Kamal Chandrakumara

Kamal Chandrakumara Willaddara Gamage 

Flat 9 Woodstock Court   

158 Northfield Road   

B301DX   

Birmingham 

                                                                                                  12 September 2023

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to apply for the role of Accounts Payable Manager Solihull West Midlands, currently being advertised. I decided to apply for this role as I identify with the values and ethos put forward by the organization and believe my experience and skills are suited for the job role. 

As you can see from my attached CV, I have over 40 years of experience in the Finance Audit and Administration industry, and I believe the knowledge and skills developed during this time would make me the right candidate for the role.

Specifically, throughout my career, I have helped develop financial strategies, using cost-benefit analysis to help senior management with sound decision-making. For example, during my time working in Ocean Lanka Ltd in Sri Lanka, I managed to integrate all control systems across the organization to help minimize wastage and costs and expand the Board of Director’s strategic goals for the company. I have also been involved in treasury management and cash forecasting helping the company drive its investment strategy. Additionally, I have relevant experience in following good health and safety practices according to regulatory requirements while overseeing a textile factory. 

As an Audit Manager working for KPMG Jamaica, I have also created financial statements for various organizations, including variance and trend analyses to help companies meet their budgeting requirements. I have also been involved in pricing services rendered by KPMG, maintaining appropriate costing models for the company. 

While running my own business, I took timely initiative to collect debt, by consistently adopting various strategies through effective stakeholder management. I have also experience fulfilling financial and statutory responsibilities, such as filing statutory accounts with HMRC and Companies House. 

As mentioned, I have an array of skills that are suited for this role. Having been employed in severaljob roles throughout my career as a project manager, auditor, financial controller, and a deputy general manager, I have developed great leadership skills that have enabled me to fulfill my responsibilities in a fair, accountable, and transparent way.

Thus, I have gained many transferable skills throughout my career that have equipped me to work in many countries such as Sri Lanka, India, The UK, The US, China, Hong Kong, and Jamaica where I also have had the opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds. This has helped me develop effective teamwork and communication skills enabling me to uphold strong interpersonal skills as a colleague and employee across many organisations. 

Overall, given the increasing demand I aim to put my experiences and skills to a good cause by employing creative strategies to manage resources effectively to meet the organization’s objectives. 

Many thanks for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully.

Kamal Chandrakumara

Jul 2023– Aug 2023   TruFrame Solihull Birmingham – Accounts Manager Accounts Payable and Receivable

• Successfully completed a month’s long accounting assignment organised by Hays Specialists with TruFrame, a window frame manufacturing company. This is to clear backlog of data processing as well as for day today reconciliations.
• Created jobs and posted to SAGE 200 Sicon manufacturing system. 
• Produced Excel reports, and supplier data account entries, sales ledger posts and reconciliations through SAGE and Excel. 
• Issued invoice postings and GRNs, while logging purchase order and general ledger reconciliations. 
• Implemented an effective system to filing for long outstanding debts with the relevant documents to enable the company to take any actions desired to 100% accurate reconciliations of all the debtors agreeing to the General Ledger posting necessary journal entries.
• Loss making job orders are immediately identified showing my excellent talent in ‘Attentions to Detail’. 
• Excellent feedback from Branch Manager for efficiency, extending placement several times due to outstanding performance.

2013 - Jun 2023           Lilies Fashions UK limited, Turnover averaged approximately GBP 250k, Retail 

• Set up an own business as per legal requirements of the HSMP Entrepreneur migrant visa programme. 
• Demonstrated effective stakeholder management while liaising with the company's various suppliers to negotiate cost friendly contracts for goods and services. 
• Handled company statutory financial statements and accounting, tax, VAT and payroll requirements with the liaison of company accountants according to UK GAPPs. 
• Compilation of the companies Fixed Assets Register un updated yearly with relevant depreciation adjustments.
• Responsibly collaborated and dealt with Government Agencies such as Birmingham City Council’s auditors on health and safety audits to uphold standards in product quality delivery and good customer service. 
• Dealt successfully with insurance companies and loss adjusters to determine potential risks in two occasions in 2016 and 2018 for two major flood claims respectively. 

2011- 2012                     Lanka Tiles PLC, Sri Lanka, Turnover approximately GBP 60 million, Retail 

• Launched two franchise agencies for Lanka Tiles PLC in Kandy and Kegalle, Sri Lanka while providing necessary management, planning, personnel and accounting support for profitable functioning of the two significant branch networks. 
• Conducted variance analysis to identify seasonal sale trends and transform existing marketing strategies accordingly. 
• Established the two showrooms as the most profitable branches in the island through effective sales and marketing strategies, according to the Head Office. 

1994-2010                      Ocean Lanka (Private) Ltd, Sri Lanka, Manufacturing Turnover approximately                                              GBP 50m 

2007-2010                      Ocean India (Private) Ltd, India, Manufacturing 

Key achievements 

•  Directly contributed to the expansion of the organisation’s joint venture activities by handling a GBP 16 million project in India, launching successfully in January 2010. 
• Successfully introduced barcoding technology for Order Processing, Inventory Management, Fixed Assets Management, cutting down on process wastes, minimising human errors and increasing system accuracy, enabling on time delivery KPI achieving nearly 95%, including a substantial 2% saving of total production losses. 
• Shown my ability to manage multiple tasks and venues at the same time managing almost all operations of several companies at the same time including the preparation of Group Consolidation accounts for Hongkong Stock Exchange.
• Responsible for making Ocean Lanka the most profitable textile plant in South Asia. 

