Responsible for Operations and Finance

Responsible for all Corporate Finance and investor relations functions at Benesys, a 3rd party Benefits administrator for Taft Hartley funds. Completed and integrated 2 strategic add on acquisitions. Developed 3 key initiatives approved by Board of Directors resulting in substantial investment which will significantly reduce future cost structure and doule Total Addressable Market.Proposed Strategic initiatives around Real estate consolidation and labor strategies which will also be required for sustainable EBITDA growth.Implemented new repeatable business processes to increase financial awareness across the executive team. Greatly increased focus on performance including collaborative forecasting and implementing financial reviews and exposure to financial detail for executive leadership. Created urgency around financial management.Improved visibility around Revenue and labor trends and forecasts. Improved external reporting to Private equity sponsor and banks.Restructured Finance team, developed financial planning function and created a foundation for growth with less exposure due to subject matter expertise limited to single individuals.

Leader of Operations Finance in close partnership with COO. Responsible for pricing for all programs across the 900 school portfolio. Greatly improved labor efficiency through development and visibility to actionable KPI and partnership with field leadership. Drove 381% increase in EBITDA over 8 years at LCG with 97 consecutive months of positive same school revenue growth. Lead role in development and execution of Strategic plan.

Lead development of strategic plan, all financial planning and analysis. Developed weekly & monthly processes to drive revenue growth and improve EBITDA and margins. Key leadership and active role in Merger and Acquistions including sale of LCG to American Securities in 2014 and international sale effort in 2017-2018 resulting in Dividend / Recapitalization. Led financial analysis of add-on acquistions. Developed Real estate strategy for new schools and played key role in development of new premium preschool brand - Everbrook academy. Weekly interaction with Private Equity sponsor.

Restructured cost structure to stabilize monthly cash flow. Identified and improved underperforming locations through operational changes or closure. Ran Marketing and Contact center operations. Streamlined operations and improved Return on Marketing investments. Identified key metric to identify inefficient labor spend and worked with operations to improve results.Responsible for oversight and direction of all financial activities of the company including accounting and compliance, financial planning and analysis, treasury, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, risk management and inventory management. Manage and led relationships with financial institutions, board members, investors, vendors and other strategic partners. Planned, coordinated and managed resources across all corporate departments to ensure the efficient and effective operations of the company headquarters. Led and developed activities to develop continuous improvement of business decision making processes.Led company through Chapter 11 restructuring and transition of private equity sponsor.

Led a team that reduced inventory by $300 million or 20% by reducing the weeks of supply purchased and increasing buying cycles. Developed and managed weekly process to oversee all marketing and promotional activity. Focused on removing unprofitable discounting programs. Improved forecasting accuracy and urgency around revenue growth, inventory and cash flow managment.

Manage the financial planning and forecasting processes. Provide oversight and management to gross margin and other cost of sales components.Strategic leadership of marketing and promotions.Strategic leadership of Borders Rewards Loyalty program.Financial analysis of customer segmentation, Loyalty and marketing promotions.

Direct all aspects of planning, forecasting, analysis and financial management for the merchandising and marketing divisions. Provided executive level insight into business results making recommendations for improvement and developing strategies to enhance profitability. Analyzed the impact of promotions, base business trends, economic factors, holiday impacts, key products and seasonal events. Partnered with departmental leaders to optimize results. Monitored all financial results of the merchandise and marketing teams, including sales, margin, discounts, markdowns, incentives, cooperative advertising, shrink, freight, distribution expenses, inventory optimization and advertising expenses. Responsible for tracking customer preferences and developing email and direct mail campaigns to consistently increase customer spending. Reviewed daily, weekly and seasonal sales trends for the company at the product line and item levels to identify opportunities to increase sales and profit and to identify emerging trends.

Promoted to an individually created position overseeing marketing promotions, customer loyalty programs, real estate and corporate treasury functions. Provided senior-level leadership in developing new programs, strategies and processes to drive revenue and profitability. Conducted extensive market research, competitive analysis and customer trends evaluation and partnered with external consultants to refine existing methods for marketing, customer loyalty and new store location. Constantly reviewed and improved internal processes based on effectiveness and financial contribution. Evaluated all real estate assets, including store relocation, closing, lease buyouts, downsizing, etc

Quickly promoted through increasing levels of authority to ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial statements for more than 1,200 domestic stores. Oversaw accounting function for Borders and Waldenbooks Divisions, including P&L, balance sheet, management reporting and account reconciliation through monthly and annual close process. Led annual and long-term strategic planning as well as weekly forecasting, promoting quick reaction in an ever-changing environment. Evaluated strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and new business opportunities for financial viability.

Manager of all Finance functions including Accounting, Treasury and financial planning and analytics. Partnered with Private Equity sponsors on a number of analytic and cost reduction exercises including FTD.comFacilitated consolidation of 3 corporate headquarters down to one located in Downers Grove, IL.. Hired entire Finance team in IL.

Accounting, SEC reporting, financial planning and analysis.Focus on technical accounting, consolidation of planning and financial reporting. Developed Financial Analysis role for Latin America Division based in Miami Florida. Implemented Hyperion financial reporting system to greatly improve internal and external reporting.Involved in M&A, divestitures of Trucking, Printing and apparel companies owned by Gerber