Paul Sookdeo has over 25 years of experience in retail accounting, including positions as Director of Accounting at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services and Manager of Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis at Bergdorf Goodman. He has a proven track record of managing accounting teams, preparing budgets and financial reports, reconciling accounts, and implementing new financial systems. Sookdeo holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and is proficient in Oracle, Microsoft Office, and accounting skills.

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PAUL SOOKDEO
307 Stegman Pkwy Cell Phone: (201) 424-2374
Jersey City, NJ 07305 Email: paulsookdeo@yahoo.com
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Accounting professional with over twenty five year experience in Retail Accounting, Expense Planning & Analysis (including
some real estate / fixed asset accounting). Fully knowledgeable in general accounting, journal entry preparation, account
reconciliations, budget preparation, account analysis, variance explanation, monthly expense forecasting, financial close and
income statement preparation. Also, knowledgeable in Franchise Accounting.
Major player in the conversion from the old Legacy Financial Systems to new Oracle Financials.
Project Manager for Gift Card, Chart of Accounts / Expense Payable conversion. Project lead for Accounts Payable,
Payroll, POS and Merchandise Planning conversion.
Excellent analytical abilities, detail oriented, organized, flexible, dependable, efficient and proactive with strong managerial
and interpersonal skills. Work ethic: Work Smart, use the tools at hand to be more efficient and productive.
COMPUTER SKILLS
Experience in Oracle (general ledger / payables / other financial reporting systems).
Microsoft Excel and Word, Lotus Notes
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICES (Corporate Finance) – Jersey City, NJ November 2015 – Current
Director of Accounting (Franchise and Company owned stores)
*Supervise three Managers, seven staff members, and a team of fifteen seasonal employees.
*Responsible for Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payables and Cash and Credit Accounting.
*Daily reconciliation of bank products.
*Work with Franchises and owned stores operation team to ensure daily issues are addressed and resolved timely.
BERGDORF GOODMAN (Neiman Marcus Group) - New York, NY January 2001 – November 2015
Manager of Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis
* Supervise a team of three senior analysts and one staff.
* Report directly to Bergdorf Goodman Finance Director & CFO, and Neiman Marcus Corporate Accounting / Treasury.
Accomplishments:
Collected $4.7MM aged advertising receivables via vendor chargebacks and revised invoicing, and constant
communication with vendors. Reconciled aged outstanding Gift Certificates / Gift Cards and was able to identify and taken
into income $2.4MM of non-escheatable items. Worked with vendors and recovered $2.1MM of aged
vendor construction contribution receivables.
Recipient of Bergdorf Goodman President’s Award for Implementing new policies & procedures and worked closely with all
department heads to manage / control expenses. Due to constant internal reporting on payroll overtime / controls of non-
payroll expenses, the company’s net profit increased from 7% of sales to 20% without any significant reduction in Fte’s or
major change in margin rate for the same period.
Responsibilities:
* Prepare monthly / seasonal (payroll and non-payroll) expense budgets by account and subsequent review with pyramid
heads in all operating areas of the business.
* Ensure monthly net audited sales are recorded accurately to the General Ledger / Stock Ledger.
* Ensure monthly expenses are properly recorded and appropriate accrual entries are made.
* Complete monthly financial close and prepare (P&L) income statement by store, ecommerce and company.
* Provide senior management with monthly financials. Consistently met deliverables within deadlines.
* Prepare bi-monthly expense forecasting for all operating areas.
* Monthly meetings with all department managers on expense accounts analysis and variance explanation.
* Prepare monthly balance sheet account reconciliations.
* Record monthly fixed asset entries reclassification and CIP balance reconciliation.
* Monitor Capital Projects to ensure they stay within budget.
* Monthly reconciliation of EPOC (Expense Portion of Capital) and Capital Payroll chargeout Dollars.
* Ensure vendor contribution towards a project is invoiced timely, collected and credited back to the project.
* Record depreciation expense utilizing Oracle depreciation module.
* Prepare Quarterly Capital cash flow statements.
* Maintain operating and real estate escalation files to reflect new leases, amendments and terminations.
* Prepare monthly real estate rent & tax payment schedule.
* Monthly allocation / reconciliation of prepaid real estate taxes and rent.
* Prepare licensed departments monthly sales settlement.
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* Perform seasonal audits of Cash on Hand in store Vault and POS Registers.
* Weekly payroll balancing (Kronos / ADP vs Oracle G/L).
* Prepare monthly payroll overtime report for Sr. Management. Work with department managers to keep O/T at minimum.
* Prepare monthly third party fee allocation entries.
