As a manager on the executive team, I’ve led the renewal of a business segment comprising about one-third of a $6 B company. This included developing the program from its inception, forecasting, database management, personnel development, and regular communication with the CEO/CFO/COO.
Previously I held finance roles of increasing responsibility at Big Co, where I gained skills in budgeting, financial modeling and controls, Sarbanes-Oxley implications for corporate reporting, and several areas of corporate accounting, including general ledger applications of GAAP, cash management, and financial statement preparation.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
$6 B Health Services Co
2007-present
Manager, Staff Assistant to the President/CEO
I was recruited by the President/CEO of the $6 B Company to join the executive team with responsibility for revitalizing the book of business in a segment comprising one-third of the company. A 50% increase in compensation was part of the incentive to change jobs; however, joining senior management at a Fortune 500 firm was also an attraction of the opportunity.
My team delivered a 20%+ improvement in the business segment where they focused. We also achieved twice the growth among large customers as seen in the company's other segments. This occurred in spite of strong headwinds from the recession disproportionately impacting our particular segment among several large customers.
I also led the deployment of a Microsoft Access tracking system that enhanced the company’s ability to track and report data. The tracking system made available detailed and summarized information regarding by-customer business unit performance.
Finally, using principles from consumer goods marketing, I revamped the company’s pricing strategy. The new pricing strategy included meeting competitive prices for the most popular products, while leaving the rest of the price structure unchanged.
Fortune 50 Company
2001-2007
Forecast Integration Manager (2005-2007)
When the company was preparing to close a significant acquisition in Fall 2005, I was recruited into the Corporate Forecast group as the Forecast Integration Manager. A major challenge of this role was managing the dilution forecast, which required understanding financial statement impacts arising from combining two conglomerates. The company ultimately delivered the dilution forecast, which was the primary metric of the acquisition’s success. The forecast was delivered in part as a result of my regularly communicating risks and opportunities to the CEO and CFO.
I also worked closely with legacy employees on integrating their forecast within the new company’s process. This involved understanding the implication of transitioning data between the old and new company’s enterprise software. It also required translating management communications from legacy allocation processes to the new company’s methodology. This was achieved successfully with no disruption to the orderly joining of the two businesses.
Supply Chain Finance (2003-2005)
As the leader of a large brand’s global Product Supply Finance team, I had finance responsibility for cost management of an $80 M+ supply chain. Additionally, I led the inventory team for the broader category. My inventory team delivered a reduction of 30 days-on-hand. This was achieved through traditional methods of managing cycle, safety, batches, etc, but also through working with general management to mitigate the impact of unnecessary sku proliferation on category inventory.
On the savings front I led a revolution in cost management. Historically, general management had taken a “pick and choose” attitude toward cost savings, which had been realistic given the size of the available spending pool. I broke the supply chain into its component pieces, which forced management to choose optimal projects that still met their P&L commitments.
Category Strategy Finance (2002-2003)
I was invited to lead the renewal of the $2 Billion category's strategy in 2002. The business segment was moving from a strategy focused on game-changing new brands to one customized by-region and by-brand. My job was to develop viable P&L models by region and brand that were sufficiently challenging while meeting the category’s goals. This required working closely with global counterparts in order to identify what was achievable in their geographies.
My plan was endorsed by the Senior Vice President of the business unit, and it served as the basis for the eventual endorsement of the Vice-Chair and CEO for the category’s renewed direction.
In addition to strategy renewal, I had responsibility for the category’s $100 M+ SG&A budget. Consistent with a corporate restructuring initiative, I led the reduction of $11 M (10%) from the category’s budget. This reduction resulted from improving expenditure processes (e.g. travel authorizations), streamlined workflow (e.g. less use of inefficient shared resources), and headcount reductions.
Profit Forecasting/Financial Analysis (2001-2002)
Upon joining the company in 2001, I was a Financial Analyst/Profit Forecaster for a brand acquired 18 months earlier. The acquired brand’s forecasting system was as a mixture of new and legacy enterprise software. During my year as a forecaster, I communicated forecast choices leading the brand to its first year of profitability. I also worked to transition the data management from the legacy enterprise software to the new company's enterprise platform, resulting in the legacy forecast being absorbed within the larger category upon my completing the role.
EDUCATION
MBA, Corporate Finance/Public Accounting, University of Rochester
After achieving a score at the 99th percentile on the GMAT, I was offered a 70% scholarship at the University of Rochester, a Top-25 MBA program. While at Rochester my concentrations included Corporate Finance, Public Accounting and Computers and Information Systems. In spite of an unusually rigorous curriculum, I finished in the Top 10% of my class, leading to selection as Student of the Year by the New York chapter of the AICPA.
MSc., Experimental Psychology, McMaster University
Research Management Experience/Multiple publications
BA (Hons), Psychology, Marquette University
Phi Beta Kappa/Magna Cum Laude
OTHER: Interest in languages (includes Japanese, Russian, and Spanish) |