2006-2010                       Deputy General Manager, Ocean Lanka (Private) Limited, Ocean India (Private) Limited 

• Produced monthly Management Accounts and quarterly profitability statements and relevant reporting to the Board of Directors with extensive use of Excel Work sheets using pivot tables etc. 
• Implemented effective marketing strategies which led to the company becoming the highest revenue earning textile manufacturer among in South Asia. 
• Successfully coordinated activities of the personnel department while overseeing the completion of health and safety audits. 
• Recommended the Ocean India factory layout to the Board of Directors and managed to register and set-up the company in a cost-effective way. 
• Introduced an effective project management team to India and assumed responsibility for the Indian Company by operatingremotely from Sri Lanka alongside frequent visits to India. 

1996-2006                       Financial Controller, Ocean Lanka (Private) Limited, Sri Lanka 

• Played a key role in the seamless transfer of the project to an operational venture with specific responsibility for setting up personnel procedures and introducing operational systems relating to material ordering, receiving, payment credit controls and liaison with auditors, bankers, inland revenue, customs and labour department. 
• Initiated and concluded negotiations to obtain security services, container clearing & forwarding services, staff transportation and communication systems for the company. 
• Negotiated the procurement of Windows 2000 for 250 users and successfully supervised its subsequent installation. 
• Collaborated with a team of programmers to facilitate the development of software systems in accordance with in-house requirements achieving a fully transparent ERP system.
• Recruited programmers specifically for the development of payroll and leave systems to cater for 2500 employees. 
• Managed the introduction of a newly personalised billing and goods dispatch systems to customers enabling on time collection. 
• Introduced a budgetary control system with periodic variance analyses and review procedures.

1994-1996                      Project Manager, Ocean Lanka (Private) Limited, Sri Lanka 

• Played a key role in the establishment of Ocean Lanka (Private) Limited, a textile manufacturing plant as a newly incorporated company in Sri Lanka, delivering the project with an initial definition of GBP 12 million to a successful completion. By the year 2010 the value of the company exceeded over USD 50M with reinvested profits.
• Fully accountable for the financial requirements of the project including preparing cash flow and administering equity capital calls from partners and in addition securing USD9M Term Loans with very favourable terms to the company.
• Analysed contract documents relating to the constructions and machinery procurement stage of the project. 
• Provided company representation during interactions with government organisations including the Board of Investment (BOI), Immigration & Emigration Department, Department of Inland Revenue, Customs, Lawyers and Auditors 
• Negotiated with bankers to successfully obtain a favourable tariff structure for the company while being responsible for producing cash flow forecasts, profit & loss accounts and project balance sheets. 
• Contributed directly to savings of GBP 100,000 by bringing in pre-operational losses under the allocated budget. 
• Delivered a proposal to the Board for the layout of the building, a suggestion that was accepted as the most suitable and cost effective, while also delivering further cost saving initiatives over GBP 750,000. 

CAREER SUMMARY cont. 

1992-1994                    KPMG Peat Marwick Jamaica 

1992-1994                    Assistant Audit Manager KPMG Peat Marwick Jamaica 

• Supervised all work carried out by the audit team and prepared subsequent audit reports accordingly According to the UK GAPPs and IFRS. 
• Handled very Large Audits such as Insurance Company of the West Indies Ltd, Prudential Stockers Ltd, Jamaica National Bank, Trelawny Estates limited, Appleton Estate Limited, mainly into Agriculture, Insurance and Banking property developments. And consolidated accounts for various group companies.
• Ensured accuracy and attention to detail when preparing audit reports and management letters. 
• Responsible for the provision of consulting services on issues relating to system setting, management operations and taxation. 

1990-1992                      Senior Accountant I KPMG Peat Marwick Jamaica 

• Actively involved in the audit process and in the completion of ad hoc assignments on behalf of private and government sector organisations. 
• Responsible for all aspects of planning, fieldwork, and the completion of audits in accordance with the KPMG approach. 
• Collaborated with various organisations including manufacturers, hotels, banking, universities, Insurance Companies, broadcasting Companies, commercial and Manufacturing Companies as part of statutory audits.  

1988-1989                      Senior Accountant II KPMG Peat Marwick Jamaica 

       •     Liaised directly with clients to establish an understanding of their businesses before planning audit work accordingly. 

• Identified audit objectives, while evaluating the control environment and making appropriate assertions for risk assessment. 
• Prepared audit programmes by selecting the most suitable procedures, while conducting compliance audit procedures. 
• Reviewed and evaluated audit results, obtaining representation where applicable, and formulated, and drafted reports. 
• Responsible for the performance review and evaluation of members of the audit team. 

1987-1988                       Accountant – Hire Purchase Accounts, Central Finance Company Ltd, Sri Lanka. 

       •.      Conducted all accounting processes associated with advances granted by the company                           aggregating GBP 100 million. 

• Reorganised the department and introduced new internal control procedures as well as developed an improved internal management information system. 

CAREER SUMMARY cont. 

1985-1987                      Audit Senior-in-Charge, Coopers & Lybrand, Sri Lanka 

1984-1985                        Assistant Lecturer Business Administration, University of Sri Jayawardenapura. 

1981-1984                      Audit Senior-in-Charge, Burah Hathy & Co, Sri Lanka 

PERSONAL DETAILS 

Professional:         Member of the Institute of Certified and Public Accountants of USA (1993). 

                                  Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (1986) (FCA 2010). 

                                 BSc: Business Administration – 2:1 University of Jayawardenepura (1983)