SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:

An accomplished senior level executive with over 20 years of experience in operations, accounting, and financial management. A leader with proven success in devising and implementing streamlined processes and strategic programs to improve efficiency, timeliness, and productivity while reducing costs. A visionary strategist recognized for creating a culture of success, with a solid reputation for spearheading growth and long - term development in financial operations.

CORE COMPETENCIES INCLUDE:

• Leadership Compliance Finance Accounting GAAP Operations Manufacturing
• Financial Reporting Team Development Process Improvement Lean Strategic Thinking
• Analytics FP&A Innovation Influence Performance - Driven Budgeting Sales Forecasting Organization

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook) Oracle ERP
• SAP ERP BPCS/MAPICS ERP Assist AS/400 Work Query Client Access
• Crystal Reports Hyperion Fixed Asset Manager Quicken Financial Minitab

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Director of Finance

Confidential, Lake Forest, IL

Responsibilities:

• Provided day to day executive level leadership and expertise in an effort to meet core values and improve financial performance.
• Responsible for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cost, Inventory, General Accounting, Finance, FP&A, Sales Tax, Purchasing, Sales Forecasting, and ERP database coordination, managed directly by the Corporate IT, but with substantial direct involvement.
• Coordinated all business level planning and reporting activities including monthly results, monthly rolling forecast, profit planning, budgets, strategic long range planning, and operating review requirements. Reviewed variance analyses and established KPIs.
• Oversaw customer and vendor relationships and contract negotiations. Set policies, procedures, and practices consistent with GAAP and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Acted as the primary liaison with outside auditors for the year-end audit and other projects as needed.
• Primary brand financial consultant in due diligence procedures supporting potential M&A activities
• Streamlined the merchandising cycle, bringing products to market 35 days earlier by facilitating a merchandising lean event.
• Spearheaded a manufacturing lean event with Director of Operation reducing costs 5% annually by improving setup times, line efficiencies and reducing labor cost.
• Member of 1800Flowers Corporate Logistic Council, chairing a project to collect reimbursable shipping charges from vendors, resulting in 12 month collections of $250,000.
• Developed and mentored five team members who went on to receive internal promotions from the organization.
• Oversaw the success of 1800Flowers Procurement Council projects related to The Popcorn Factory, which contributed $120,000 in cost avoidance in 2016 alone.
• Successfully provided transparency to the financial goals of the organization which helped eliminate $165,000 of potential obsolete inventory.
• Managed the streamlining of customer refund process, which improved refunds by two weeks.
• The Popcorn Factory lead in Oracle 12i ERP upgrade.

Confidential

Accounting Manager/Controller, IL

Responsibilities:

• Provided senior level financial strategy, compliance, budgeting, analysis and forecasting to COO and Confidential Operations Managers supporting the $175 million alternator and HVC-locker/cabinet product lines.
• Planned and executed development of numerous forecasts, reports, margin erosion and budget analyses supporting operations, quality, compliance and profitability, as well as Confidential strategic steering; control and oversee Confidential pricing, expenses, budgets, capital expenditures and cycle time metrics to ensure profitability.
• Accomplished financial/labor analysis partnering with Insourcing Optimization team to identify projects to prevent termination of 88 FTEs avoiding $675,000 in union SUB compensation.
• Recognized for driving long term profitable growth, competitively pricing product lines, eliminating expenses, managing budgets, overseeing all capital expenditures, and reducing cycle time.

Confidential, Elk Grove Village, IL

VP and General Manager

Responsibilities:

• Headed cost reduction programs and managed gross margins to improve EBITDA an average of fifty basis points annually.
• Reduced physical inventory count 1.5 days with estimated annual savings of $20,000.
• Re-engineered waste walk shipping/receiving process yielding $10,000 annually.
• Streamlined front office processes with annual cost avoidance of $25,000.
• Led several working capital metrics projects and processes, improving cash conversion cycle by 25.4 days.

Confidential, Chicago, IL

Reported to: Controller

Responsibilities:

• Member, Product Design Team: led cost analysis procedures across product design, raw materials, manufacturing methods and services. Compiled cost estimates of new/proposed products or services; identified and recommended cost efficiencies in new product layout.
• Member of corporate-wide Oracle 11i ERP upgrade team working cross-functionally with multiple departments to integrate new software.
• Participated in several Kaizen events targeting continuous improvement/lean initiatives contributing an estimated $165,000 annually.
• Identified and orchestrated initiation of several new procedures to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley.

Confidential, Melrose Park, IL

Cost Accounting Manager

Responsibilities:

• Coordinated the strategic integration of front office accounting with newly developed plant accounting department.
• Established and administered standard labor and overhead rates for three plants ensuring a correct and appropriate standard cost environment.
• Partnered with Oracle implementation team for requirements gathering in early development phases to create custom efficiency reports in Oracle 8i ERP.