Sarah Dickson

Achievement-oriented and goal-driven professional with a high level of integrity, strength of character, and a passion for managing an organization's administrative, operational, and human resource problems. 

As a successful executive with a total of about 27 years of professional experience of which over 13 years were spent in administration management and heading office operations; I am well prepared to provide immediate and long-standing results for your organization.

My expertise lies in driving teams through the development and implementation of strategic financial procedures and systems while establishing effective operational processes and structures to propel business success. My demonstrated ability to supervise strategic financial development and planning, along with my talent in leading staff and operations positions me to make a significant and positive impact on your team.

My accounting background has helped me in ensuring that the Finance and Accounting departments at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), Tangerine Money, and Otaku.Hugo Company Limited (Hugo) where I functioned in the Office Manager, Head of Operations; and Head of Administration, Compliance and Regional Affairs capacities, respectively, functioned adequately. 

While occupying the Office Manager role at ECP (a United States of America - based Private Equity Investment company), I ensured that ECP was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria and ensured compliance with regulatory and statutory operational standards.

I handled all operational affairs of the Nigeria arm of the company including financial transactions that involved budget preparations and monitoring spending to ensure that the Nigeria office was operating within approved budgets even as I constantly looked out for ways of reducing the office’s expenses. I was the payroll administrator and I prepared monthly and yearly trial balances both for the head office in Washington, DC, and for the auditors (Akintola Williams Deloitte) for their annual financial audit.

I attended to the staff of the Federal tax authority during an extensive 5-year audit carried out on ECP and the management was amazed that we neither had to bribe anyone to assist in reducing tax penalties nor paid a penalty. The audit ran smoothly for 2 full weeks where I had to work late to accommodate the officials from the Federal Inland Revenue.

I provided comprehensive administrative and operational support to C-level personnel for over 10 years, in a fast-paced office environment. I am confident that I would be an asset to your team.

 My expertise lies in coordinating and leading administrative and operational functions for Directors, senior-level staff, expatriates, and investment professionals. Backed by superior communication and multitasking capabilities, I excel at providing organizational and time-management skills and driving optimal office efficiency and success.

Highlights of my experience include:

- Overseeing scheduling, meeting coordination, calendar management, travel arrangements, budgeting, and records maintenance, ensuring adherence to organizational procedures and policies to ensure outstanding productivity and performance.

- Interacting effectively with Senior Management of investee companies to ensure timely and accurate remittance of Directors’ fees, dividends, and other fees due to my company.

- Maintaining cordial professional relations with other offices firmwide (across Africa, the USA, and France)

- Balancing multiple tasks within deadline-driven atmospheres while ensuring statutory remittances are done in a timely and efficient manner while maintaining strict attention to detail.

- Coordinating the overall administrative, finance, and human resource functions of the office while overseeing the administrative personnel for effective job delivery.

- Earning consistent recognition by staff and peers for unparalleled interpersonal and communication talents and exceptionally positive and uplifting demeanor, despite work pressure.

- Preparing budgets for running the office, comparing financial budgets with actuals to determine variance, and analyzing the variance.

- Ensuring that ex-pats settle down without hassle when they are hired for the Nigeria office by providing them with detailed assistance including but not limited to, helping them coordinate with a realtor to get suitable accommodation in a timely fashion, hiring a chauffeur that is well-versed in most locations of the state and would get them around quickly, and safely too.

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite as well as a propensity for quickly adapting to new technological programs and systems.

- Responsibility for procurement and managing office supplies and assets; managing of office fleet and office facility. 

- Interfacing with service providers as well as outsourced protocol services.

 Since exiting ECP, I have worked as the Head of Operations at the Private Equity-backed digital Microfinance Bank (Tangerine Money) where I also had the oversight role of all the bank's administrative activities and operations. As the pioneer Head of Operations of the bank, I developed both the conventional and digital operations policy manuals for the bank and ensured compliance with regulatory standards of operation as well as strict adherence by all staff members, to the operations policy manual.

I worked as the Head of Administration, Compliance, and Regional Affairs at Otaku.Hugo Company Limited, the Nigerian arm of the United States of America-owned outsourcing company with a staff strength of over 700 persons for the Nigeria office and with regional offices in Senegal and Kenya.

At Hugo, I was responsible for all administrative processes and coordination, travel logistics, and ensuring compliance with the various company's policies and manuals as well as professional legislations. Within a month of my joining the Hugo team, I was able to initiate operational processes that helped move the company forward and advised the management on roles that needed to be filled within the organization to standardize the workflow processes. I sorted out regulatory documentation that was lacking and ensured that all necessary documents were processed and obtained for Hugo. I ensured process automation to enhance work efficiency.

I worked with the Head of Human Resources to develop job descriptions for roles and setup, as well as managed the interview process for proposed new hires. I worked hand in hand with the Heads of Human Resources (HR), and Finance and set the pace for a combined weekly reporting of the Operations, HR, Finance, and IT operations departments of the company.

I am a confident communicator, detail-oriented, with outstanding verbal and written communication skills. I possess excellent negotiation skills with a can-do attitude. I am a team player with demonstratable passion, energy, drive, and a willingness to cooperate with an ambitious team to achieve the organization’s set goals and objectives. I am always willing to take initiative, take ownership of tasks, and follow them through to completion.

With the highest level of integrity and non-compromise for ethical standards, I was a co-signatory to ECP’s, Tangerine Money’s, and Hugo’s Corporate accounts throughout the duration of my working at the various companies.

I have an Advance Diploma in Human Resource Management, from the University of Lagos, Akoka.