Maria Alejandres

Profesional apasionada y dedicada con una experiencia diversa que abarca finanzas, coaching e instrucción de yoga. Comprometida a crear un mundo más tranquilo ayudando a personas y organizaciones a mejorar su bienestar físico, emocional, mental y espiritual. Equipada con más de 15 años de experiencia en Finanzas, especializándose en FP&A en entornos multinacionales en España y Países Bajos.

Hice la transición de una exitosa carrera en finanzas a convertirme en profesora de yoga certificada con 500 horas de formación acreditadas por Yoga Alliance. Profundamente inspirada por experiencias personales que superaron la ansiedad a través del yoga, me embarqué en un viaje para combinar la sabiduría antigua con la ciencia moderna.

Poseo un Master en Liderazgo y Coaching, que es un programa ACTP reconocido por la Federación Internacional de Coaching (ICF). Experta en una variedad de técnicas modernas que incluyen inteligencia emocional, gestión de equipos, pensamiento de diseño, toma de decisiones y liderazgo. Comprometido con la integración de las filosofías orientales y occidentales, aprovechando la experiencia corporativa para cerrar las brechas culturales y organizativas.

Fundadora de In Unity Coaching en 2023, dedicado a empoderar a personas y empresas para que liberen todo su potencial y fomenten un mundo más equilibrado y armonioso.

May 2023 – Actualidad |            Fundadora | Coach & Profesora de Yoga

In Unity Coaching – Fuenlabrada, Madrid

I make my mission to create a calmer world. My focus is helping individuals and companies improve their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being with cutting-edge techniques of emotional intelligence, leadership and coaching and also the ancient wisdom of yoga.

My services include:

• Coaching 1:1 for your personal and professional development
• Yoga classes: Take care, invigorate and relax your body and mind with office & chair yoga, vinyasa, hatha, yin and yoga nidra. Online and on-site
• Workshops and Courses: Personalized design of a process that adapts to the needs of your employees focusing on well-being and burnout prevention.

Jun 2021 – Ene 2022    |            Analista de FP&A

Opdenergy – Torre Spinola, Planta 5, C. de Cardenal Marcelo Spínola, 42, 28016 Madrid

Responsible for running a reliable and responsive Financial Planning and Analysis function that provides the Chief Finance Officer value-added financial support and analysis to facilitate effective decision-making.

Leading the budgeting, planning, and forecasting analysis working closely with Accounting Manager, Business leaders and Country Managers.

• Lead the production of monthly P&L reporting, rolling forecast ensuring major variances are explained.

• Lead annual budget process: by Country, by Business Unit & Consolidated

• Lead the production of periodic re-forecasts, ensuring risks and opportunities are highlighted.

• Executive presentations

Apr 2018 – Dec 2020        |            Senior FP&A Analyst

Arcadis NV - Gustav Mahlerlaan 97-103, 1082 MS Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Civil Engineering

Part of Group FP&A team in the global HQ of Arcadis, reporting to the Financial Reporting and Process Management Director, I provided the consolidated view through the reporting, budget and forecast process. I also monitored and report the overall performance at group level, working closely with senior management at Corporate level to provide insightful reporting:

• Proactive leading reporting cycles focusing on the consolidated financial performance of the group; supporting the Group Controller and CFO, Executive and Supervisory Board.
• Evaluating, interpreting and communicating financial KPI to top management. I supported the end-to-end financial processes and acted as linking element between business and Group Control.
• I prepared comprehensive and detailed reports, communications and presentations; advised on key trends, deviations, and areas of opportunity & risk for every reporting cycle.
• Leading in simplified impactful storytelling, acting as primary source of financial explanation and understanding, coordinating FP&A and Business Analysis teams to align on the storyline and leading end of the day meetings with senior management to update them on the reporting cycle progress and need to know points.
• Managing Financial Planning & Control; preparing for and actively running reporting cycle processes; liaising across teams and functions (accounting, tax, treasury, BA, systems team and the different countries), including leading quarterly close meetings with over 20 people.
• Supporting and initiating improving end-to-end financial processes enforcing continuous simplification, professionalization and improvements, as well as further automation and digitization of processes (mainly using SAP BPC and CXO tools). i.e. moving from an Excel/PowerPoint based presentation that took 30 minutes to refresh to a web based tool with life data and immediately available to all the relevant stakeholders.
• Actively creating and participating in activities to improve and maintain colleagues’ health like people first weeks, teaching yoga classes, desks exercises, breathing and meditation techniques and providing H&S moments based on mindfulness during meetings.

