SVP - OPERATIONS / COO
Versatile Partner with a Big Four accounting firm, offering 20 years of operations leadership and business development experience with large multinational companies. As lead partner with Ernst & Young, led and coordinated domestic and global teams in the negotiation and execution of risk management engagements and internal audit programs. Selected by senior leadership and successfully developed an International Advisory Practice in Continental Western Europe.
VALUE OFFERED
>> Global Internal Audit Team Leadership – Strategic leader with a track record of building, leading, and re-engineering high performance financial, operational and advisory-focused global internal audit teams.
>> International Experience – Bilingual; fluent in French and English. Completed 5-year assignment in Paris, France leading risk assessments, progressive risk management programs, and cutting edge internal audit transformations for some of the world’s leading companies.
>> Business Development / Client Services Delivery: Identified and delivered solutions in multiple disciplines to Fortune 500 US multinational companies. Led teams that yielded high quality recommendations to solve complex business issues.
>> Team Building and Collaboration – Strong people leader capable of building, developing, and deploying diverse and inclusive teams with a proven track record for diversity and people development. Influential interpersonal presenter, motivator, and negotiator with boards, senior executives and internal audit teams.
>> Diverse Industry Experience – Industry experience spans cable/broadband providers, cable broadcasting networks, consumer electronics, technology, and advertising.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Ernst & Young LLP – Los Angeles, CA
Partner, Advisory Services (January 2006 – December 2009)
Served as the lead advisory partner to several large Fortune 500 companies in the Pacific Southwest Region (PSW), leading teams of up to 30 professionals providing co-sourcing and outsourcing of internal audit, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, and IT capabilities
>> Negotiated and delivered multi-year, multi-million dollar risk engagements with key client accounts across several industry sectors including media, broadband, and consumer electronics.
>> Led contract pricing reviews resulting in recoveries of over 40 times fees and was requested by a leading US law firm to be a subject matter expert in a high profile legal case involving most-favored nations clauses.
>> Core member of the firm’s Global Contract Risk / Intellectual Property Committee which developed the audit methodology and go-to-market strategy. Assisted in creating a training course for client-serving professionals to provide consistent global services.
>> Presented the firm’s annual Global Internal Audit Survey to senior client executives. The survey covered leading internal audit practices of over 400 Fortune 500 companies.
>> Lead presenter in an Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) conference on internal audit best practices and panel speaker on the future of risk
>> Presented recommendations to senior executives to enhance the value, cost, approach and quality of the internal audit function.
>> Created and led rollout of new Quality and Risk Management requirements to the Pacific Southwest Region’s advisory practice.
>> Selected and served as an Inclusiveness and Flexibility Champion for the Pacific Southwest Region, driving the firm’s inclusiveness culture throughout the Advisory practice.
>> Conference speaker and recruiter to strategic local schools and organizations (e.g. University of Southern California, National Association of Black Accountants, INROADS).
Ernst & Young – Paris, France
Partner, Assurance and Advisory Services (July 2005 – December 2005)
Senior Manager, Risk Advisory Services (November 2000 – June 2005)
Served as the lead coordinating executive for several Fortune 1000 companies as part of internal audit outsourcing, co-sourcing, and Sarbanes Oxley compliance engagements. Led internal audit teams of over 30 professionals serving global companies in the media & entertainment, technology, and consumer electronics industries.
>> As Risk Advisory Services Leader in the media and entertainment sector for the Continental Western European region; developed, from the ground up, a multi-million dollar practice.
>> Served as a board member of the firm’s Media and Entertainment Committee for the Continental Western European region.
>> Led a multi-million dollar internal audit co-sourcing/Sarbanes Oxley engagement for a Fortune 100 company covering eight European countries.
>> Served as the lead partner for Fortune 100 companies covering services in the internal audit, Sarbanes Oxley, IT, process re-engineering, human capital, fraud, revenue/royalty assurance, and tax areas. For key clients led royalty engagements that yielded license fee recoveries of over 50 times fees.
>> Converted two previously dormant companies into multi-million dollar national priority accounts for the firm.
>> Trained staff through senior managers on the firm’s internal audit methodology covering over 100 professionals
>> Led the development of the go-to-market strategy and toolkits for the Risk Advisory Practice for the Continental Western European region.
>> Reduced internal audit spend by 20% by deploying a leading practice risk assessment through an internal audit co-sourcing relationship.
>> Increased quality of Internal Audit Departments of several global priority accounts by building cross-functional teams to address key client issues across global geographies and cultures.
>> Advised Boards and Audit Committees on corporate governance matters in relation to internal control and risk management.
Ernst & Young – New York, New York
Manager, Business Risk Services (September 1997 to October 2000)
Assisted in the start up and development of the firm’s New York Area Internal Audit Services practice, acting as a lead manager in the first two outsourcing engagements for Fortune 500 companies and supervising a team of 5 to 15 professionals globally.
>> Developed and deployed leading practice risk assessment and audit methodologies for several Fortune 500 clients.
>> Successfully integrated areas of focus to yield significant reliance by the external auditor to minimize disruption to the business and maximize effectiveness and efficiency
>> Sold and delivered multi-year internal audit outsourcing engagements to both large and middle market companies.
>> Led an advertising compliance engagement for a large internal audit outsourcing client and yielded over 15 times fees.
>> Led an advertising billing system implementation review and identified various control issues and inefficiencies and presented directly to senior client executive management
>> Led and presented internal audit risk assessments for two Fortune 500 companies to the chief executive officer and chief financial officer.
Time Warner Inc – New York, New York
Corporate Internal Auditor (October 1993 – September 1997)
Performed risk assessments and internal audit engagements of Time Warner properties in the theme park, cable systems, cable networks, international royalties, publishing, and music areas. Led an international royalty engagement in Europe that yielded several millions of dollars in recoveries.
KPMG Peat Marwick – New York, New York
Staff – Senior, Assurance and Advisory Services (October 1990 – September 1993)
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
New York University – New York, NY
B.S. Accounting, Leonard N. Stern School of Business (May 1990)
Certified Public Accountant – New York and California
Certified Valuation Analyst
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts
Member, California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Chairman of the Board – Southern California Region, INROADS
Secretary/Treasurer – City Scholars Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Member, Past Student Chapter President – National Association of Black Accountants
Fluent in French language – speaking and writing |
