EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Asif Nawaz is the Managing Director of VAFTA (Value Added Finance, Technology & Accounting) Solutions Ltd., a London based consulting firm that specializes in providing Accounting & IT related services. Nawaz holds extensive experience in Financial & Management Accounting, with a sharp mixture of Information Systems related skills, specializing in Business Resources Management & Marketing Consulting. Having worked in the US, Asia, Middle East and Europe, Nawaz possesses a unique fusion of business skills coupled with extensive hands on Corporate Finance and web related Information Technology experience.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

VAFTA Solutions Ltd., Managing Director | February 2008–Present

VAFTA (Value Added Finance, Technology & Accounting) is a London based firm set up to cater to the business needs of small and medium size enterprises in the Greater London Area. The firm aims to help businesses reduce the overheads involved in Accounting and IT, and advises them on defining and focusing on their primary goals and markets. VAFTA differentiates itself from its competition by focusing on value-driven, process based business consulting and result-driven, implemented and managed solutions.

+ Prepare Business Plan, Define Market, and Incorporate – Conducted Market Research on Small & Medium Size Businesses Accounting and IT Methodologies and Requirements. Defined market, set up business goals and identified a relevant market for a profitable business consulting model.
+ Lead Design, Implementation, Programming and Launch of

Asif Nawaz Consulting, Owner | January 2007-December 2007

Independent Consultancy to provide a wide array of business services (primarily Accounting, Information Technology, Management & Marketing) to businesses in Dubai, United Arab Emirates & London, UK. Dealing with only a small group of clients, the consultancy had two additional employees other than Asif Nawaz.

+ Conduct a Systems Analysis – For a specific client, a growing company in events management, marketing & media, identify and define the need for processes and systems automation to cut down costs and improve efficiency in the business processes.
+ Procure & Set up Hardware, Install Software – Research the market to search for the best, most cost-effective hardware and software to design a system that was not only cost-effective, but gave the business the flexibility to grow for up to 5 years at the existing growth rate. Microsoft Windows XP Server 2003 was procured and installed with a network of five Windows XP Pro machines, with an automated redundant backup.
+ Write & Deploy Accounting & Business Procedures – Drafted procedures & policies based on client’s business model for accounting purposes, automating the business process for smooth business functioning, easier management, and elimination of fraud due to negligence.
+ Install Peachtree Accounting, Streamline Books per UK GAAP & IFRS – Installed Peachtree Accounting on client machines, reconciled and assimilated over 4 years of spreadsheets, invoices, receipts, and bank statements and prepared UK GAAP & IFRS Compliant Financial Statements & Reports. Developed project/event costing model within Peachtree to track profitability and cash disbursement patterns per event. Liaisoned with auditors to get the client’s financial statements successfully audited.
+ Developed & Deployed an eCommerce Solution for Sales of Event Tickets Online – Based on PHP & MySQL, using modules from eCommerceTemplates, a shopping store was set up with seating charts of relevant venues across Dubai to sell tickets online. The system prepared reports in conjunction with the requirements of the procedures set forth to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis by Event.

Ingenium Partners FZE, Managing Partner | October 2005–December 2006

Ingenium Partners FZE, a UAE based company, was formed as a network of global consultants joined together to form one of the most dependable support networks available to businesses all over the world.
The company turned over GBP 50,000 in its first year of business, and Asif Nawaz was in-charge of managing the team of 7 employees.

