Darren Lester

Head of Finance at Machinery Contractors. All of the below role with additional duties required by the board.

Head of Finance at Machinery Contractors (2025-03 – Present)

Head of Finance at Machinery Contractors. All of the below role with additional duties required by the board.

• Stakeholder Communication & Reporting - Communicate financial insights clearly to executives and board members. Build relationships with investors, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.

Production and business analyst & Junior Financial Management at Machinery Contractors (2013-03 – 2025-03)

Production Analyst at Machinery Contractors

• Financial statements: Prepare monthly management accounts and report the statements to the board. SOFP, SOCI, variances from prior months.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Create and manage factory budgets with accurate forecasting models. Adapt financial plans to demand fluctuations and market conditions. With Actual compared to budget monthly.
• Cash Flow & Capital Management: Maintain strong cash flow for factory operations. Manage debt, financing, and capital investments efficiently.
• Cost Management & Optimization: Implement cost-control measures to improve margins. Analyze production costs, overheads, and raw material expenditures.
• Operational & Supply Chain Finance: Understand manufacturing processes and supply chain logistics. Manage working capital, inventory, and procurement costs effectively.
• Risk Management & Compliance: Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. Develop risk mitigation strategies for financial and operational risks.
• Asset management: Maintain Asset register and all acquisitions or repairs. Insurance and claims.
• Bank and Forex and Customs: Handel import and export clearances, forex payment and receipts and bank recons.
• Prepares work to be accomplished by gathering and sorting documents and related information.
• Pays invoices by verifying transaction information, scheduling, preparing disbursements, and obtaining authorization of payment.
• Obtains revenue by verifying transaction information, computing charges, and refunds, and preparing and mailing invoices.
• Maintains accounting ledgers by posting account transactions.
• Verifies accounts by reconciling statements and transactions.
• Maintains financial security by following internal accounting controls.
• Secures financial information by completing database backups.
• Maintains financial historical records by filing accounting documents.
• Collects revenue by reminding delinquent accounts and notifying customers of insufficient payments.
• Work together with HR department to ensure all is compliant, accurate and payslips are on time.
• Capture in Sage Professional for payroll run. EMP201, EMP 501 submissions.
• Preparations for annual audit for AFS with auditors and the execution of the audit with post meeting with board members.
• SLA and NDA, work with procurement to ensure cost saving is done, supplier selection and benchmarking.
• On site IT problem solving and installations. Software and hardware installations that are needed.
• VAT, PAYE / UIF, annual tax returns via auditors and all SARS reconciliations and payments.
• Compile the BEE gathering sheet for audit and verification. Supplier BEE vetting.

Assistant Accountant at Machinery Contractors (2011-02 – 2013-03)

Student position in the financial accounting (Accounting) sector. Assistant accountant at Machinery Contractors

• Job cards, orders, creditors and debtors, bookkeeping tasks and stocktaking on pastel and Access (PMS)
• Reason for Leaving: Offered full time contract

Course in Sage Pastel Payroll – Sage University (2024-12 – 2024-12)

Masters in Supply Chain Management – University of Pretoria (2015-11 – 2015-11)

Honours in Business Management – University of Pretoria (2013-11 – 2013-11)

Certificate in Taxation – University of Pretoria (2012-11 – 2012-11)

Degree in Financial Management Sciences – University of Pretoria (2012-11 – 2012-11)