SYLVIA LARA

• Responsible for the overall maintenance and stewardship of accounts receivable and treasury in a multi-company environment.

• Controls, manages, reviews, improves, or otherwise evaluates and corrects any policy, process, procedure, or activity for the efficient production of accounts receivable and treasury efforts.

• Establishes daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and related timetables for accurate and complete postings.

• Oversees daily reporting of cash flow to financial leadership.

• Ensures the AR and Treasury teams are complying with generally accepted accounting principles.

• Responsible for continuous improvement and innovation in all accounts receivable and treasury functions.

• Manages, mentors, and guides a team of seven accounts receivable and treasury professionals.

• Provides periodic reporting in accordance with policy and procedures.

• Analyzes staff performance and recommends increases or decreases in staffing levels to meet business demands.

• Identifies and advises the Director of Financial Services on training improvements, outside courses, or certifications that may be implemented within the team.

• Supervised operations staff to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Led hiring, onboarding, and training of new employees to meet business requirements.
• Developed systems and procedures to enhance operational quality and team efficiency.
• Implemented process improvements to shape organizational culture, optimize procedures for higher efficiency and automation, and facilitate departmental growth.
• Reported issues to higher management in detail.
• Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
• Ensured timely and accurate booking/issuing of bank movements, receivables, and payables.
• Managed and controlled GDC Settlement Finance Reporting process and procedure, ensuring accurate posting and reporting of expected department revenues in the correct accounting month.
• Collaborated with business owners to ensure accurate Revenue Analysis and Forecasting of GDC Settlement Products.
• Managed and coordinated a semi-automated collections process across various systems and drove manual collections process of Bilateral invoices through the team, achieving a 99.6% collection rate for invoices older than a year.
• Achieved a reduction from 11.5M to just under 2M in less than a year as a manager, and under 500k in less than 3 years, with only 50k being unidentified.
• Maintained an on-time settlement KPI of 99.68%, surpassing the target of 99.2%. Resolved Sales Forces cases within 24 hours for level 1 and within 48 hours for level 2-3.
• Ensured proper implementation of all SOC2 key controls.

• Provided high-quality Accounts Receivable (AR) services to third-party customers, including Civil Aviation and Airport Authorities across Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
• Played a crucial role in acquiring tax and local statutory knowledge to ensure accurate processing of receivables and payments, including the proper application of withholding taxes at the transaction's correct time.
• Reconciled and analyzed balances for taxes, Accounts Payable (AP), and AR across all countries.
• Developed reports and implemented controls to ensure accuracy in balance areas.
• Collaborated with management to continuously enhance current processes and controls, aiming to provide stakeholders with optimal service and operational efficiency.
• Assisted in reducing settlement variances by approximately 3.6 million USD through collaboration with Airlines and Authorities to identify and eliminate errors.
• Passionate about learning and dedicated to continuous improvement. Proven success in meeting tight deadlines and thriving in fast-paced environments.
• Skilled in both independent work and collaborative teamwork.

• Managed payable and asset/liability account reconciliations for Venezuela and Mexico.
• Prepared monthly Statement of Cash Flows and projected cash flows.
• Monitored cash intake and deposits, enhancing accuracy, and reducing discrepancies.
• Assisted in budget preparation and reported on variances in Local Offices' forecasts.
• Liaised directly with outsourced companies, suppliers, and banks for daily matters.
• Facilitated communication between Americas RVP team and Finance Department regarding Aviation Day Event matters.
• Provided supporting documentation and explanations for Income Tax Return and Financial Statement preparation for Mexico and Venezuela.