Lorna Leonard

Accountant

Experience
Accounting Technician

Government institution

31/08/2020 – present

Groenkloof, Pretoria

Accounting Technician Duties for five portfolios

• Preparing and posting journal vouchers to adjust accounts and records in Phoenix.
• Reviewing training and travel requests and ensuring these requests are in line with the Automated Directive System (ADS) and Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook (FAM and FAH) before funding provision
• Reviewing and processing of payments and refunds identified through 1221 review.
• Reviewing commitments and obligating documents to ensure accuracy and completeness in line with relevant ADS621 and USAID rules and regulations.
• Funding of offshore employee allowances as per Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
• Periodically reviewing the status and validity of obligated funds.
• Reviewing disbursements processed against obligations and creating journals to move disbursements identified as incorrectly processed.
• Verifying accuracy of financial and accounting data and the appropriateness of documentation supporting accounting entries
• Troubleshooting and resolving discrepancies identified with obligating documents.
• Performing regular reconciliations of accounts, records, and source documents to ensure that the un-liquidated funds are sufficient and valid.
• Determining required burn rates for obligations and increasing funds where there will be a predicted short fall.
• Periodic reconciliation of disbursements posted to ensure they relate to the correct accounting period and division.
• Assisting with quarterly budget review and preparation of the budget for the new quarter/spend plan.
• Performing quarterly and routine 1311 reviews and de-obligations as per ADS requirements.
• Performing quarterly accrual reconciliation as per ADS requirements
• Posting of accruals and de-obligations in Phoenix system
• Funding of procurement requests on Ariba in line with Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM)
• Creating new vendor codes and updating existing vendor codes in Phoenix system
Junior Accountant / Accounts Payable Controller

Superway Construction

28/10/2013 – 21/08/2020

Willow Glen, Pretoria

Junior Accountant Duties

Responsible for full function accounting up to trial balance for two companies.

• Preparing management statements in line with GAAP and IFRS and discuss with director.  Finalize management statements after director approval and submit to financial manager.
• Analyzing Bill of Quantity and comparing Bill of Quantity with certificate receivedand discuss any discrepancies with director.
• Analyzing sub-contractor invoices and certificates and comparing sub-contractor certificate with Bill of Quantity and discuss discrepancies with quantity surveyor and director.
• Creating and posting journals for intercompany transfers and journals
• Capturing of payments made to creditors
• Creating and posting of journal entries to move disbursements incorrectly processed
• Calculating estimated need for monthly provisions
• Calculating weekly cash flow forecast
• Analyzing and reviewing of general ledger
• Capturing of petty cash and petty cash recon
• Debtors invoicing and debtor’s recon (book value of around R55 million)
• Filing of various paper work
• Capturing and reconciliation of bank statements (nine bank accounts)
• Preparing payment requests and submitting payments
• Dealing with subcontractor queries
• Email and telephonic correspondence with various sites, creditors, and debtors.
• Completing tender documents for submission to various Government Tenders
• Procurement – acquiring quotes and create orders on BuildSmart
• Fleet and plant control: Analyzing fleet and plant expenses and allocating fleet and plant costs to relevant sites and updating fleet list and list of allocated fleet vehicles.
• Preparing and submitting monthly fleet and plant reports to the financial manager.
• External plant hire and plant acquisition
• Creating orders for fleet and plant repairs and maintenance
• Preparing annual audit file and assist with audit where necessary.
Accounts Payable duties

• Supervising two staff members
• Full function accounts payable including journals, reconciliations, and submission of payment (book value of around R18 million for both companies)
• Forecasting monthly for two payment runs
• Negotiating discount for early settlement
• Managing supplier database and continuously seeking better suppliers
• Reconciling of the accounts payable at month end and ensuring that our liabilities is on par with our supplier statements.
• Performing accounts analysis to detect errors as early as possible and resolving errors or queries in a timely fashion
• Preparing monthly aging analysis of creditors accounts for the financial manager
I am the first junior accountant ever to fulfil the same duties as an accountant.

