Dubai · UAE

Afsal Thazhathethil Abubacker

Finance Leader bridging elite accounting with intelligent automation. Building the infrastructure that lets companies grow fast without losing control.

Qualifications & expertise

  • Cert IFRS
  • M Com
  • B Com
Afsal Thazhathethil Abubacker, Finance and FinOps professional
Finance Leader & FinOps Innovator Dubai · UAE
7+Years XP
100+Projects
100%Client Satisfaction
AED200k+Revenue Generated
01

Profile

I help businesses get their finances right and make everyday finance operations work better.

I’m Afsal, a UAE-based Finance Leader and CMA (USA). I help businesses take control of their finances, understand what drives profitability, and remove the finance operational bottlenecks that hold back growth.

My foundation is finance: accurate reporting, cash flow discipline, working capital management, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. I turn complex financial information into a clear view of performance: where money is earned, where it is tied up, and where action is needed.

Over time, I’ve seen how much good work gets held up by repetitive tasks, disconnected systems, and processes that no longer fit the business. That’s where my interest in technology comes in.

When a process keeps slowing people down, I look for a better way to do it.

I use ERP systems, AI, and automation to simplify reconciliations, improve reporting, and remove unnecessary steps from everyday workflows. I start with the problem, understand what the team needs, and build a solution that makes their work easier while keeping the right controls in place.

For me, strong finance means knowing where the business stands, what needs attention, and what to do next.

That’s what I aim to bring to every team I work with.

Expertise & Toolkit

Skills & Technology

02 07 skills Tax & Compliance Financial reporting standards and UAE regulatory compliance.
  • IFRS & US GAAP
  • UAE Corporate Tax
  • UAE VAT
  • VAT Returns & FTA Compliance
  • AML Compliance
  • Tax Audits & Assessments
  • Regulatory Reporting
03 09 tools Accounting & ERP Accounting and ERP platforms for connected financial operations.
  • Zoho Books
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Odoo
  • TallyPrime
  • Wafeq
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Manager.io
  • Wave Accounting
04 15 tools Data & Automation Analytics, automation, and digital tools for smarter finance.
  • Advanced Excel
  • Power BI
  • Looker Studio
  • Syft Analytics
  • AI & LLM Tools
  • Claude for Accounting
  • Google Apps Script
  • Google Colab
  • Streamlit
  • Zapier
  • Make
  • ClickUp
  • Replit
  • Firebase
  • Supabase
05 11 industries Industry Expertise Cross-sector finance, accounting, and compliance experience.
  • Fintech
  • Private Equity & Venture Capital
  • LP & GP Structures
  • SaaS & Software
  • E-commerce
  • Adtech & Digital Advertising
  • Real Estate
  • Holiday Homes & Short-Term Rentals
  • Restaurants & Food and Beverage
  • Management Consulting
  • Trading & Distribution
06 12 jurisdictions UAE Free Zones & Jurisdictions Practical experience across major UAE business jurisdictions.
  • Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
  • International Free Zone Authority (IFZA)
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
  • Sharjah Media City (Shams)
  • Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ)
  • Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA)
  • Meydan Free Zone
  • Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
  • Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
  • Dubai Media City (DMC)
  • Dubai Production City
  • Dubai Knowledge Park
02