* Analysis of monthly third party chargebacks, work with Fraud and Security teams on reversal / recoveries.
* Prepare Annual Physical Inventory balancing and reconciliation. Work with merchants, department managers and security
to resolve shortage issues. Upload final shortage results to the stock ledger.
* Daily / monthly reconciliation of all POS Customer Liabilities (Gift Card, Refund Card, Promo Gift Card, & Mail Check)
* Prepare and review annual aged outstanding liabilities with the tax department for escheatment purpose.
* Support Merchant Group on travel and other expense related issues.
* Monthly analysis of aged A/P debit balances, work with the Merchants and vendors to collect same (saved $1M annually).
* Maintain operating policies & procedures and issue new procedures.
* Financial liaison for BG Merchant Group, NMG East Coast Distribution Center and Internal and External Auditors.
* Accounting for Cosmetic vendors salary and commission support chargeback / invoicing.
* Accounting for Advertising Expenses, Vendor Coop & Ad Sales (BG Magazine, Direct Mail, Newspaper and National
Magazines).
MACY*S EAST, INC. - New York, NY October 1983 - December 2000
Manager – Cash Services, Sales Audit & Expense Payable (94 East Coast Stores) - 4/1995 – 12/2000
* Supervised a team of one supervisor and fifteen staff members.
* Monthly reconciliation of depository and disbursement bank accounts
* Prepared monthly reconciliation of all wire transfers and make entry to record same.
* Monthly visits to regional stores to train / discuss new cash office procedures and changes.
* Monthly balancing of Imprest fund (cash on hand) to general ledger.
* Oversee Expense Payables and Customer Refund Disbursements.
* Prepared daily journal entries to record cash receipts / disbursement via the cash offices.
* Reconciled balance sheet and P & L accounts on a monthly basis.
* Published monthly cash over/short report to senior management.
* Prepared seasonal budgets for bank fees, armored car fees, and total company cash shortage expenses.
* Daily research of register differences and processing all corrections. Work closely with security to resolve shortages.
* Performed audits on all stores daily cash settlement sheets.
* Oversee general sales audit function and closing out of daily audited sales.
* Liaison for banks and armored carriers. Set up new stores cash offices.
* Liaison for all stores cash office staff and operation managers.
* Liaison for Corporate Treasury on all cash related issues.
Senior Expense Analyst - 9/1994– 3/1995
* Supervised a team of four staff members.
* Prepared monthly / seasonal expense budget by store.
* Reviewed and process all travel request for Macy*s East Stores.
* Performed monthly financial close and expense variance analysis.
* Provided management with sales variance analysis for licensed vendors within the building.
* Performed detail reconciliation of all expenses for cost and lease departments.
* Monitored designated balance sheet accounts and provided monthly reconciliation.
Senior Accountant Cash & Credit Accounting –9/1988 – 8/1994
* Supervised a team of seven staff members.
* Prepared daily balancing and reconciliation of A/R portfolio (Macy*s, Visa, MC, Amex and COD receivables).
* Prepared monthly bank reconciliation of all disbursement and depository accounts.
* Prepared monthly reconciliation for all A/R accounts.
* Prepared daily / monthly reconciliation of Macy*s Gift Certificate Liability account to the Gift Certificate
Tracking System.
* Reconciled Estate Jewelry Purchases (check issuances / purchase order and RTV processing).
* Balanced daily sales feed to the General Ledger.
* Controlled issuance of hand drawn checks and make monthly entries to record the same.
* Oversee monthly financial closings for accounts receivable and cash control areas.
* Analyzed and reconciled intercompany accounts on a monthly basis.
* Prepared monthly income statement.
* Prepared and submit payments to vendors for advertising done in magazines and newspapers.
* Reconciled aged advertising receivable and work with vendors to collect same.
* Reconciled general ledger expense accounts on a monthly basis and provided variance analysis.
* Researched and resolved expense vendor inquiries.
Junior Accountant – 10/1983 – 8/1988
* Balanced daily credit sales received from audited sales report to transmission (billing).
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* Verified settlement received from American Express, Visa and Mastercard against transmission file.
* Monitored and control final payments collected for all COD deliveries.
* Balanced weekly credit sales billed to general ledger feeds.
* Prepared journal entry to record mail refund disbursement, stop payments and voided checks.
* Prepared journal entry to record manual “hand drawn” expense checks.
* Prepared monthly balance sheet accounts reconciliation.
* Deferred sales tracking/reconciliation.
EDUCATION
New Jersey City University / CUNY
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting 1991
Dean’s List
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