2017
- Held full P&L responsibility for a cluster of divisional contracts, managed change control and variations, tracked KPIs, and prepared multi-currently consolidated management reports (including deferred income and accrued revenue recognition).
- Prepared budgets and forecasts.
- Managed supply chain of over thirty strategic vendor partners including commercial review of RFP tenders.
- Recruited, trained, and supervised a team of three direct and three matrix reports.
- Led due diligence negotiations to establish $20m cost baseline for key regional FM contract.
- Set up reporting structure across thirteen challenging Middle East and Sub-Saharan African countries.
- Automated accounting functions, successfully implementing and deploying leading-edge Integrated online platform providing web-enabled client interface for reporting property related costs and trends.
- Established corporate legal entity for market entry, service delivery, and operation in key European market.
- Developed Commercial model including Pricing, negotiated, and won portfolio expansion into third country in complex Sub-Saharan Africa region, contributing additional $100k to corporate margins.
- Led process improvements to financial and operational procedures, achieving Tier 2 baseline cost reduction of $1.8m (7.7%) in first year of operations, contributing corporate margins of $1.5m.
- Successfully transitioned six European countries, implementing integrated multicurrency platform, providing client cost transparency, and improving decision-making as well as operational efficiency.
Group Reporting Accountant
Claims Management Group Ltd
01.2001 - 01.2006
Management Accountant
Marriott Vacation Club International
01.1999 - 01.2001
Education
Master of Arts - Master of Arts, Strategic Financial Management
Kingston University
Surrey, United KingdomFCCA - Fellow, Chartered Certified Accountant
BSC - Bachelor of Science, Economics
Skills
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Budgeting/Forecasting
- Financial Accounting
- Due Diligence
- Supply Chain Management
- Business Planning
- Risk Management
- Financial Reporting
- Contract Negotiation
- Transition/Change Management
- Working capital Management
- Executive Management
Phone
+44 7900 253234, +966 565 393974
Timeline
PROJECT CONTROL DIRECTOR
Destinations Development Company
06.2023 - Current
EMEA Finance Director
CBRE Inc
10.2022 - 05.2023
Regional Finance Manager
CBRE Inc
08.2019 - 09.2022
Portfolio Finance Manager
Serco Plc
12.2017 - 06.2019
Commercial Finance Manager
Cantel Medical Plc (contract)
05.2017 - 12.2017
EMEA Finance Manager
Jones Lang LaSalle PLC
11.2006 - 02.2017
Group Reporting Accountant
Claims Management Group Ltd
01.2001 - 01.2006
Management Accountant
Marriott Vacation Club International
01.1999 - 01.2001
FCCA - Fellow, Chartered Certified Accountant
BSC - Bachelor of Science, Economics
Master of Arts - Master of Arts, Strategic Financial Management
Kingston University
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<ul><li>Developed and executed projects. Understood the full project life cycle from concept through to qualification.</li><li>Provided technical support to B2B and B2C clients monthly.</li><li>Supported the engineering requirements through managing & liaising with key project stakeholders (client design team, main contractor, suppliers, sub-contractors, etc.).</li><li>Assisted in the execution of projects & provided guidance to ensure compliance to all relevant standards/codes and specifications associated; including all site activities associated with validation and handover to the operations team.</li><li>Ensured works are installed in accordance with project specifications and change control procedures.</li><li>Produced drawings and specifications for upgrades and new build designs.</li><li>Managed the full sales cycle of solar energy products for new residential clients</li><li>Monitored daily project execution and evaluated project progress, contract compliance.</li><li>Wiring low and medium voltage control panels.</li><li>Understand of Schematic Drawings (REVIT/ Auto-Cad)</li><li>Manufacturing and Assembly (Control Panels)</li><li>Assisting in test of Control Panels and Assemblies</li><li>Continuous improvement Initiatives</li><li>- Lean Manufacturing</li><li>- Compliance with Industry Quality Standards</li><li>SPDA Project - Lightning Protection System.</li><li>Electrical Substation Project;</li><li>Solar Projects;</li><li>Reasons for leaving: Move to Ireland.</li></ul> at Nova Engenharia<ul><li>Developed and executed projects. Understood the full project life cycle from concept through to qualification.</li><li>Provided technical support to B2B and B2C clients monthly.</li><li>Supported the engineering requirements through managing & liaising with key project stakeholders (client design team, main contractor, suppliers, sub-contractors, etc.).</li><li>Assisted in the execution of projects & provided guidance to ensure compliance to all relevant standards/codes and specifications associated; including all site activities associated with validation and handover to the operations team.</li><li>Ensured works are installed in accordance with project specifications and change control procedures.</li><li>Produced drawings and specifications for upgrades and new build designs.</li><li>Managed the full sales cycle of solar energy products for new residential clients</li><li>Monitored daily project execution and evaluated project progress, contract compliance.</li><li>Wiring low and medium voltage control panels.</li><li>Understand of Schematic Drawings (REVIT/ Auto-Cad)</li><li>Manufacturing and Assembly (Control Panels)</li><li>Assisting in test of Control Panels and Assemblies</li><li>Continuous improvement Initiatives</li><li>- Lean Manufacturing</li><li>- Compliance with Industry Quality Standards</li><li>SPDA Project - Lightning Protection System.</li><li>Electrical Substation Project;</li><li>Solar Projects;</li><li>Reasons for leaving: Move to Ireland.</li></ul> at Nova Engenharia