Career

AUG 2025 TO PRESENT
Business Controller / Management Accountant
BIZ EASY DMCC | Dubai, UAE
  • Led finance operations and month end closing for FY 2021 to 2024 backlog accounts, completing the full clean up within 60 days and enabling CT filing, AML compliance and DMCC submissions.
  • Managed financial reporting, reconciliations, accruals, prepayments, journal reviews and closing schedules to ensure accurate and audit ready books.
  • Oversaw UAE VAT and Corporate Tax compliance support, including reconciliations, return preparation data, supporting documentation and coordination with tax advisors.
  • Controlled end to end bank, wallet, payment gateway and crypto reconciliations, ensuring timely variance resolution and reliable financial records.
  • Managed accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, including customer invoicing, collections follow up, vendor payments, ageing analysis and working capital control.
  • Prepared profitability analysis, liquidity forecasts, cash flow reports and working capital insights to support pricing decisions and CFO level financial planning.
  • Supervised PDC tracking, petty cash, employee advances, reimbursements, payroll, WPS/SIF submissions and payment approvals in line with internal controls.
  • Strengthened finance governance through Zoho automation, SOP implementation and structured workflows across recurring accounting and reporting cycles.
FEB 2025 TO MAY 2025
Manager Accounting Advisory, Audit Liquidation & Cleanup
FINANSHELS ACCOUNTING ADVISORY LLC | Dubai, UAE
  • Led 60+ audit cleanup and liquidation projects, defining scope, deliverables and execution plans for timely completion.
  • Completed 40+ projects with high accuracy, contributing AED 120,000 revenue within 3 months.
  • Built dashboards and automation tools for onboarding, reconciliation, reminders and categorisation, reducing manual effort by 70%.
  • Implemented financial systems for clients using QBO, Foodics and Supy, improving revenue visibility and reconciliation accuracy.
  • Recognised with the Creative Innovator Award for automation led process improvement.
FEB 2024 TO FEB 2025
Finance Manager FinOps
FINANSHELS ACCOUNTING ADVISORY LLC | Dubai, UAE
  • Managed 40+ monthly financial statements in line with UAE compliance requirements, generating AED 80,000+ recurring revenue.
  • Oversaw ERP optimisation across Odoo, Zoho Books, Xero, QuickBooks, Wave and Wafeq, reducing month end closing time by 50%.
  • Designed cashflow forecasting, reporting dashboards and finance review tools to improve management visibility.
  • Supported VAT compliance, client onboarding, scope reviews and financial process improvements across multiple portfolios.
  • Mentored 15+ team members and developed 2 team leads within the finance operations function.
JUN 2023 TO JAN 2024
Assistant Manager Accounting Advisory
FINANSHELS ACCOUNTING ADVISORY LLC | Dubai, UAE
  • Led a 5+ member finance team, improving productivity through onboarding, coaching and workflow supervision.
  • Managed ERP setup, bookkeeping review and financial reporting for 20+ clients, ensuring VAT and reporting compliance.
  • Prepared 25+ monthly financial statements aligned with IFRS principles and internal reporting timelines.
  • Handled quarterly VAT planning and filings with 100% deadline compliance.
  • Improved workflows using automation tools, reducing manual effort and turnaround time.
OCT 2022 TO MAY 2023
Finance Executive FinOps
FINANSHELS ACCOUNTING ADVISORY LLC | Dubai, UAE
  • Managed bookkeeping, tax compliance and reporting support for 8+ international clients.
  • Improved ERP workflows and client accounting processes to enhance reporting accuracy and operational clarity.
  • Supported automation, task tracking and turnaround improvement across finance operations.
  • Stabilised accounting delivery for a high priority client, restoring client confidence and management recognition.
FEB 2019 TO FEB 2021
Accounts Assistant
AM WINGS HONDA | Palakkad, India
  • Recorded journals, AP/AR postings, accruals and reconciliations to support accurate monthly closing.
  • Processed vendor invoices, payments, PO matching and bank reconciliations.
  • Supported GST filings, cash deposits, audit schedules and year end documentation.
03

Services

01 ⬡

ERP Implementation

End to end deployment and optimisation of ERP platforms including Zoho, QuickBooks, and Xero cutting close time by up to 50%.

02 ◈

UAE VAT & Corporate Tax

Full compliance management for UAE VAT and Corporate Tax filings, planning, and FTA audit support with zero error track record.

03 ◎

Financial Automation

AI powered bots and Python scripts for bank reconciliation, petty cash workflows, and report generation removing manual bottlenecks.

04 ◆

IFRS / GAAP Reporting

Fully compliant financial statements and management accounts under IFRS and US GAAP built for investor confidence and regulatory clarity.

05 ⬙

Accounting & Bookkeeping

Structured, clean bookkeeping services with real time dashboards from daily journals to month end closes for SMEs and scale ups.

06 ◭

Backlog Cleanup

Specialist recovery service to reconstruct years of messy or missing records clean, audit ready books delivered on aggressive timelines.

04

Built Tools

AI · Classification

AI Bank Categorizer

High speed bank statement classification engine with automated logic nodes.

Tax · UAE

Tax Automator

Direct compliance link for UAE VAT filing and reporting pipelines.

Cashflow

Cashflow Projector

Cashflow projector that forecasts inflows and outflows to help you plan and manage liquidity effectively.

Gratuity · UAE

Gratuity Calculator

Labor law compliant end of service benefits calculator.

Compliance

Compliance Calendar

Compliance calendar that tracks deadlines and sends timely reminders so you never miss a filing.

Reporting

Financial Statement Generator

Statement generator that automatically creates accurate reports for quick and informed decision making.

05

Connect

Let's build something exceptional.

Based in Dubai, I work with businesses worldwide on ERP implementation, compliance, and finance automation.