Shruti Rao

• Forecast Validation & Resource Planning: Ensured financial alignment with business goals to formulate budgets, forecasts & FTE planning
• Goal Setting: Led processes to assess financial and business impacts for strategic alignment.
• Performance Reporting: Analyzed deviations from budget and provided actionable insights to the management and formulated follow up actions
• Financial Analysis: Identified cost drivers and opportunities for cost reduction and process optimization. Deviation analysis, forecast vs actuals, creation of insightful financial dashboards etc.
• Internal Controls: Maintained compliance through segregation of duties, process evaluations, and document management.
• Month-End Closing: Supported financial accrual bookings, follow-ups and variance analysis to ensure accurate reporting.
• Financial Planning & Forecasting: Contributed to optimizing planning accuracy with accurate insights.
• Business Navigation: Delivered data and insights to support strategic decision-making and maximize financial value.
• Risk & Compliance: Coordinated and executed risk mitigation, Compliance Self-Assessment (CSA), and local Sanction Party Screening.

Project Controlling for Transformation Initiatives, Business Navigation & Analysis, Financial COE - Digital Resource Planning Tool

Budgeting & Forecasting: Managed budgets, forecasts, and actuals to ensure alignment with project goals.

FP&A: Conduct financial analysis and delivered financial insights to senior management.

Project Controlling Framework: Developed financial frameworks for smooth cost tracking on SAP S4 Hana. Assisted country teams with financial reporting and extended project controlling support from the global side

Portfolio Reporting: Led financial reporting for the entire project portfolio, ensuring accurate progress and key metrics.

Project Ownership: Led procurement continuity projects, formulating KPIs and managing budgets.

Steering Group Reporting: Prepared and presented financial reports, aligning with financial strategy.

Financial Guidance: Ensured financial health and project navigation through its lifecycle.

Financial Dashboards: Designed dashboards to monitor project performance and KPIs.

Collaboration: Worked with business owners to ensure financial alignment with budgets and scope.

Cost Centre Setup: Established cost centre structures for enhanced costs reporting

Collaboration: Acted as a bridge between global and country teams for accurate reporting framework & processes

Staff Cuts & Efficiency: Led financial planning for staff cuts, achieving 10% efficiency improvement.

Tool & Reporting: Enhanced reporting processes, dashboards, and FTE tracking with admin teams.

FTE Follow-Up: Monitored and resolved discrepancies in actual vs. budgeted FTE.

Ensured accurate payments to the tarnsport service providers of IKEA

Analyzed billing reports for data accuracy

Prepared rate cards for transaction clarity

Contributed to cost-efficiency improvement initiatives to ensure agreed service productivity

• Spearheaded accounts receivable operations, including crafting client billing schedules, streamlining invoice processing, ensuring prompt payment collection, executing meticulous reconciliations, and resolving billing inquiries, while establishing robust credit policies
• Supported seniors in diligently tracking financial metrics, contributing to the creation of income statements and balance sheets
• Drove forecasting and budgeting efforts, accurately predicting costs and revenues, facilitating efficient month-end closures, and delivering comprehensive variance reports to highlight financial performance to management

• Conducted Financial Statement audits for the clients, ensuring accuracy through meticulous Financial tie-outs, corrections, testing the statement of accounts and balance sheet
• Performed substantive testing of client financial processes, aligning with strategic audit plans and documenting the progress while maintaining active client engagement
• Assisted senior auditors in scrutinizing financial statements in accordance with compliance and delivered audit reports with actionable recommendations, aiding management in financial decision-making