Feb 2017 – Mar 2018     |            Sabbatical 

More details in ‘Other Projects’ section

Nov 2013 – Feb 2017    |            Finance & Accountant Analyst

Verathon Medical Europe BV - Willem Fenengastraat 13, 1096 BL Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Medical Devices Sector

Responsible for the FP&A in the European headquarters of Verathon Medical Europe, BV reporting to the EMEA Finance Director:

• Monthly Business Review Decks: creation of the first business review deck in Europe, providing insight into the business for both business and functions, Sales Revenues, COGS, Gross Margins, by product, product groups, Business units, customers, trends, country and area, P&L... 
• Quarterly Forecast and Annual Operating Plan: creation of templates, coordinate with the many business partners, validate numbers, consolidate at EMEA Geo level and upload to Essbase.
• Periodic Sales Reports (daily / weekly) by area and business unit to Management and Sales Rep.
• Other required reports: Marketing details, SG&A expenses by department, ad-hoc requests.
• Improvement of Reporting tools: Essbase cube, project lighthouse, Business Objects reports... with our HQ Finance colleagues in the US.
• Improve and documentation of processes: Deferred Revenue, Inventory, Forecast... Creation of process maps with MS-Visio, detailed working instructions.
• Clean data, work with multiple sources of data individually and in cross-functional teams. I worked with Customer Service and Operations teams in different topics (order entry, inventory returns).
• Account Reconciliations in conjunction with the Accountants in Blackline, setting up best practices and training to provide the most accurate information.
• Coordinate Finance and Accounting related processes to Inventory: Inventory reconciliation, SPI (Special Purpose Inventory) Pools, E&O (Excess & Obsolescence) Analysis. Training of different members of the team and entities. 
• Computer application knowledge: especially MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint, MS-Access, MS-Visio. ERP Infor Visual. Reporting tools: Essbase, SAP Business Objects. CRM Salesforce.

Nov 2012 – Nov 2013     |            Financial Controller

Nikon Europe BV - Burgerweeshuispad 101, 1076 ER, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Imaging (photo cameras) and Sports Optics Sector

Part of the Business Planning team who was responsible for providing analysis and insight into Nikon’s European operations, reporting directly to Nikon’s Vice-President in Europe.

• Budgeting for Nikon Europe BV (headquarters of Nikon Corporation in Europe) as a ‘local’ company (intercompany sales to other Nikon subsidiaries in Europe and distributors + 12 SG&A departments) improving the accuracy and reliability of the internal budgeting: preparation of the templates, work with the different business partners, revision process. 5 budgets done per year.
• Quarterly Forecast (Flash) to predict how we would land at the end of each quarter. 
• Preparing monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual management reports to management.
• Preparation of regular deviation reports: analysis on deviations budget vs. actual, trends, including discussions with Senior Managers responsible for the cost centers.
• Support the management of Nikon Limited Risk Distributor model / Flash Sales model by supporting the financial controller in charge of the true profitability project in further development of the analytical tool for true profitability (implementation of Internal Orders).
• SAP: Identification of areas of improvement in the local budgeting/reporting process and tools and initiate and realize improvement projects in SAP, BW, Bex Analyzer.
• Computer application knowledge: especially MS-Office, SAP FI/CO and Hyperion.
• Additional information: temp contract to cover a Financial Controller’s maternity leave.

