Sheila Sousa
Calgary,AB
Summary
Experienced Senior Accountant successful at cultivating effective working relationships at all levels while driving improvements to budget administration, expense tracking and forecasting of future financial needs. Proven track record of performing work ethically while maintaining integrity of all financial data. Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals. Seeking to maintain a full-time position that offers professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills, excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Accountant
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
12.2020 - 04.2023
- Assisted in internal and external audits by preparing necessary documentation and responding to auditor inquiries.
- Coordinated with various departments to gather financial data, ensuring accurate representation of each business unit''s performance.
- Ensured regulatory compliance with GAAP standards by staying current on updates and integrating changes into accounting practices as needed.
- Served as a key liaison between Finance and Operations teams, ensuring effective communication on budgetary matters and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
- Prepared monthly journal entries and reconciliations.
- Reconciled accounts and created documents for monthly closure procedures.
- Completed year-end closing processes with controllers and external auditors.
- Reviewed documents and accounts for discrepancies and resolved variances.
- Updated general ledger with latest entries.
- Reviewed business operations and obligations to help organization function at acceptable level.
- Assisted team members in transitioning to a new credit card expense system through extensive training and one-on-one support.
- Leveraged finance knowledge to strengthen controls and improve transparency.
- Provided journal entries and performed accounting on accrual basis.
- Collected and reported monthly expense variances and explanations.
- Reviewed accounts, resolved coding areas, and tracked recurring expenses for accrual entry.
- Owner of the expense reimbursement platform that included employee setup, troubleshooting, monitoring for delinquent expenses/approvers, followup on unsubmitted receipts, and transferring amounts to correct programs and currencies.
- Reconciliation of expense platform, verifying current employees, approvers & DOA, Sage integration for SOX compliance.
- Reconciliation of corporate credit cards, verifying correct programs, closing inactive cards, confirming integration with expense platform, and maintaining credit card clearing account.
Accountant II – WestJet Vacations Revenue
WestJet Vacations
01.2011 - 11.2020
- Well established relationship with current WVI reservation system external vendor Softvoyage
- Widely cross-trained in many WVI Revenue Accounting processes
- Formulate journal entries as required by WVI Revenue and Rewards team monthly and quarterly as assigned
- (Reclass and Accrual entries) Support the Accountant III and Manager in preparing journal entries and balance sheet reconciliations
- Able to queue, download and validate month end TTS reports from application
- Support all WVI Finance teams with TTS system issues or questions
- Support WVI Financial Analyst with extracting and analysis of data
- Liase between Softvoyage and Finance teams
- Able to complete month end close in TTS system
- Complete and distribute reports for internal agents to correct TTS bookings
- Ensure processes are documented and maintained in an online library
- Liase with WVI Operations, Product and Groups teams to drive efficiencies for ongoing activities
- High technical ability in TTS
- Considered the SME for Finance
- Support and complete testing on all initiatives, enhancements and issues
- Work with internal and external auditors for process walkthroughs and testing compliance to controls
- Participate and contribute to project activities involving teamwork, sharing expertise and ideas.
- Increased efficiency by streamlining accounting processes and implementing new financial software.
Accountant III – Commercial Finance (1 yr Mat Leave Term)
WestJet Vacations
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Budget Analyst for Sales & Distribution, Marketing Communications and Digital
- Completed monthly forecasts, journal entries, variance/FIN reporting
- Worked with the Business teams to complete a full WestJet Budget cycle
- Provided Management reporting and Financial Analysis to business partners
- Proficient in Hyperion/Smartview for forecasting, budgets and adhoc reporting
- Built relationships with Business partners and learned a new area of the business with my portfolio.