+ Prepare Business Plan, Define Market, and get Funding – Conducted Market Research on Businesses Finance and IT Methodologies and Requirements in the UAE Market. Defined market, set up business goals and wrote a comprehensive business plan. Identified a relevant market for a profitable business consulting model and managed to get four partners and investors to set up a company.
+ Strategic Planning & Implementation – Wrote & Managed strategic plan and goals for company, designing all marketing materials, including web sites, brochures, corporate write-ups, and procedures and policy manuals needed to meet the strategic plans and goals. Liaisoned with the Government (Economic Department & Immigration) to get appropriate licenses and permissions to conduct business based on the business plan.
+ Marketing & Sales of IT & Finance Related Products – Solicited business from a multitude of clients based on personal marketing and sales strategies and implementation along with a staff of 2 sales/marketing personnel. Within the first seven months, marketed services and engaged at least 5 different clients for IT related services.
+ Successful Business Management – Successfully deployed business plan and met goals to help company become profitable and expand into more office space in less than 7 months. Hired employees, conducted Board Meetings, and successfully met business goals of revenue and profitability.
+ Basic IT Setup for Business – Procured hardware and software; Installed and configured a Windows 2003 Server; set up a network of multiple computers and configured machines for use with the Microsoft .NET Platform, Microsoft SQL Server 2003, MySQL and PHP for product development. For finance and accounting services, configured multiple installations of Peachtree, SAGE, QuickBooks Pro, Microsoft Small Business Accounting and WebERP.
+ Project Management – Successfully managed over 9 major projects in the 15 months at Ingenium Partners & lead company to become a registered Partner and developer of the Microsoft Platform based applications.
+ Work Completed on Projects Relevant to IT:
+ Setting up & deploying multiple Windows 2003 Servers with Windows XP pro & Windows XP Home client machines.
+ Designing, coding, and managing the development of several applications, content management systems & intranets in PHP & MySQL typically hosted on a Linux/UNIX Configuration.
+ Managing the development of multiple applications coded in ASP.Net & VB.Net with Microsoft SQL Server to be deployed in Windows 2003 Server environments.
+ Prepared multiple Requirement Specification Documents (RSD), Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD), Workflows/Flowcharts, Data Flow Diagrams (DFD), Class Diagrams, Visual Tables of Contents (VTOC) and other documents after analysis of business requirements and existing systems for production of software and information systems.
+ Developed multiple Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) for several information systems to help reduce time spent performing a specific function using a particular piece of software.
+ Developed and trained employees and clients in Object Oriented Design Methodologies, interface design & management, database management and configuration and deploying windows based servers over networks using technologies like Microsoft SharePoint Services.
+ Deploy and configure multiple network based installations and configurations of Microsoft .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, PHP, MySQL and Rational Rose. Other software installed and configured includes, but is not limited to: Focus Accounting, SAGE Accounting, Peachtree Accounting, Microsoft Small Business Accounting, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Enterprise Edition, and WebERP.
+ Reverse engineered existing open source PHP/MySQL software to customize & redesign interface and enhance functionality by adding modules as per project and client requirements.
+ Work Completed on Projects Relevant to Business & Finance:
+ Set up Accounting departments for multiple small business, configuring software, creating initial chart of accounts, and bringing up-to-date any transactions.
+ Managed the preparation of books of several businesses from creation and preparation of Ledgers to Financial & Management Reports.
+ Liaisoned with Managing Directors and management in various companies to collect information and write Accounting Policies and Procedures and deploy relevant internal Controls; oversaw deployment of controls, procedures and policies and change as necessary for smooth functioning of business processes.
+ Trained multiple accounting staff in-house and for clients to take over accounting departments.
+ Developed multiple business measurement, cash management, budgeting & forecasting, and project costing models to help businesses of all sizes better manage productivity and become more efficient in business planning and execution of relevant business processes. Such models were typically developed using business methodologies and deployed in Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets.
+ Consult with companies for product branding and marketing; define brand identity, create and design relevant, goal oriented logos, web sites and marketing materials that got across the right message.
+ Successfully helped multiple companies bring books in compliance with US GAAP, UK GAAP and IFRS for completion of audit and procurement of funding from banking institutions

TAEUS International Corporation, Financial Controller | July 2004 – September 2005

TAEUS is an engineering firm that helps clients make money from their patent portfolios. Our roots are in reverse engineering of integrated circuits (ICs) and other complex electronic systems to prove a patent’s use in electronic products including integrated circuits, whole electronic systems, radio (RF) devices and software systems. The customers are fortune 500 patent holders and their law firms.

Asif initially joined TAEUS as a Corporate Accountant in 2004, and was promoted to Financial Controller in March, 2005. The company almost doubled in employees in 12 months and grossed over US $ 7 million in revenue. At the age of 23, Nawaz was managing a corporate budget of over US $ 6 million and running the accounting department at a company that had a client portfolio which included the likes of Microsoft, Intel, HP, and Dolby. Asif managed one permanent employee and several temporary employees at TAEUS.

