Hussein Abbas

Finance Team Manager @Ministry of Education New Zealand

Wellington, NZ

Primary responsibility: Lead strategic finance functions supporting a $B+ multi-year capital-intensive infrastructure programme within a complex government portfolio.• Lead the strategic finance project accounting team, focusing on all financial planning and analysis (FP & A) activities for a multi-year capital works portfolio exceeding $1B & ensuring alignment with long-term infrastructure strategies (5-year agreement, 10-year property plan) and fiscal discipline.• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and variance analysis for large-scale asset development initiatives, ensuring strong governance and optimal use of public funds.• Provide strategic financial advice to ministry leadership & regional delivery teams, supporting investment decisions, affordability reviews, resource allocation, and project delivery performance.• Partner with cross-functional teams (finance, property, commercial, policy) to deliver integrated financial reporting and capital investment insights.• Ensure compliance with public sector financial frameworks, including IFRS, audit standards, and Treasury investment management guidelines.• Champion financial process improvement and system enhancements, including automation initiatives and ERP optimisation.• Drive a continuous improvement culture in financial operations, governance, and stakeholder engagement across a complex and capital-intensive portfolio.• Build financial capability across non-financial stakeholders through training on systems, policies, and investment evaluation techniques.• Support official responses to Treasury, Ministerial, and Select Committee inquiries, reinforcing transparency and accountability.• Mentor a high-performing team of finance professionals, driving capability uplift across programme and delivery functions.

UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School

Master of Science - MS

Harvard Business School

Certificate

Cairo University

Bachelor of Science