STEPHEN R. WILLIAMS
17 Whistling Swan, Irvine, CA 92604
Phone: 949-285-8865
stephen.williams.wh88@wharton.upenn.edu
FINANCE & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL
Finance, strategy, and corporate development professional with 15 years of multi-industry and international experience in management consulting, finance, sales, and operations. Natural team player skilled in general business and financial analysis, strategic assessment, and linking cross-functional contributions. Strong background driving business growth, enhancing profitability, and troubleshooting across functional lines. Meets deadlines, delivers results.
Led teams as large as 25, worked in 10 countries on 5 continents, directed diverse financial projects, negotiated investments and strategic alliances, helped Fortune 500 manufacturing companies save 10-20% in operational costs, and financed or acquired over $500 million of commercial real estate. Proven ability to learn new industries, succeed in high-pressure situations, and communicate effectively at all levels internally and externally. Resourceful, versatile, and flexible … superb analytical, creative and problem-solving skills … and a passion for serving customers. Wharton Finance & University of Chicago MBA.
KEY BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
~ Financial Planning & Analysis
~ Business Development
~ Strategic Planning
~ Business Modeling & Simulation
~ Manufacturing & Cost Analysis
~ Financial Reporting & Control
~ Project Management
~ Consultative Selling
~ Contract Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
~ Structured Finance & Capital Markets
~ Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances
~ Operational Improvement
~ Supply Chain Management
~ Training & Development
~ Cross-Functional Teamwork
~ Managed in Matrix Organization
~ International Experience
FT Associates, Irvine, CA 2005 - Present
A management development and consulting firm which designs business simulations to support strategic planning.
Consultant
• Instrumental in designing, building and testing within a compressed time frame sophisticated financial and operating models of international manufacturing and distribution firms.
• Conduct strategy and management development workshops for companies including Intuit and LSI Logic, resulting in high client ratings and repeat business.
Cypress Property Advisors LLC, Laguna Niguel, CA 2003 - 2005
Vice President
Evaluate, develop and finance multi-industry business opportunities with clients and principals.
• Launched the finance arm of a boutique investment brokerage firm specializing in retail, leveraging existing pipeline, client relationships, and operations - breakeven operations rate achieved within 4 months.
• Explored attractiveness and feasibility of entry into new products for an investment fund. Developed and presented business plans to potential partners.
• Drove $6 million in purchase price reductions in the acquisition of government-leased properties. Negotiations hinged on thorough due diligence, risk assessment and financial analysis.
Buchanan Street Partners, Newport Beach and San Francisco, CA 1996 - 2003
A pre-eminent commercial real estate investment bank making principal investments and providing advisory services.
Vice President - Investment Management, Newport Beach, CA 2002 - 2003
Led due diligence, legal negotiation, closing, asset management and financial reporting of $45 million of equity and mezzanine debt investments in $280 million of retail and other commercial real estate projects.
• Closed the firm’s two largest retail investments to date ($10.7 and $9.0 million) and a particularly complex transaction in a record 28 days through strong project management and teamwork.
• Resolved conflicts between multiple parties with competing interests to close transactions within tight deadlines.
• Generated repeat business by fostering strong relationships with clients.
Controller and Vice President - Marketing & Operations, Newport Beach, CA 1999 - 2002
Responsible for oversight of marketing, operations, financial reporting and controls, human resources, and corporate affairs.
• Improved analysis of product line, divisional, and regional profitability by modifying accounting framework.
• Enhanced client service and firm-wide information sharing by developing proprietary capital markets database, reducing by approximately 50% the time to identify likely capital sources.
• Contributed to raising $90 million of leveraged investment capital by designing presentations to potential investors and collaborating in creation of private placement memoranda.
• Led marketing, advertising, and public relations efforts including press releases, corporate brochure design, direct mail, website design, and marketing database consolidation.
• Reduced purchasing costs for significant firm expenditures by 10-30% through product and vendor research, including corporate insurance coverage, furniture and equipment, telecommunications, and printing.
Director – Business Development, San Francisco, CA 1996 - 1999
Marketed the firm’s loans, equity, and financial advisory services directly to developers and property owners, primarily through cold calls and referrals. 100% commission structure.
• Received Chairman’s Club Award for exceeding sales target by over 25%. Promoted to Director in two years.
• Originated, structured and placed over $150 million in debt and equity financing for the construction, acquisition, and refinancing of retail, hotel, office, industrial, and self-storage properties.
• Frequently provided equity recapture or loans in excess of 75% loan-to-value in a difficult financing environment.
Booz•Allen & Hamilton, Inc., Cleveland, OH 1994 - 1996
An international strategic management consulting firm which helps Fortune 500 manufacturing clients conceive and execute programs of transformational change to their operations.
Associate, Operations Management Group
• Balanced inventories, stabilized production environment, increased throughput by 20%, and improved customer service levels at a major consumer packaged foods manufacturer by developing planning and scheduling processes and analyzing forecast accuracy and equipment maintenance practices.
• Identified 15-20% savings in warehousing and transportation costs for the same client through warehouse location reduction and shipment consolidation.
• Through detailed competitive manufacturing cost analysis, persuaded a major medical supplies manufacturer not to move production to Mexico despite potential 2%-4% savings because study revealed the rival’s use of bundled pricing on proprietary items to subsidize 10%-15% lower prices on commodity products. Created detailed model of production plant and process economics through extensive interviewing.
Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting, Philadelphia, PA 1993
Associate Intern, Operations Group
• Identified 20% cost reduction in the claims processing division of a major healthcare insurance provider by streamlining operational workflow and reducing workarounds.
• Trimmed inventory by 15% at a petroleum additives producer through product segmentation analysis and assessing demand forecastability in a supply chain management engagement.
Strategic Management Group, Inc., Philadelphia, PA 1988 - 1992
An international management development and consulting firm specializing in the use of sophisticated business simulations in strategic planning. Clients included Citicorp, Swiss Bank, Standard Chartered, Banco Hispano Americano, Bank of America, Westpac, Ernst & Young, and Arthur Andersen.
Senior Project Manager, Banking and Financial Services Unit
• Conducted management development workshops in 10 countries throughout the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia for groups of senior and middle managers running banks, manufacturing, and accounting firms.
• Examined tradeoffs surrounding major business decisions at strategic and tactical levels.
• Recruited, trained and managed a team of analysts to design, develop and deliver complex business simulations covering a wide range of banking, risk management, and corporate finance topics for new and existing clients.
• Reduced cycle time to customize simulations from 16 to 4 weeks. Generated $400,000 in customization revenues over three years.
• Promoted from Analyst to Senior Project Manager in one year, the shortest possible time.
EDUCATION
The University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business 1994
• MBA with Honors. Concentrations in Finance and Business Strategy.
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania 1988
• B.S. in Economics. Concentration in Finance.
• Dean’s list and four-year scholarship. Research assistant to professor of International Finance. |
