Gary Ward Email & Phone Number

Tampa, Florida, United States

Greater Tampa Bay Area

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

Responsible for all aspects of Finance, Human Resources, and Management Information.

Hired to manage financials for the state with an emphasis on business planning and management information to support decision processes. Role evolved into a key business partner for state leadership and as a key advisor for corporate initiatives. Member of seven member Florida leadership team.Redesigned management information and tracking on key Florida strategic initiatives improving early warning system and forecasting.Designed and produced several Management Committee presentations detailing financial and sales performance with tactics and strategies to achieve financial targets.Key leader and decision maker in branch expansion efforts opening over 120 de novo branches in five years.Lead several cost saving initiatives with annual savings of up to $20 million for the state.

A 4-broker dealer holding company with more than $350 million in annual revenues); Selected to lead the organization's financial operations post-acquisition. Member of the executive management team reporting to the CEO. Directed the financial analysis; internal and regulatory reporting; cash management; G/L, A/P, and A/R; tax reporting; budgeting; forecasting; internal and external auditing; and payroll processing activities that led to long-term improvements in cost savings, profitability, and productivity. Full P&L responsibility for a $60 million operating and $2.5 million finance budget. Reduced monthly reporting processing time by 20 man hours, delivered reports in half the time, and significantly improved reporting accuracy by centralizing and consolidating GL closing procedures.Championed key performance metrics in soundness, profitability, growth, and productivity for broker-dealers, profitably impacting goal attainment and performance.

$100 million holding company acquired by First American National Bank in 1996); Selected to turnaround numerous leadership challenges and restore operational stability. Managed a 30 million operating budget and a $1.5 finance budget. Directed a 110-person staff in finance, brokerage operations, human resources, technology, and project management.Implemented cost controls, reporting requirements, and training to control escalating expense run rates. Within two months, reduced expenses by 10% generating a cost savings of $3 million annually.Change-managed failing customer service initiatives. Deployed new training, hiring practices, incentive programs, and processes, increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 22% and improving employee morale within the first year of implementation.Negotiated and structured the clearing agreement that achieved a $500,000 savings over three years and resulted in significantly improved, personalized service.

Promoted following acquisition to manage all accounting and finance functions for this newly acquired holding company. Conducted due diligence that precipitated a $9 million acquisition. Oversaw regulatory relations and compliance.Pioneered the corporate data warehouse to improve information management. Collaborated with outside consultants to consolidate disparate reporting and tracking processes. Within first 100 days of implementation, reduced vendor billing cycle times by 30 days, facilitated production of monthly reports to the third business day, and improved revenue-forecasting accuracy from 85% to 95%.Turned around 2.5 years of un-profitability by implementing expense controls and a contract approval and negotiation process. Reduced monthly operating expenses by $200,000 within 30 days, achieved immediate profitability, and sustained profitability for 38 consecutive months.Established employee training and support programs to turnaround low morale, reduce excessive overtime, and improve financial management. Executed mentoring and relationship building programs, implemented standards and values, and supported training programs. Cut overtime by 75% and reduced turnover by more than half.

Under the direction of the Vice Chairman, responsible for strategic and business planning as well as integration of non-traditional banking acquisitions.