+ Wrote Accounting Policies & Procedures – Wrote the company’s policies and procedure manual and designed documents for internal controls and audit trails. Implemented controls to control costs, better document expenses and spending and eliminate possibility of fraud.
+ Cash & Receivables Management – Developed and introduced cash management and debt collection strategies, lowering average monthly receivables from US $ 800,000 per month to under US $ 400,000 per month.
+ Budgeting & Forecasting – Introduced new budgeting and forecasting methodologies to increase accountability amongst employees and managers and project profitability. An extensive budgeting model was developed based on several key variables in Microsoft Excel (using macros). Sales forecasts were introduced to forecast revenue and resulting growth and investments.
+ Project Costing – Developed a project based costing model to help Program Managers better manage projects. Costing method tested project efficiency and profitability across a variety of business and project dimensions.
+ Complete first ever US GAAP Compliant Statements & Audit – Prepared and managed the preparation of the company’s first ever US GAAP compliant financial statements, sorting through and reconciling 12 years of spreadsheets, invoices, and banks statements. Financial Statements were successfully audited and published.

College of Business, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Webmaster / Lab Instructor of Information Systems | January 2003 – June 2004

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, along with the College of Business & Administration, was established in 1965. It is the fastest growing campus in the University of Colorado System and is home to over 7,500+ students. The College of Business offers Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration Degrees, both of which are accredited by Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

+ Systems Analysis & Design – Completed a year long process of interviews, polls and surveys to collect information from staff, faculty and students to gather requirements and prepare Requirement Specification Documents and build a plan to design and deploy a web site with a functional intranet.
+ Designed Interface and Structure – Worked with co-webmaster and Program Director to produce the site design for the College of Business Web site and the interface for the back end content management system and intranet.
+ Specify & configure web server – Configured Windows 2000 professional web server for hosting of web site and intranet, which were to be coded and run on PHP & MySQL.
+ Design Course Syllabus – As lab instructor, work with full time professors to prepare and write syllabus for Information Systems Classes, prepare exercises and lecture notes to be discussed with students during class. As of 2004, Nawaz was the only undergraduate student to substitute for professors during lectures.
+ Train Students on Microsoft Office Applications- As Lab Instructor train and instruct students on the use of Microsoft, Word, Excel & Access, along with Windows 2000 and Windows XP functionality. Also trained students in the basics of HTML web design & concepts as an introduction to more advanced Information Systems Courses.

EDUCATION

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Bsc. Business Administration (1st Class (GPA 3.67), Honours: Cum Laude)
Area of Emphasis I: Accounting
Area of Emphasis II: Information Systems
+ With special permission from the Dean of the College of Business, Asif was the only student to complete a four year degree with a double major in two years and nine months. Advanced coursework and training included:
+ Web Sever Design & Implementation
+ Managing Cisco Networks
+ Database Concepts & Applications
+ Systems Analysis & Design
+ Information Systems Project Management
+ Advanced Financial Accounting: Mergers & Acquisitions
+ Integrated Skills for Management

OTHER POSITIONS

Registered Partner – Microsoft Corporation
Member – Institute of Management Accountants (IMA, USA)
Member– Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK)
Alumni – Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE, USA)
Alumni – University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

SELECTED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

+ Pre-Collegiate Development Program (2004), University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, “Stepping into Corporate America”
+ The SIFE Annual Event (2004), Kansas City, Missouri, “Annual Report Presentation: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs”

OTHER WORKS

+ Developed a Search Engine Optimized Online Store in PHP/MySQL with a comprehensive back end content management system compatible with client’s credit card vendor and design for Scandinavian Food & Gift Retailer in Seattle, Washington, USA.
+ Researching various Search Engine Optimization Methodologies with personal blog/site that receives over 15,000 unique visits per month
+ Developing an Amazon.com model based web site using PHP, MySQL, AJAX & XML for the online sale of Ceramics & Pottery by the name of Designer Pottery. Extensive market research was conducted and data gathered before proceeding with this project which is currently a work in progress.

TECHNICAL TOOLS & SKILLS

Past experience with implementing and deploying the following tools:

- Technology / Web
+ PHP / MySQL
+ SQL Server
+ Rational Rose
+ Visual Basic dot Net, Visual Studio 2008
+ CSS / HTML
+ ASP
+ XML
+ XBRL
+ Microsoft Visio / Microsoft Project / Access / FrontPage
+ Adobe Flash / Photoshop
+ Microsoft Windows Server 2003
+ Network Management, Design & Implementation
+ Web Server Deployment and Implementation
+ Database Administration

- Finance / Accounting
+ JD Edwards
+ Oracle Enterprise 11 g and Discoverer Plus
+ Hyperion
+ Sage Accounts
+ Intuit QuickBooks
+ Peachtree Accounting
+ Microsoft Office Accounting / Microsoft Excel (with Macros)
+ WebERP