Education and Qualifications
Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants of England and Wales
Member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants of England and Wales
1983 Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Bachelors of Science, Finance
Career Details
September 2005 to June 2006
RedPrairie Corp., Waukesha, WI
RedPrairie is a privately held $200million global supply chain solutions provider. RedPrairie’s vision is to revolutionize the supply chain solutions industry by ensuring that customers actually achieve the measurable results they expect from their supply chain technology investments. This is accomplished through the industry’s broadest suite of transportation, productivity, and distribution management capabilities, enhanced with action-oriented components for real-time control and performance measurement, and an end-to-end value delivery system that ensures customer results achievement.
International and Acquisition Controller
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, I was responsible for all non-US Accounting and Finance. This included statutory, legal, audit, company secretarial, accounting, taxation, financial planning and financial analysis for sixteen companies in eight countries. During my tenure, I implemented a worldwide consolidation system that reduced the time to close by 40%, eliminated consolidation errors and standardized the world-wide consolidation process. Additionally, I managed the acquisition of two multi-million dollar companies. I created the models for evaluation of the potential acquisition, negotiated the final deal structure, arranged funding, performed the due diligence and presented the due diligence report. I resigned my position at RedPrairie following the resignation of the Chief Financial Officer and a change in the reporting structure of the overseas entities.
In Addition to my role as International and Acquisitions Controller, I was a Director of eight of the overseas companies.
2000 to 2005
Inforte Corp., Chicago, IL 60035
Inforte Corp. is a $50 million publicly held Technology and Strategy consulting company headquartered in Chicago. Inforte Corp. increases the competitive strength of its Global 1000 clients by providing them with the insight, intelligence and an infrastructure to close the fact-gap and enable more timely and profitable decision-making. Inforte consultants combine real-world experience and industry, functional and analytical expertise with innovative go-to-market strategies and technology solutions, ensuring that our clients can drive transformational, measurable results in their customer interactions.
Controller
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, I led Inforte’s world-wide finance organization. During my tenure, I delivered net profit and positive cash flow, excluding acquisitions and dividends, in every quarter at a technology consulting company despite a 50% decline in revenue.
All amounts are in thousands of Dollars
Year................2000......2001......2002.....2003......2004......2005
Revenues......73,903...53,996...46,052...37,397...50,050...41,647
Net income.....6,874......1,182....1,716.....1,747.......732.....1,331
Net Cash Flow.38,600....6,689....9,474....4,885....2,412...12,258
I was instrumental in improving the company’s bottom line results by:
Creating an automated time and expense processing system that saved $400,000 in software investment, reduced processing time from 4 days to 1/2 day, expedited invoice production, and drove DSO down to an average of 14 from a previous high of 41 days. Each one day reduction in DSO is worth $150,000 in cash flow from operations.
Implementing a structured closing process that reduced monthly close from 7 days to 3 days, saving the company $100,000 per annum in salary expense. This cost effective process reduced errors 75%, created Sarbanes-Oxley compliant control points, and increased efficiency by producing reconciliations, audit schedules, variance analyses, and review documentation as part of the close.
Creating a flexible budgeting process that continuously updated forecasts and included an early warning system for unbudgeted expenditure to minimize potential overruns. This process allowed the company to make real time adjustments to expenditure in order to maintain current quarter results.
I wrote or reviewed all the company’s financial SEC submissions, including 10Q’s, 10K’s, 8K’s, proxy statements, forms 3,4, & 5 and prepared responses to SEC letters of inquiry on various occasions.
1998 to 2000
Impact Forecasting (an Aon company), Chicago, Illinois
Impact Forecasting was a startup software and services company that quantified the frequency and severity of catastrophic property loss due to earthquakes and hurricanes. We calculated the probable maximum loss that a property owner could expect from these events based on our custom structural and event models of the potential catastrophic losses to the portfolio.
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, I was responsible for the day to day operations of a startup software and consulting business. Our main focus was to ensure the smooth transition of the company from a product development organization to sales, revenue and results oriented company. After two years of transition, Aon decided that Impact Forecasting would serve as an internal cost center supporting the Re-insurance underwriters. I was asked to remain at Aon, without specific responsibilities, until an appropriate position opened elsewhere within company. After approximately 4 months, when nothing appropriate became available, I left for the new challenge at Inforte.
1994 to 1998
The Aaron Group., Alexandria, VA
The Aaron Group was a $20 million regional tradeshow contractor in the Washington DC area. Founded by Mr. Aaron in 1984, The Aaron Group was unique among exposition service contractors. While large enough to manage hundreds of nationwide meetings, events and trade shows annually, this service-minded company remained small enough to care passionately about providing exceptional service to its clients. In 2002 the company was sold to Champion Exposition Group.
Controller and Customer Service Manager
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, I managed the company’s entire back office. My responsibilities included: accounting, financial planning and analysis, customer service, information systems, and human resources. My accomplishments included reducing accounts receivable by 30%, implementing a new accounting system, designing and implementing a new customer service system.
1987 to 1993
LINK Interchange Network Ltd., Harrogate England
LINK Interchange Network Ltd is a transaction management company whose primary focus of attention is switching and settling shared transactions for LINK, the world's busiest ATM network. The company currently processes over 2.4 billion secure transactions per year for the 51 LINK network Members.
Head of Accounting
Reporting to the General Manager (Commercial) I was responsible for all accounting and finance activities during a period that saw 1000% growth per annum. I oversaw the development of an accounting and finance team while moving the company from London to Harrogate. I brought all financial activities in-house, assumed the accounting activities from a third party provider, and then created all the financial systems and reporting. I selected and implemented our accounting software, hired and trained the accounting team, and created the appropriate control systems.
1984 to 1987
Taiheiyo Europe Ltd., London, England
Taiheiyo Europe Ltd. was a subsidiary of Taiheiyo Securities Co. Ltd. Taiheiyo Securities Co., Ltd. is a publicly traded Japanese investment house that was established in 1931 and incorporated in 1944. In April 2000, it merged with UJF Tsubasa Securities, Co. Ltd., Towa Securities Co., Ltd., and Dai-ichi Securities Co., Ltd., to create Tsubasa Securities Co., Ltd. It is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya Stock Exchanges.
Accountant and Information Systems Manager
Reporting the Chief Accounting Officer, I was responsible for all settlement accounting. This included Japanese stock, Japanese Bonds, Eurobonds, and UK Gilts. I prepared or reviewed daily settlement and financial statements in up to fourteen currencies and created daily consolidated financial statements and statements of position. Additionally, I directed the implementation of a computerized accounting system, created modifications to increase efficiency and wrote the control and procedure manuals for all settlement and accounting activities. |
