Mark O'Dell Email & Phone Number

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Greater Toronto Area

Developed and led the 3 year strategic planning process, laying out a road map for sustainable customer growth covering multiple products through multiple sales channels.Created a new focused team of Lead Financial Analysts supporting the ongoing growth initiatives in specific markets.• Significantly improved the 3 and 1 year planning processes, ensuring an integrated approach aligning all markets to capture growth opportunities.• Instigated improved, & forward looking… Show more Developed and led the 3 year strategic planning process, laying out a road map for sustainable customer growth covering multiple products through multiple sales channels.Created a new focused team of Lead Financial Analysts supporting the ongoing growth initiatives in specific markets.• Significantly improved the 3 and 1 year planning processes, ensuring an integrated approach aligning all markets to capture growth opportunities.• Instigated improved, & forward looking, reporting standards• Introduced new forecasting tools, facilitating early detection of variances to plan.• Identified and quantified significant risks and opportunities within the business.• Redesigned and motivated a team of Lead Financial Analysts, resulting in enhanced forecasting accuracy, and error reduction.• Coached and mentored Finance, Human Resources and Marketing managers.• Influenced country management to focus on long term volume led growth, while matching short term revenue aspirations by reducing reliance upon pricing actions. Show less

Achieved profitability improvements through operational efficiencies and pricing strategies. Initiated a strategic shift from revenue quality growth, to profitable revenue growth, resulting in a 20% increase in the performance within the first year.• Financially diagnosed areas of underperformance and influenced local management to revise pricing and operational processes, resulting in repositioning of products to optimize profitable revenue growth.• Instigated audit program which… Show more Achieved profitability improvements through operational efficiencies and pricing strategies. Initiated a strategic shift from revenue quality growth, to profitable revenue growth, resulting in a 20% increase in the performance within the first year.• Financially diagnosed areas of underperformance and influenced local management to revise pricing and operational processes, resulting in repositioning of products to optimize profitable revenue growth.• Instigated audit program which improved standardization and compliance with best practices and improved Internal Control.• Introduced key metrics and reporting systems to improve internal control over revenue capture, identifying profit leakages, which resulted in enhanced profitability of existing business streams.• Trained Management in understanding profitability streams through detailed “profit maps” using Activity Based Costing.• Influenced country management to create new strategic direction, leading to increased EBIT results.• Successfully improved South African domestic operation, increasing profitability by $2 million per annum.• Specified, developed and implemented new product offering, resulted in 1% increase in volume during launch year estimated at $250,000. Show less

Achieved strategic profitability improvements by influencing multi country management teams.• Integral member of the acquisition team which purchased the largest transport company in Brazil ($400 million in revenue). Modeled value creation, undertook due diligence and devised detailed transformation plans.• Motivated international teams to grow trading customers and revenues, by up to 26% year on year, focusing managers on key performance metrics and value creation.•… Show more Achieved strategic profitability improvements by influencing multi country management teams.• Integral member of the acquisition team which purchased the largest transport company in Brazil ($400 million in revenue). Modeled value creation, undertook due diligence and devised detailed transformation plans.• Motivated international teams to grow trading customers and revenues, by up to 26% year on year, focusing managers on key performance metrics and value creation.• Implemented compliance and standardized pricing guidelines resulting in improved profits from existing customer segments.• Developed and evaluated strategy to maintain sustainability of operational platform, creating a multiyear transformation of business in USA.• Trained managers in costing and profit drivers, leading to improved decision making. Show less

Encouraged and motivated all Financial, Administrative, Information Technology and Pricing staff, ensuring that each member understood their value, and contribution, to the company. Led a team of four direct reports and approximately 50 indirect reports, the departments managed included: financial and management accounting, accounts payable, collections and receivables, billing, payroll, general services, purchasing, pricing and information technology.• Implemented high levels of… Show more Encouraged and motivated all Financial, Administrative, Information Technology and Pricing staff, ensuring that each member understood their value, and contribution, to the company. Led a team of four direct reports and approximately 50 indirect reports, the departments managed included: financial and management accounting, accounts payable, collections and receivables, billing, payroll, general services, purchasing, pricing and information technology.• Implemented high levels of Internal Control through process review , resulting in clean external audits and best in class internal audit scores (twice).• Significantly reduced costs, by $2 million, through a cost reduction program which implemented an ongoing review of cost spend covering all areas of the business.• Recruited, developed, motivated and engaged staff, and successfully obtained an Investors in People accreditation covering area of responsibility.• Reduced reporting timescales from 3 weeks to four days, while improved reporting efficiency and accuracy.• Initiated a culture change to customer and quality focus, resulting in improved employee motivation and reduced complaints. Show less

Developed and led a team of up to 25 professional, and clerical staff, responsible for all internal and group reporting. Ensured reporting was complete and in accordance with group and legal policies. The functions covered included internal and group reporting, accounts payable, treasury, payroll and taxation.• Remodeled reporting processes resulting in increased accuracy and timeliness by implementing relevant software tools and training staff in new processes.• Introduced… Show more Developed and led a team of up to 25 professional, and clerical staff, responsible for all internal and group reporting. Ensured reporting was complete and in accordance with group and legal policies. The functions covered included internal and group reporting, accounts payable, treasury, payroll and taxation.• Remodeled reporting processes resulting in increased accuracy and timeliness by implementing relevant software tools and training staff in new processes.• Introduced improved forecasting and budgeting models (resulting forecast was within 2%) by developing a rolling forecast to identify deviations from targets and budgets.• Upgraded internal controls by introducing new policies and procedures covering a number of functions.• Improved quality of departmental output and reduced management requirements saving $160k per annum• Promoted from Accounts Manager to Financial Controller in Year 1. Show less

Fcca, Accounting

Qualified Accountant since 1990 Fellow of the Association since 2000

Education record

Accounting, Accounting And Finance