POH HUAT CHIN
Campana Group Pte Ltd
Singapore
1
Certification
33
years of professional experience
Strategic Financial Controller with over 30 years of experience in multinational and local companies. Expertise includes corporate accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, and compliance with US GAAP and IFRS. Proficient in leading finance transformations and business partnering across various industries. Currently serving as Vice President, Finance at Campana Group Pte Ltd, leveraging strong commercial and financial skills to drive organizational success.
Work History
Vice President of Finance
4 Years 5 Months- Develop and direct financial plans to deliver the strategic business plan, company growth and market opportunities and direction.
- Developed and directed financial plans aligning with strategic business objectives, driving company growth and identifying market opportunities.
- Manage the processes for financial forecasting and budgets and oversee the preparation of all financial reporting.
- Provide strategic recommendations to the CEO and members of the executive management team.
- Establish and maintain stable cash flow management policies and procedures and ensure cash resources are available for daily operations.
- Established and oversaw financial and operational controls and metrics, enhancing organizational accountability and performance.
- Analyze current and future business operations and plans to determine financial effectiveness.
- Provided strategic recommendations to CEO and executive management team, guiding key financial decisions and business direction.
- Managed the risk and compliance management framework to ensure it operated effectively for the Group.
Financial Controller
9 Months- Startup of finance functions, Policies setting, SOP and Authority matrix, Oracle NetSuite implementation.
- Handled financial closing, annual consolidated financial and management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, and MAS reporting requirement.
- Performing analysis and analytical reviews of reports to facilitate management decision making.
- Maintain and ensure compliance with financial procedures, audit and tax and local statutory filing.
- Managed organization's cashflow, optimizing cashflow, forecasting, and consolidating budget while overseeing expenses and expenditures.
- Managed stakeholders and investor relations by providing financial analysis and insights on related issues.
- Developed and documented business processes and accounting policies, enhancing internal controls.
- Startup of finance functions, Polices setting, SOP and Authority matrix, Oracle NetSuite implementation.
- Submitted applications for government grants to secure funding for projects.
Assistant Finance Director (Contract role)
6 Months- Responsible for reviewing and developing efficient accounting, operational finance processes and policies, in alignment with strategic business objectives - incorporating it into an effective financial management system in line with the Group’s guidelines and requirements.
- Managed full spectrum of finance operations, overseeing all accounting, P&L, and forecasting activities to ensure accurate financial oversight.
- Responsible for tax compliance, credit control and debt collection as well as all financial operating procedures and internal controls.
- Management of working capital, liaising with banks and preparing cash forecasts and budgets.
- Preparation of financial materials (monthly, quarterly and annual management accounts and executive summaries) for financial planning and review to management.
- Produced month-end board level reporting and analytical reviews, delivering comprehensive reporting deliverables to stakeholders for informed decision-making.
- Building, training and developing the finance team.
- Liaise with auditors and relevant authorities to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.
Group Financial Controller
1 Year 2 Months- Managed monthly management information reporting, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow forecast, to provide insights for decision-making.
- Delivered the month-end closing process by generating POs, SOs, and invoicing, entering manual journals, and making all necessary accruals and prepayments.
- Manage the end of year annual accounts process including completion of the audit.
- Responsible for delivering the month-end closing process by generating POs, SOs and invoicing, entering manual journals and making all necessary accruals and prepayments etc.
- Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls.
- Established the risk and compliance management framework for the Group to ensure it was embedded and operational.
- Oversaw Group cash flows and ensured compliance with statutory taxation requirements, safeguarding financial integrity.
- Assist in the fund-raising activities and manage investor relations.
- Closed down due to funding issues
Financial Controller
2 Years 3 Months- Coordinated day-to-day team management and oversight of asset fund management mandate.
- Review asset fund management accounting deliverables for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
- Attend board meetings and provide support on asset fund management accounting and reporting matters.
- Participated in board meetings, providing insights on asset fund management accounting and reporting matters.
- Realigned internal processes to improve internal controls and eliminate segregation of duties issue.
- Highlighted significant achievements in previous roles.
- Understanding European property contracts and facilities management, looking at how legal agreements and operational responsibilities are structured across different countries in Europe, focusing on maintaining and optimizing buildings and services.
- Experience in asset fund management accounting
- Realigned internal processes, enhancing internal controls and addressing segregation of duties issue.
- Negotiated and finalized a revolving bank loan of USD5.0 million with HSBC bank and mortgage financing of GBP10.0 million with OakNorth bank.
Group Financial Controller
3 Years 1 Month- Managed the accounting operations of the Group, closing the books, group reporting, consolidation, budgeting, and accounting policies.