May 2008 – Oct 2012    |            Accountant & Controller Manager

SEGA Consumer Products, S.A. - C/ Gobelas 21, Bajo Izq. 28023 Madrid, Spain

Videogames (wholesale trade) Sector

Part of the Finance team in Spain, subsidiary of SEGA in Europe reporting to our headquarters in UK.

• Annual Budget elaboration: SG&A part.
• Forecasting: monthly rolling P&L Forecast.
• Profit analysis reporting: weekly, monthly, by title, by customer, SG&A analysis and other control reports, reconciliation of balances accounts.
• Budget and Forecast variance analysis including monthly reviews.
• Presentation of data and reports to management.
• ERP Implementation - Oracle: moving from Navision. System implementation and control tools development, main tester for new features and improvements and employees’ trainer.
• Accounting and controlling:
• Monthly close and reporting.
• Intercompany: the main supplier was Sega Europe Ltd. (European headquarters) who provided most of the stock. Control of stock invoices and posting (transfer pricing). Intercompany reconciliation: stock invoices, loans, loan interest, true up, other recharges.
• General accounting, provisions and accruals: sales provision, inventory provision, warehouse distribution, marketing, travel and HR accruals, customer rebates, prepayments, deposits, fix assets, other accruals.
• Accounts payable: creation of requisitions and purchase orders, invoices posting, AP aging, suppliers payment, control and payment of employees’ expenses claims.
• Interface: reconciliation between the warehouse files and the system figures: revenue, VAT receivable, stock quantity, stock value and cost of goods.
• Bank and cash: treasury control, cash and bank conciliation, cash flows elaboration.
• HR: payroll control, employees’ benefits control: medical and life insurance, ticket restaurant.
• Other tasks: Taxes preparation and presentation of monthly, quarterly and annual taxes and support internal and external audits.
• Multiple reporting tools: Mokum (Oracle), MIS (Management Information System), Warehouse programs (ATLAS and Datawarehouse).

Sep 2009 – Feb 2010      |            Finance Director Interim: I covered Finance Director’s maternity leave managing a team of 2 people.

Jul 2012 – Oct 2012        |            Finance Director Interim: I was the only person in the department. Sega changed its Distribution Model, deciding to close all the European offices except the headquarters in UK and selling the videogames by Distributors. I stayed that time to deal with our customers, suppliers and give all the information needed to the headquarters, auditors, tax advisors, … to have a smooth transition. 

Sep 2006 – Apr 2008    |            Accountant

Intrawest Spain, S.L. Madrid Snow Zone - Xanadú Shopping mall, Arroyomolinos, Madrid

Leisure center

• Periodic Sales Reports (daily / weekly) to company direction 
• Monthly Report package to company direction and to the head office in Canada.
• Accounts receivable responsible: invoicing, accounting, control of customers’ credit. 
• Control and payment of employees’ expense claims.
• Control of Petty Cash and daily cash collections: supervising the takings were correct in the reception (cashiers), the vending machines, …
• Relations with the bank: takings to the bank and collection of change.
• Computer application knowledge: Accounting program SAGE 100, Contaplus, MS-Excel and customized reporting tool for the company

Mar 2005 – Sep 2006     |            Sales Coordinator

• Administrative, sales tasks, customer service, responsible of groups organization and monitor in company events

2021 - 2022                   |            Executive Master in Leadership and Coaching

EAE Business School Madrid (Spain) 

1999 - 2003                         |            Bachelor of Business Administration

Carlos III University, Getafe, Madrid (Spain) 

 2017 - 2023                        |            500 hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance

200 hr. yoga teacher training with Siddhi Yoga in Dharamshala (India) and 300 hr. with YogaRenew

2019                                    |            Yin Yoga and Yoga Release Teacher Training

50 hr. course with Yoga Deep International in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)