Art History

Directed day to day business affairs of 2,100-employee, 39-office, international practice, with responsibility for human resources, finance, information systems, marketing, real estate, facilities, and office administration. Managed 250 staff.• Led and directed Firm’s operations by promoting cost effectiveness, operational efficiency, and internal and external client service. • Instituted firm-wide procedures for billing and collection, upgraded centralized, collection function. Instituted controls, reporting and planning for cash flow; initiated monitoring and enhanced recovery of client costs; improved balance sheet reporting in concert with bank covenants; renegotiated line of credit and term loans; analyzed and increased firm capital in light of on-going operational needs and future business plans.• With the Executive Committee, planned and executed the Firm’s growth strategy and the development of Firm policies, with responsibility for implementation across the Firm. • Developed financial reporting and metrics to drive profit and productivity improvements; consulted regularly with profit center managing partners regarding initiatives to improve profitability; instituted budget and forecasting processes at profit and cost center level; managed the expense side of the firm—both administrative and legal.• Managed a firm-wide down sizing • Integrated two, new office acquisitions, including over 160 professionals.• Developed and implemented real estate strategies, including the relocation of 12 offices.• Directed worldwide, insurance programs in concert with client and firm risk requirements.• Led technology project for core business application• Initiated and directed technology infrastructure review and establish multi-year plan for migration to a shared, externally hosted data center environment to address service (24X7) requirements, disaster recovery, cost containment, and client requirements.

Directed all financial, strategic planning, technology, human resources, marketing, facilities, and administrative activities for 250-attorney, $126 million law firm across five regional offices. Implemented cost containment programs following rapid, Firm expansion; expanded marketing and business development activities, including sales training; re-structured balance sheet and improved financial ratios; upgraded technology support through initiation of budget and change management processes; negotiated lease renewals and space expansions in three offices; implemented Partnership-mandated changes in Firm management. Managed 250 staff.

Directed all financial, technology, human resources, marketing, facilities, and administrative activities for 160-attorney firm across three regional offices. Developed firm strategy, including practice and regional expansions; expanded marketing activities; initiated cost management and productivity improvements; and enhanced technology support. Managed 125 non-legal staff.

Directed financial, accounting and treasury operations for national law firm with over $125 million in annual revenues, 400 attorneys, and 18 offices throughout the United States. Developed and executed strategic planning and budgeting activities, resulting in 20% revenue growth over two-year period. Analyzed over 20 lateral hires or firm acquisitions, including financial and administrative due diligence and tax structure analysis; successfully integrated two firm acquisitions. Managed bank relations and negotiated extended credit arrangements.

Directed all financial, systems, and administrative functions for North and South American subsidiary of fine art auctioneer with annual sales of $723 million (1996); managed over 150 staff across nine functional areas. Initiated firm wide and business unit analyses that reallocated resources to the six most profitable departments generating 80% of profits and increased profitability via reduced expenses, greater commission yields, increased recoveries, and higher lot values; strategic initiative resulted in progressively higher profit margins over the subsequent five year period. Expanded collateralized lending to consignors so as to generate sales growth. Directed a $60 million relocation project encompassing the relocation of 550 employees and a $600 million product inventory to a single, combined site. Initiated productivity improvement effort involving workflow analysis, procedural changes, documentation, training, and systems improvements; recommended systems improvements were implemented worldwide. Restructured all financial and administrative functions to reduce costs and enhance support to business staff; reduced receivable days outstanding by 60%; shortened accounting close by 50%; implemented a centralized purchasing function to achieve 15% expense reduction. Reviewed all benefit programs, resulting in expanded coverage, reduced costs and higher investment yields.

Directed firm-wide profitability analysis, management reporting, budgeting, cost allocation, expense analysis, and insurance acquisition activities.• Designed and implemented a full cost allocation system to support business unit profitability analysis• Redesigned the firm’s organization and product reporting to focus business strategy• Directed a review of administrative staffing and firm-wide cost overhead, resulting in a 10% reduction in staff and overhead costs, as well as increased expense recoveries• Initiated a review of insurance brokers and policy coverage, yielding expansions to covered losses concurrent with the firm’s merger and restructuring negotiations

Directed all financial, human resources, and administrative functions for cash management subsidiary; negotiated cost reduction in timesharing costs representing 75% of overall costs, thereby yielding higher profit margins; developed and implemented product reporting to focus business strategy and update product pricing.

Directed accounting, contract negotiation, accounts payable, budgeting, capital allocation, and management reporting for $120 million, centralized data processing function; designed and implemented an activity-based, cost allocation system for all data processing costs to achieve accurate alignment of costs across bank-wide organizational and product units; and developed and installed a capital allocation system, in conjunction with the annual budget process, to prioritize all systems development projects and infrastructure upgrades according to strict financial hurdle rates.

Directed monthly performance reporting for Operations Division, including analysis of productivity and expense metrics; implemented budget process with “profitability” approach to back office functions.

Research Assistant, Operations Analyst, and Financial Analyst