Dhara Desai

About Dhara Desai

Strategic Finance & Controls Leader | CA | System Migration & Automation Champion | People-First Finance Transformation Driver \"Mastering the Metrics That Matter — From Audit to Automation!\" As a strategic finance leader at the intersection of financial control and automation, I’ve spent over 13 years redefining how organizations ensure compliance, drive reporting accuracy, and scale operations. My journey began with a belief: numbers are only valuable when they inform better decisions. Today, I lead teams to deliver that clarity—turning complexity into confidence across investment banks, IT firms, and Big 4 environments. Do reach me out at: d••••••••@gmail.com |+91••••••••09 Here’s what drives me: Engineering Financial PrecisionLed month-end close for $100B+ AUM portfolios under US GAAP/IFRS, consistently delivering zero-audit issues across global markets.• Regulatory Reporting Automation: Automated 15+ reports using Power BI—cutting manual efforts by 60% while improving control accuracy.• Global Process Migration: Transitioned core BU control from Boston to Bangalore, building high-performing teams and ensuring operational continuity.• System Migrations: Managed cross-platform migrations (Intrader → Summit, Oracle R12 → Cloud), integrating controls and reducing reconciliation errors.• Financial Consolidation & Compliance: Oversaw ledger integrity across bonds and equities, streamlining intercompany processes and statutory reporting. Empowering Finance through TechnologyDesigned Power BI dashboards to track financial KPIs and automate variance analysis, replacing static spreadsheets with dynamic, real-time insights. Leading with AccountabilityWhether mentoring junior accountants or collaborating with auditors and senior stakeholders, I bring structured thinking and clarity to financial narratives—because precision isn’t optional in finance; it’s foundational. Beyond the NumbersI thrive on solving financial puzzles at scale—translating compliance into confidence and numbers into strategy. From statutory audits at EY to multi-country finance transformations at State Street and Deutsche Bank, I’ve built a reputation for driving accuracy, process efficiency, and stakeholder trust. Let’s Connect If You’re Looking To:• Streamline global finance processes• Automate compliance and regulatory reporting• Build resilient, insight-driven finance teams P.S. Want to learn how I saved 100+ hours/month through report automation? Let’s chat over Zoom.

Experience

1. Assistant Vice President

   State Street

   May 2023 — Present · Bengaluru, IN

   I oversee the financial accounting and reporting accuracy and ensure regulatory compliance for State Street’s assets and investment portfolios, strictly adhering to SEC regulations and US GAAP standards. I lead a skilled team responsible for month-end close, account reconciliations, and variance analysis, while driving system migrations and process automation to strengthen financial controls and reporting efficiency.I spearheaded the migration of the BU control role from Boston to Bangalore, building and leading a new team to ensure a seamless transition. I automated over 15 regulatory reports using Power BI, significantly saving time and improving data integrity for senior management. Working closely with EY, I’ve supported SOX audits with zero compliance issues, while successfully executing major system migrations such as Intrader to Summit and Oracle R12 to Oracle Cloud, streamlining processes and reducing manual workload.

Education

• H L Institute of Commerce

  Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Accounting and Finance

  2006 — 2009

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

  Chartered Accountant

  2006 — 2011

Skills

• Financial Accounting
• Auditing
• Financial Statements
• Ifrs
• Bookkeeping
• Tax Preparation
• Tax Returns
• Assurance
• Statutory Audit
• Accounting Standards
• Accounting
• Internal Audit
• Income Tax
• Tax