Provide deep subject matter expertise to help drive development of strategic priorities, cultivate tax literacy, and improve customer-centricity of products/services; provide overall guidance and direction regarding current and future tax regulations that will inform strategic decisions around products, future investments and go-to-market strategies. Support customer relationships through user groups, business and social media and direct engagement to ensure customers’ needs are being met now and in the future regarding their tax compliance, planning and data management functions.

In this expanded role I am now responsible for European taxes for Ford and Ford Credit as well as Global Indirect Tax Strategy. My responsibilities include income, VAT, excise and other taxes and transfer pricing for our European businesses, leadership for North America indirect tax matters and responsibility for our shared services tax organization in Chennai, India.

Responsible for global supply chain VAT matters for Ford Motor Company and its US affiliates, and leadership for the Americas Region Indirect Tax matters, including compliance, audits, litigation and planning. Also focused on providing leadership for global transaction tax systems implementations, including interfacing tax engine with dozens of ERP and legacy/mainframe systems. Responsibilities include sales/use tax, property tax, excise taxes, value added taxes and other non-income taxes.

Responsible for Ford Motor Company's European entities' VAT compliance and audits. Ensured all required VAT returns were filed timely and accurately, managed a complex organization of on-site employees and agency resources, outside advisors, and offshore teams involved in filing more than 50 VAT returns per month, reconciling over 100 accounts and responsibility for VAT throughput of several billions of dollars. Managed audits, as well as recoveries of aged VAT refunds. Prepared and presented updates for the European CEO, CFO and other Operating Committee members, and represented Indirect Taxes at quarterly balance sheet reviews, Audit Committee meetings and controls certification meetings.

• Responsible for all facets of Sales, Use, Excise & Property Tax management in the US and Canada including compliance, audits, inquiry management, planning, legislative affairs, appeals, and litigation. Coordinated indirect tax strategy and planning in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. • Tax Return volume of 15,000 per year, managing a tax budget of $550 million for 14 entities, 70 active audits, 500 account reconciliations• Improved compliance quality, internal controls and cost structure through strategic outsourcing and off-shoring agreements• Refund, appeal and litigation experience in multiple states concerning bad debts, reacquired vehicles, business activity taxes, warranty parts, tax base for Company cars, and motor fuels tax• Tax planning projects which delivered several million dollars of savings • Implemented Six Sigma projects driving signficiant quality improvements and tax savings• Worked with intellectual property counsel to secure two patents for a unique automobile financing product

I was the Leader of GE's Shared Services Tax and Insurance Operation (1997-2001) where I lead a team of 70 tax professionals, managed an operating budget of $6 million and had overall responsibility for tax compliance, audit, and client service in connection with providing sales/use and property tax services to the various GE business units. While managing compliance volumes of over 30,000 tax returns per year, and audit inventory of several hundred and a tax budget of several hundred million dollars, were able to reduce costs by 11% and improve client satisfaction by 15% despite a volume increase of 30%.Prior to assuming the Shared Services leadership role, I managed the sales/use tax audit team, responsible for leading a team of nine tax professionals dedicated to managing audits for assigned business units.

Responsible for all Finance, Accounting and Tax issues for this biomedical device company focused on developing state of the art diagnostic instruments, carbon fiber spine implants and related products. Responsibilities included investor relations, government grant funding applications and reporting. Served on the Board of Directors and on the Corporate Advisory Board, assisting with business strategy and development efforts.

• Supervised team of eight employees delivering state & local tax and insurance services to the GE Aerospace Business Group • Transitioned tax work to GE's shared services operation• Developed innovative training tools for tax employees as well as buyers/requesters to improve the accuracy of use tax reporting• As Tax Specialist for GE Medical Systems, I handled S&U tax audits, income tax matters, real property valuation, personal property tax compliance and appeals