Ammar Qureshi

As a Vice President, I am currently leading and supervising a team of Fund Controllers, ensuring their adherence to job responsibilities and driving high performance. My primary focus is on optimizing operational efficiency and achieving exceptional results in fund management. In addition to managing the team, I am responsible for overseeing outsourced operations to service providers, ensuring their strict compliance with Service Level Agreements and maintaining strong working relationships.

Financial Statement Preparation:

• Work closely with International Service Providers (Brown Brother Harriman, BNP Paribas, and Bank of New York) to ensure accurate and timely financial statement preparation for the Mutual Funds (under various structures) offered by Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
• Adhere to applicable accounting standards which include IFRS, Lux GAAP, and Dutch GAAP and other regulations.
• Collaborate with service providers and auditors to review and finalize audited financial statements within agreed-upon timelines.
• Ensure inclusion of necessary disclosures and documentation, and compliance with accounting standards and regulatory requirements.

Audit Planning & Coordination:

• Collaborate with PwC to plan the scope of annual audits for active fund ranges.
• Identify key risk areas and establish timelines for audit activities.
• Organize and facilitate process walkthroughs to enhance process understanding.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors throughout the audit process.
• Identify and address accounting or reporting issues during the audit, ensuring accuracy of financial statements.
• Provide communication and documentation support for audit procedures.
• Review comments received on the Annual Reports by fund auditors.
• Prepare responses addressing the comments and ensuring their appropriate resolution.
• Evaluate fee proposals from auditors, specifically PwC Netherlands and PwC Luxembourg.
• Present recommendations on fee proposals to the Fund Board of Directors for approval.
• Prepare management responses addressing audit findings identified by auditors during the statutory audit.

Regulatory Compliance and Self-Assessment Questionnaire:

• Stay updated on regulatory requirements, industry guidelines, and accounting standards to ensure fund compliance.
• Address changes in regulations and their impact on financial reporting.
• Foster effective communication and collaboration with PMD, portfolio managers, compliance, investment, risk, and legal teams.
• Complete the CSSF-mandated Self-Assessment Questionnaire through coordination and collaboration.

Reporting to Federal Reserve Department (USA):

• Manage FR2314 (Financial Statements of Foreign Subsidiaries of U.S. Banking Organizations) reporting to the Federal Reserve Department of the USA.
• Ensure timely collection and delivery of information to Goldman Sachs US team and EY US for FR 2314 forms preparation.
• Conduct comprehensive review of Final Forms to ensure accurate information for submission.

Other Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance to Fund Controllers during the audit process, addressing audit queries.
• Set performance goals, provide training opportunities, and support professional development of the team.
• Facilitate onboarding for new fund controllers by providing necessary information and support.
• Oversee performance of service providers, including transfer agents, fund administrators, financial reporting, and auditors.
• Conduct root cause analysis of recurring issues and implement continuous improvement strategies for operational effectiveness.
• Review ISAE3402 (SOC1) reports of service providers to identify potential red flags impacting services.

Achievements

• Facilitated successful transition of auditors from KPMG to PwC for ~340 funds in 2022.
• Acted as a key point of contact for new auditors, ensuring a smooth transition and first-year audit.
• Developed a comprehensive reconciliation model for primary statements enabling identification and adjustment of discrepancies in Financial Statements.
• Streamlined NAV reconciliation process by implementing standardized input forms from Fund Administrator.
• Created automated model for accuracy and completeness checks on Financial Statements using advanced Excel, Alteryx, and Power Query functions.
• Established a model and checklist for US Banking reporting (FR 2314) review by Fund Controllers.