Brent Christensen Email and Phone Number

Fractional/interim CFO service provider to a variety of companies and industries.

Brought in by private equity owners, reporting to the CEO, to build an accounting and finance department from scratch, get the company through an audit of its financial statements, identify control processes through all operations of the company and assist in a possible transaction.• Selected and secured competent professionals to staff the accounting/finance department, building a cohesive team after over a year without a team in place.• Stepped into a financial statement audit securing a successful conclusion and positive management letter.• Brought teams together to identify, document and create financial and operational controls throughout the company

Chosen to deliver new leadership as part of a change in ownership, with the mandate to transform the management team and staffing (230+ employees) across operations in Mexico (Manufacturing) and Dixon, IL (distribution).

• Led the leadership team to establish a new set of strategic goals and make as series impactful changes that boosted performance. - Examples of changes were redesigning the EVA process to improve pricing & profitability and cutting 15% in wasteful freight spend.• Spearheaded responses to extraordinary issues that occurred outside of normal business scope, including: - Quickly moved to deal with major issues in supply chain and customer relations brought on by the tariff war with China. - Negotiated price increases with all customers to sustain strong profits on consumer goods in the face of 25% tariffs that affected over 50% of company products sold. - Expertly managed customer expectations during an illegal partial work stoppage at the Mexico plant in early 2019. - Rebuilt the plant’s team dynamic, minimized disruption to manufacturing, and maintained high customer satisfaction. - Immediately developed a plan to diversify manufacturing to include limited production in the US. - Completely redesigned operational framework to overcome the unprecedented challenges presented by the global pandemic. - Downsized the workforce by 30% and still achieved 95% or higher fulfillment rates vs. required customer service levels. - Succeeded in exceeding revised monthly expectations across the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters of 2020. • Orchestrated a sale of the retail products business in late 2020, prior to leaving the company. - Substantially downsized operations, slashed debt, and increased bottom-line results, enabling the company to expand product offerings to applied-side, auto repair and replacement sector.

Acted as a guiding force behind operations for the respected regional trucking company with over 200 employees servicing the Western US.• Partnered with the CEO to re-envision the company’s strategy and strengthen the performance of the senior management team.• Delivered ongoing training, coaching, and mentorship to individual team members on best leadership practices to change the overall culture.• Rolled out a highly successful on-line driver continuing education program to enhance training for ~150 drivers and meet industry goals.• Designed and launched a new, state-of-the-art website, which saw total number of views rise from near zero to thousands over the years. • Worked with the CEO to bring disciplined strategic thinking and planning to the collaborative efforts of the senior management team. • Worked individually with senior team members on leadership, preparation of executable plans to improve the culture of the company and its operating results.

Launched and managed a business consultancy offering a wide range of services to improve business operations for companies, including leadership development programs to upskill business executives.• Guided senior management teams for multiple clients through intensive business planning processes, in addition to working one-on-one with executives on best leadership practices.• Played a key role in helping a water purification engineering company develop and execute a strategic plan, that resulted in revenue increasing by over 30%.• Directed a manufacturing & logistics team through a business process improvement project, which ultimately saved 30% in costs due to changes suggested by the process.

Hired by a group of private equity investors to oversee finances and conduct due diligence for the company’s sale. Cross-functionally collaborated with the CEO, as well as Sales, IT, Marketing, and Operations executives to boost the group’s performance and complete the sale.• Assumed lead point in partnership with the CEO for all phases of the sale, coordinating negotiations, banker & investor relations, debt, and other key components.• Carefully managed to execute all financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, forecasting, and reports. • Led the Finance & Accounting team during major changes in auditors, providing short-period financial statement audit and financial reporting to the new parent company, that met public reporting requirements and deadlines.

Left Meade Instruments to become the CFO & Senior Vice President of Administration for the manufacturer/distributor of “Slime” branded tire sealant & care products.• Drove the successful sale of the company and expertly handled the transition to new owners and a new corporate culture, while integrating new financial reporting processes and employee benefits offerings.• Kept the company achieving double digit profit margins while sales went up nearly 40% by the completion of the sale.

A publicly traded manufacturer and distributor of optical products. Manufacturing operations in U.S. and Mexico.• Partnered with the CEO and President in the development and execution of tactical and strategic operational and financial plans transforming a $16 million privately held company into $140 million publicly held enterprise. • Raised $18 million in public offering.• Led due diligence and raised over $30 million to finance one international and two domestic acquisitions.• Negotiated and structured a $20 million recapitalization involving the formation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. • Marshaled company through a significant transition in information reporting to improve interdepartmental communication and timely business decisions.

I was an audit manager involved in the audits of private and public middle market companies.