Sony Corporation is one of the world's foremost multinationals and its structure is closely aligned with its product lines - consumer electronics, music, film and "PlayStation" games console.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of the "PlayStation" and associated products throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Australasia and the Middle East. At its peak the "PlayStation" accounted for 53% of Sony’s worldwide profits.
The formation of SCEE and its sister organisations in Japan and the USA constituted a huge financial gamble as each was essentially a start-up, with every business function built from the 'ground up'.
During the pre-launch period of the "PlayStation" my role involved:-
- Mapping the international flow of products and costs to determine transactional and accounting entries.
- Developing software pricing structures for 3rd party software licensing and distributor contracts and active involvenment in contract negotiations.
- Developing financial models - budgeting and transfer pricing for example - to assess the impact of changes on the statutory position of overseas entities.
- Devising a software development cost recording and reporting system.
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Post launch, I managed a department of six professionally qualified staff:-
- Guiding the development of commercial policies, e.g. software release planning, product and distributor pricing, supplier and customer contracts, Service Level Agreements (SLA’s), transfer pricing, etc.
- Directing the strategic planning and budgeting/forecasting activities.
- Project managing the implementation of Hyperion’s "FYPlan" software package.
- Proofing the monthly/annual accounts.
- Oversight responsibility for five legal entities, each with a local Financial Controller.
- Ensuring adequate financial control over the $65 million marketing budget.
- Ad hoc projects, e.g. improving financial processes to meet aggressive reporting deadlines, helping restructure the Chart of Accounts for US GAAP reporting, tax planning, mediating during intra-Sony disputes, etc.
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With 13 legal entities, six major distributors, 14 currencies and a sophisticated cash flow management system, SCEE has a truly complex business model.
Personal Achievements:-
Being one of the original team members that helped establish SCEE’s commercial and operational imperatives, one of the foundation stones of the company’s phenomenal success, i.e. $1 Billion turnover within three years.
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