- Strengthened the the Group's financial control function, including compliance, accounting consolidation and tax across the region.
- Managed the monthly operating cash flow projection and execution of the required treasury activities to ensure adequacy of working capital in all operating units.
- Business partner with Sales and Operation to drive overall business profitability and growth.
- Managed monthly operating cash flow projections and executed treasury activities, ensuring adequacy of working capital across all operating units.
- Facilitated company change initiatives and championed improvements in business processes, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
- Facilitated company’s change initiatives and championed improvements in business processes.
- Achieved compliance with internal and external audit requirements.
Regional Financial Controller, Asia Pacific
1 Year 4 Months- Oversaw preparation of yearly budgets and assisted heads of departments in profit and loss forecasts and cash flow projections.
- Assisted country manager and business unit heads in analyzing business results, identifying problem areas and mitigating downside risks.
- Responsible for managing foreign exchange exposure (e.g., handling forward contracts) and other treasury matters.
- Managed foreign exchange exposure by handling forward contracts and addressing other treasury matters.
- Maintained SGX listing compliance by ensuring all regulatory requirements were met.
- Major Accomplishments:
- Stabilized the finance function during initial period of joining the company due to key staff resignations.
- Acting CFO for six months. Gained invaluable experience in driving strategic initiatives including self-learning of the SGX listing manuals, successfully managed SGX announcements and participated in board meetings.
Regional Financial Controller, Asia Pacific
3 Years 7 Months- Spearheaded the full financial function in Singapore as well as Asia Pacific countries - China, India and Australia. Key responsibilities include controlling, budgeting and forecasting, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and IFRS.
- Advised top management during monthly business reviews, enhancing decision-making processes.
- Managed regional treasury and tax activities.
- Highlighted key achievements in financial management.
- Transformed finance functions to business partnership instead of pure bookkeeping.
- Streamlined and automated the accounting processes namely month end closing, accounts payable/intercompany functions and the order to bill function.
- Achieved significant improvement in credit and collection function by reducing debts more than 180 days from S$1.7 million to zero within one and a half years.
- Identified and pursued Export Credit Agency (ECA) financing opportunities in Vietnam and Papua New Guinea to drive company sales growth.
- Identified significant Permanent Establishment tax issue in Korea, with tax exposure of approximately USD5.0 million and initiated action plans to eliminate the risk.
- Participated in subsidiary acquisition in Malaysia; conducted due diligence, recommended optimal legal structure for foreign ownership, and facilitated smooth execution.
- Took on role of Director at Eltek Malaysia subsidiary.
Regional Corporate Controller, Asia Pacific
3 Years 3 Months- Oversee the full financial reporting and controlling of the local legal entity as well as the Asia Pacific Regional Office, in ensuring compliance with corporate guidelines and IFRS.
- Managed day-to-day operations of Shared Service Centre in Singapore, enhancing service delivery and operational efficiency.
- Supervised a team of 12 qualified accountants and reported to the Regional Chief Financial Officer, with additional outsourced support from Accenture India.
- Ensured compliance with local statutory requirements and completed direct and indirect tax returns through collaboration with outsourced partners.
- Orange Business Services
- Major Accomplishments:
- Cleared all backlog statutory audits for 3 years and set a milestone in the Asia Pacific region.
- Streamlined and formalized the month end closing process to meet corporate deadlines.
- Instrumental in leading the Shared Services Centre to 3 continuous “B” ratings for Balance Sheet Review by Chief Accounting Office.
- Team led the internal audit for China and Korea and achieved an excellent overall rating.
- Gained exposure across Asia Pacific markets, including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mauritius, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
Financial Controller
9 Months- Oversaw Finance, Accounting and Reporting functions, established policies and procedures, managed cash flow, and strengthened internal controls.
- Collaborated with Sales team on pricing recommendations and contract negotiations, and supported daily business operations.
- Highlighted key achievements
- Implemented finance policies / procedures and formalized workflow processes.
- Secured S$600 thousand of external financing and S$30 thousand of leasing arrangements with IBM.
Audit Manager, Asia Pacific
1 Year 11 Months- Planned, managed, and coordinated audit assignments per approved plan, specializing in corporate services and financial controls audits to enhance compliance and risk management.
- Conducted operational and process review audits.
- Conducted audits across Asia Pacific region
- Major Accomplishments:
- Interacted with senior management (Managing Directors, CFO, General Managers) to align audit objectives with business priorities and manage stakeholder expectations.
- Acquired insights into internal controls with strategic financial perspective.
- Obtained Regional Asia Pacific exposure in supply chain industry.
