Robert Gross Email & Phone Number

Grand Rapids, Mi, Us

Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area

As President and Managing Partner of Rodolfo Gonzales Interiors, LLC, I am responsible for all non-design related aspects of this business. A new business start up in 2007, the business has generated average annual revenues of $1.1 million during the past 5-year period (a peak of $1.5 million) while maintaining industry-leading gross margins over the same time frame. The company, which serves high end clientele, has been consistently recognized for the past 6 years a top sales company on a revenue/sq. ft. basis by one of our key vendors, Baker Furniture.

Cary, Nc

The long range plan for this company was to capture market share via acquisition growing revenues at a modest rate for the mature business albeit with high margins. I served as the lead financial executive for 2 consecutive acquisitions over a 2 year period collectively valued at $10.6 billion for both purchase price due diligence as well as synergistic integration indentifying $20 million of financial risks (used to negotiate a lower final purchase price) and $36 million of synergy run rate savings for the G&A expense line alone. Other areas of success and focus included:• Process re-engineering of the entire financial reporting process (including enhanced Board reporting) to provide timely, accurate and relevant finance information and other key metrics to effectively manage the growing business;• Staffing upgrades in the Accounting & Finance Department with a focus on building a Team of business partners to the other disciplines vs. being viewed as pure “number crunchers” and “score keepers”; and• An ongoing focus in the area of operationally efficiency to generate cost savings which could be used to invest in new revenue streams.

Chicago

The last position held at DONTECH was Vice President – Finance and C.F.O. I was the 1st executive of that joint venture to be appointed to the senior team who did not come from either of the 2 partners – namely R.H. Donnelley and AT&T, and was recommended to that position by the President & C.E.O. subject to approval by the Board, in part, in based upon my consistent impartial focus on partner-related matters. I was responsible for all financial, operational and administrative matters of the business. Key areas of success included:• Provision of all due diligence support in the sale of the business to R.H. Donnelley including post-acquisition synergy identification and realization in excess of $12 million;• Development of a strategic plan to guide a critical turnaround initiative and related restructuring;• Provision of the factual and financial framework on an impartial basis to settle 3 material financial disputes between the partners totaling in excess of $40 million; and• A focus on customer service to improve customer satisfaction and reduce financial claim settlements which resulted in a $10 million annual cost savings and positioned the company to be awarded the BBB’s Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

Chicago

G.R.I. was a publically traded direct marketing company with $100 million in annual revenues and 400+ employees headquartered in Chicago. I held 4 positions of increasing responsibility the last of which was Vice President – Controller. During my 5+ year tenure at that business, key accomplishments included:• An orderly liquidation of the company, under the direction of a court-appointed trustee, that resulted in the largest payout to creditors in the history to date for the Northern District of IL (which includes the City of Chicago);• Negotiation of a multi-year extension of the company’s credit lines despite material covenant violations and a weak financial position as a key member of a 3-member team; and• Co-authored a 3-year strategic plan that guided the company’s turnaround effort while identifying major new business opportunities.Other positions held at G.R.I. included Director of Strategic Planning & Financial Budgeting, Assistant Treasurer and Internal Audit Manager.

Managed various residential real estate rehab projects for a joint venture partnership.

Performed operational and financial audits of corporate subsidiaries and divisions.

Chicago

Planned, supervised and reviewed financial audits. Member of both the Computer and Banking Audit Staffs