Craig Smith
Financial Controller @Bensen
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WORK HISTORY
Financial Controller @Bensen
Vancouver, BC, CA
Responsibilities: Oversee full-cycle accounting: AP/AR, reconciliations, payroll, expenses, tax filings (corporate, GST/PST/EHT). Manage vendor statements, FX transactions, and payment systems (Moneris, Square). Administer royalty program, ensuring accurate payments and records. Develop and maintain financial controls, policies, and procedures. Monitor project costs, budgets, and streamline processes, particularly in real estate and building materials. Support CFO/COO and design team with pricing and analysis.Financial Reporting: Prepare monthly reports, KPIs, forecasts, and cash flow projections. Assist with budgets, capital tracking, and covenant reporting. Process expenses and credit card reconciliations.Accounting & Tax Compliance: Lead annual Review & Compilation (ASPE), support external accountants, and file T5013s. Research technical issues, oversee corporate taxes, payroll, GST/PST/EHT/W8Ben-E, TransLink tax, audits, and Stats Canada filings.Legal & Risk Management: Support CFO/COO with risk management policies, insurance, claims, audits, and regulatory compliance. Assess risks across retail and manufacturing, develop mitigation strategies, and monitor exposures. Ensure business continuity, disaster recovery, and staff training.Human Resources & Payroll: Oversee payroll, benefits, onboarding/offboarding, and ESA compliance. Conduct performance reviews and mentor finance/admin teams.Information Technology: Liaise with IT, manage hardware/software, contracts, accounting systems, and data structures. Stay current on software trends to enhance operations.Facilities: Manage building operations, contracts, emergencies, repairs, and equipment.Real Estate Portfolio: Oversee rent roll, collections, and lease management, including compliance and filings.
EDUCATION
University of Johannesburg
Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)
ABOUT CRAIG SMITH
Previously, I was the Director of Practice Review at Chartered Professional Accountants of BC. I lead a team of four associated directors, three administrative staff and ten contract review officers. The object of this team is the performance of reviews of licensed practitioners to ensure compliance with the Canadian Handbook of Accounting and Auditing. As the team manager, I am also responsible for setting and managing the budget, staff recruitment, and providing training both within my team, as well as to the public.I was previously a senior audit manager at KPMG Inc. My career is focused on project management and financial audits specifically consumer markets, entertainment, and technology sectors. This has lead me into the position of principle consultant at Keyrus, where I specialized in large data and cost transparency. This entailed understanding what drives costs, how these costs should be allocated to within a company, and ultimately to determine if the current cost structure is optimal for the objectives of the business.I am an ambitious, confident and professional individual with well-defined interpersonal skills, who always seeks a challenge.Key competencies have been obtained in:• Accounting and external reporting• Auditing and assurance• Project management• Management decision-making and control• Taxation• Risk management and governance• Business ethics, management and leadership• Valuations• Business acquisitions and disposals• ConsolidationsI played a significant role for clients in merger and acquisition deals. Most notably the buyout of INM Outdoor Proprietary Limited in 2009 by a consortium headed up by Helios Investments in 2009, giving rise to the Continental Outdoor Media Group, and then the buyout of the same group by JC Decaux Africa Holdings Proprietary Limited during 2014. Between the period, Continental entered into several acquisition transactions, all of which required purchase price allocations and valuations, which were overseen by myself.Other experience includes consolidations, which includes: non-controlling interests, foreign entities (both within Africa and to a lesser extent the UK), change in ownership, change in control, as well as restatement of consolidations due to changes in IFRS.
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