Financial Controller
1 Year 10 Months- Lead a team of 12 for overall financial accounting, cost and management accounting, credit control, taxation and treasury of the division. Responsibilities include strategic financial planning, budget planning and all aspects of operational accounting.
- Analyzed profitability of potential sales contracts to support sales management in decision-making.
- Led the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Identified key controls, performed gap analysis, documented the controls and carried out test controls for effectiveness.
- Facilitated Accounts Receivable collections and made significant improvements to DSO.
- Highlighted key achievements in finance and accounting.
- Successful partnership with sales management team in securing the HDB car park management contract worth S$13.0 million for a 5-year period.
- Supported sales management on the profitability analysis of potential sales contracts.
- Instrumental in leading the Finance team to a successful internal audit exercise with no major financial control issues.
- Streamlined month-end closing process to three working days, ensuring compliance with UTC reporting deadline.
Finance Manager
4 Years 9 Months- Apr 1997 - Oct 1998
- Accountant/Senior Accountant
- Key responsibilities include general accounting and reporting, financial planning and analysis, and implementation of key financial systems such as Hyperion and SAP.
- Oversaw credit collection processes to ensure timely payments from clients., payroll, taxation.
- Managed credit collections, payroll, taxation.
- Acquired comprehensive understanding of diverse finance functions.
- Collaborated with operations and sales management to inform strategic business decisions and enhance growth.
- Coordinated outsourcing of payroll processing to improve efficiency and reduce costs. and negotiated a lower fee to achieve cost savings of S$18 thousand per year.
- Developed and executed Commission Income structure, replacing Cost-plus methodology in Singapore and Malaysia to optimize tax advantages.
Staff Auditor
6 Months- Conducted operational and compliance audits, evaluated internal controls, and recommended enhancements to strengthen compliance and operational effectiveness.
- Monitored adherence to statutory, regulatory, and internal control policy requirements to mitigate risks and ensure compliance.
- Led risk-based audits across finance and operations, strengthening internal controls and compliance.
- Evaluated SOX control design and operating effectiveness, documenting gaps and remediation actions.
- Analyzed process workflows to identify control weaknesses, recommending practical efficiency improvements.
Audit Senior II
3 Years 2 Months- Executed statutory audits for medium to large-sized companies, enhancing expertise in group consolidation and diverse accounting systems across various industries.
- Directed audits for multiple Singapore listed companies, including information system audit, ensuring compliance and identifying areas for improvement.
- Led audit fieldwork and coordinated engagement tasks across complex financial statement areas.
- Assessed internal controls and identified deficiencies requiring remediation.
- Reviewed workpapers for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with audit standards.
Education
Bachelor of Accountancy - Accounting and Finance
GCE ‘A’ Level - Commerce
Skills
Working knowledge of SAP
Oracle
Netsuite
Xero
IFS (Industrial Financial System)
Hyperion and Cognos.
Certification
Certified Public Accountant, ICPAS, 1997
Timeline
Vice President of Finance
Campana Group Pte Ltd
05.2022 - CurrentRead More
Financial Controller
Atlas Consolidated Pte Ltd
07.2021 - 04.2022Read More
Assistant Finance Director (Contract role)
Changi Airport International Pte Ltd
12.2020 - 06.2021Read More
Group Financial Controller
Singapore Biotech Pte Ltd
07.2019 - 09.2020Read More
Financial Controller
IP Investment Management
04.2017 - 07.2019Read More
Group Financial Controller
IP Global Limited
06.2016 - 07.2019Read More
Regional Financial Controller, Asia Pacific
Boardroom Limited
02.2015 - 06.2016Read More
Regional Financial Controller, Asia Pacific
Eltek Power Pte Ltd
07.2011 - 02.2015Read More
Regional Corporate Controller, Asia Pacific
Equant Pte Ltd
04.2008 - 07.2011Read More
Financial Controller
Suisse Lab (Singapore) Pte Ltd
06.2007 - 03.2008Read More
Audit Manager, Asia Pacific
DHL Regional Audit Office
07.2005 - 06.2007Read More
Financial Controller
Chubb Singapore Pte Ltd
08.2003 - 06.2005Read More
Finance Manager
Applied Materials South-East Asia Pte Ltd
11.1998 - 08.2003Read More
Staff Auditor
Texas Instruments Singapore (Pte) Ltd
09.1996 - 03.1997Read More
Audit Senior II
Ernst & Young
06.1993 - 08.1996Read More
Victoria Junior College
GCE ‘A’ Level from Commerce
Read More
Nanyang Technological University
Bachelor of Accountancy from Accounting and Finance
Read More