Julia Yakubova

About Julia Yakubova

With nearly two decades of experience in the cruise industry, I\'ve navigated everything from Operations to Revenue Accounting, always with a focus on strategic innovation and exceptional leadership. My journey culminated in a pivotal role at Azamara Cruises, where I led the successful transition of the brand from Royal Caribbean Group to independent ownership in 2022. I built and developed the Cash Operations and Revenue Accounting teams from scratch, integrated new reservation systems, and aligned payment platforms—ultimately ensuring a smooth and seamless transition to the new structure.My expertise extends to ASC 606 compliance, where I’ve worked to streamline processes and ensure revenue recognition practices align with industry standards. Whether it\'s developing complex financial strategies or leading large-scale projects, I’m always looking for opportunities to innovate and drive operational excellence.With a customer-centric mindset and a natural entrepreneurial drive, I’m deeply committed to fostering teams that excel both individually and collectively. I’m proud to be known for my powerful presentation and communication skills, which I use to simplify the complex and connect the dots across departments, stakeholders, and leadership teams. I thrive on making big-picture ideas actionable, translating financial data into meaningful strategies, and leading teams with an approach that emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and trust.When I’m not innovating behind the scenes or learning about Marketing, Sales & FP & A, you’ll probably find me dreaming up my next adventure. After all, you can take the girl out of the cruise industry, but you can’t take the cruise out of the girl!Specialties: Revenue Recognition, Accruals, Variance Analysis, Flux, Communication skills, Powerful Leadership, Essbase, GAAP, Auditing, Finance, Financial statements, Forecasting & Budgeting, JDEdwards, Macros, Excel, Negotiations, Presentation Skills, NetSuite, SeaWare Reservation System

Experience

1. Sr Revenue Acct & Financial Systems Manager

   Azamara Cruises

   Oct 2023 — Present · Miami, FL, US

   Research & implement revenue guidance in accordance with ASC 606; Co-authored policies and narratives, guidelines and SOP\'s.* Review journal entries and create account reconciliations consistent with US GAAP and corporate accounting policies for both Income Statement and Balance Sheet accounts.* Perform & present monthly revenue analysis utilizing NetSuite and Power BI reporting functionalities* Extensive & diversified knowledge in SeaWare Business Rules; User Testing in all environments, Core Upgrades, working with report creation/generation to support business objectives * Experienced in developing analysis for variances in actuals vs forecast for GTR & Ancillary Revenue streams in close partnership with business owners & FP & A* Streamline month and quarter end close procedures including daily GL transactions, voyage revenue recognition, account reconciliations, prorations, world-cruise considerations & coupon complexities* Proven track record of successfully building & leading strong teams, achieving targeted goals in a complex start-up & multi-faceted environment.* Excellent communication & interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.* Seasoned Cruise Alum with strategic thinking, customer-centric mindset, innovative spirit, and entrepreneurial drive.

Education

• University of Miami Herbert Business School

  Bachelors, Accounting

  2000 — 2004

• Nova Southeastern University

  Masters, Accounting

  2007 — 2009

Skills

• Budgets
• Finance
• Accounts Receivable
• Internal Controls
• Management
• Payroll
• Variance Analysis
• Financial Accounting
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Accounts Payable
• Accounting
• Tax
• General Ledger
• Leadership
• Financial Reporting
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Account Reconciliation
• Auditing
• Financial Analysis
• Microsoft Word
• Jd Edwards
• Outlook
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Access
• Inventory Management
• Financial Statements
• Customer Service