WestJet Vacations Accounts Payables - Team Lead
WestJet Vacations
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Responsible for co-leading a Team of 5
- Assist with set-up of new Vendors and Banking information in Ezres system
- Responsible for cheque runs and issuing wire payments to Suppliers
- Reconciling Supplier accounts and bank accounts with the assistance of the Treasury department
- Documenting processes, flow charts and identifying internal controls ensuring C-Sox compliance
- Assigned responsibilities, delegated tasks, identified and organized team/unit resources for efficient operations and to facilitate achieving results
- Assisted staff with setting performance objectives and evaluating the professional development of the individual
- Team member on the TTS implementation project in 2009.
WestJet Vacations Accounts Payables – Coordinator
WestJet Vacations
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Responsible for processing invoices for WestJet Vacations and WestJet
- Analyze re-bills and ensure prompt payment
- Maintain above average accuracy and attention to detail
- Developed a process to issue wire payments
- Assist with the set-up of new Vendors and Banking information
- Assist with documenting processes, flow charts and identifying internal controls ensuring C-Sox compliance
- Maintain above standard relationships with representatives with other companies as well as WestJet.
Super Sales Agent – WestJet Airlines
WestJet Airlines
01.2006 - 01.2007
- Responsible for booking and confirming flights thru Openskies (Flightspeed) reservation system
- Ensuring high quality service a positive WestJet image to guests and Travel agents
- Work in a fast paced high accuracy environment.
Anadarko Canada Corporation – Non-Operated Property Analyst
Anadarko Canada Corporation
- 01.2006
- Responsible for reconciling accounts on a monthly basis
- Booked Non-Operated Joint Venture Billings on a monthly basis
- Responsible for credit and collections on outstanding accounts
- Booked Revenue and Royalty on a monthly basis
- Maintained above standard relationships with representatives with other companies
- Worked on the SAP conversion Team for 6 months prior to entering Non-Operated Accounting
- Extensive knowledge in SAP software and modules
- Prepared program documentation to support new or enhanced systems and applications
- Participated in structured walk-throughs and other activities to review systems and provide training and support.
Education
No Degree - Accounting And Finance
Red River College
Winnipeg, MB06.2016
Skills
- Proficient with TTS (The Travel System), TIESS, RAPID (Revenue Accounting System), SabreSonic Interact, Cognos, JD Edwards, Sage and Hyperion/Smartview
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
- Employee Expense Tracking
- Proficient with Expensify, the expense management tracking system
- Employee Credit Card expenses and reconciliations
- Excellent computer skills, including proficiency using Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint and MS Access
- Experience with project coordination, user acceptance testing, testing validation and project implementation
- Proficient with extracting large amount of data and assessing data completion and analysis of said data
- Subject matter expert (SME) in TTS and responsible for all Finance implementations
- Completed a 1 yr Mat Leave term as a Budget Analyst for Sales & Distribution, Marketing Communications and Digital
- Experience with budgets, forecasts and variance reporting
Hobbies and Interests
- Reading
- Travelling
- Event planning
- Social gatherings
Volunteer Experience
- WestJet Finance Social Committee, Member
- Participate and attend regular Finance Social Committee meetings.
- Contribute ideas, plan and volunteer at Finance social events.
- Finance Leadership and Development Committee, Member
- Participate and attend regular FL & D Committee meetings.
- Contribute ideas, plan and volunteer at FL & D events.
References
Available upon request
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Accountant
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
12.2020 - 04.2023
Accountant III – Commercial Finance (1 yr Mat Leave Term)
WestJet Vacations
01.2018 - 01.2019
Accountant II – WestJet Vacations Revenue
WestJet Vacations
01.2011 - 11.2020
WestJet Vacations Accounts Payables - Team Lead
WestJet Vacations
01.2009 - 01.2010
WestJet Vacations Accounts Payables – Coordinator
WestJet Vacations
01.2007 - 01.2008
Super Sales Agent – WestJet Airlines
WestJet Airlines
01.2006 - 01.2007
Anadarko Canada Corporation – Non-Operated Property Analyst
Anadarko Canada Corporation
- 01.2006
No Degree - Accounting And Finance
Red River College
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