Junior Bookkeeper

EY Stuart Inc Attorneys

11/04/2011 – 25/10/2013

Brooklyn, Pretoria

• Capturing of payments made
• Allocating funds received to the correct creditor
• Creating and processing journal entries
• Analyzing and reviewing of general ledger
• Issuing petty cash and reconciliation petty cash
• Electronic bank payments/transfers
• Writing and issuing of cheques
• Requesting new and closing of Art 78 (2)(a) investment accounts
• Capturing, reconciliation and payment of creditors
• Compile annual audit file as per accounting practices and assisting auditors.
• Preparing the annual BEE file.
• Filing various documents
• Invoicing of work done for various clients
• Capturing and reconciling bank statements
• Administrating employees’ various leave entitlements
• Training of staff members on Ghost Practice and liaising with Ghost Practice to resolve queries and facilitate upgrades.
Sales Executive

Allen Joss Ford

05/11/2009 – 08/04/2011

Annlin, Pretoria

• Creating quotations and invoices for clients
• Reconciling payments and receipts
• Delivering new vehicles to clients and explaining the service and warranty agreements
• Registering and licensing vehicles
• Ensuring that the client and vehicle file is complete.
• Collecting all the documentation and information needed for a finance application.
Trainee Accountant

Thomson Accountants

16/10/08 – 30/10/2009

Wierda Park, Pretoria

• Individual and Company Tax Returns
• Provisional Tax returns, EMP501 returns, EMP201 returns, PAYE returns, UIF returns and VAT returns for companies and individuals.
• Registering companies and individuals for UIF, PAYE, Workers Compensation, VAT, and Income Tax
• Registering companies and changing company details on CIPC.
• Capturing payments and receipts on QuickBooks Pro
• Creating journal entries and invoice entries on QuickBooks Pro
• Reconciling bank monthly bank statements for various clients
• Assisting in the preparation of Annual Financial Statements and basic Management Statements in line with GAAP and IFRS.
Turnaround time for personal tax was on average half an hour from receiving all the clients’ information.  Reduced the time used to capture a full year’s bank statements, invoices, cheque, and cash payments to two or three days depending on the number of transactions. The turnaround time on full financial statements – with all the information supplied – on average was one full day.

Helpdesk Operative

The Global Draw Ltd

25/02/2008 – 07/09/2008

Hounslow West, London

• Receiving calls from customers
• Logging calls on Database (CRM and TrackIt)
• Resolving technical queries over the phone
• Finding alternative ways to resolve difficult technical queries.
• Retrieving information from GIS database to confirm large wins.
• Gained invaluable customer relation experience

Data Administrator

Acumen Recruitment

01/06/2005 – 22/02/2008

Rayners Lane, London

• Creating and maintaining the database (Recruit Studio)
• Receive time sheets and create invoices for time sheets.
• Using Kashflow to update the daily cash flow.
• General office administration

• Recruiting new employees, registering new employees, and entering their information into the database
• Booking employees for courses and sending employees on courses
• Raising and issuing invoices and receiving payments
Started the database from scratch and built up the client and candidate database by phoning prospective candidates and sending out flyers and introductory letters to prospective clients.

Production Team Supervisor

Mack Mulitiples Division Factory

Paddock Wood, Kent

24/06/2004 – 28/05/2005

• To prioritize, allocate and supervise production operatives.
• Monitor, report issues, adopt “clean-as-you-go” policy to ensure health and safety standards are adhered to.
• Monitor and uphold quality control set standards for products and labels.
• Gained leadership and supervisory skills.
Promoted from line worker to production team supervisor in three months.  Managed three lines of workers consisting of ten workers per line.  Neither of the lines missed a deadline nor was late on an order.  This was achieved by working with the team members and encouraging them throughout the day and ensuring that they always had everything they needed to complete the specific order on time.

Education

Current:

UJ – University of Johannesburg

• Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy
Previous:

ICB – Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

• National Diploma: Financial Accounting (NQF6)
• National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Bookkeeping
• National Certificate Bookkeeping
CIMA – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Certificate in Business Accounting
Hercules High School, Pretoria

Matric – 2002

Computer literacy

• Microsoft Office Suite
• GhostPractice
• LawPlan
• Windeed
• Quickbooks Pro
• Buildsmart
• Pastel
• Xero (advisor certified)
• Phoenix
• Phoenix Viewer
• Ariba
• Webex
• Google drive

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Attention to detail
• Financial management and accounting
• Ability to work under pressure
• Problem solving
• Time management
• Analytical
• Highly organized
• Deadline orientated
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team
• Reconciliation