Robert Jelinski, Cpa, Mba Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Bolingbrook, Illinois, United States

Oversaw lease and asset accounting for corporate HQ, distribution centers, and 1200+ retail stores nationwide. Played a key role in the month-end close process and provided executive leadership for three teams (Lease Administration & Lease Accounting, Capital Projects, and Fixed Asset) with six direct reports and eight indirect reports. ● Rolled out a strategic plan that underpinned rapid growth of the lease administration function● Established internal controls to enable project financial tracking, fixed asset processing, and capitalization; identified opportunities for efficiency gains and decreased the number of internal controls from 20 to 15● Facilitated the external audit process by validating IPE prior to engaging with the third party auditor● Implemented new technology solutions with specific focus on the automation of legacy manual processes; ensured that accounting practices were aligned with proprietary software solutions and cloud computing arrangements● Completed a fixed asset project with an external consultant (PwC) to execute additional accounting for ASC 850 (internally developed software costs); developed policies and accounting processes to transition from Waterfall to Agile● Maintained an expert knowledge of relevant accounting standards and regulatory requirements (ASC 842, GAAP, SOX); provided robust interpretation of lease language to identify landlord allowances, rent holidays, percentage rent, and various other clauses to ensure accurate and completeness of financial reports● Strengthened relationships with key business partners including colleagues, landlords, and auditors● Worked with the Growth & Development and Legal teams to facilitate complex real estate transactions; collaborated with FP&A and Real Estate teams to conduct impairment analysis across the portfolio ● Reviewed annual budget and monthly forecasts for rent, real estate tax, common area maintenance, fixed asset disposals, and depreciation for all locations

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Led all lease accounting per ASC 842 for the U.S. region covering lease expense, lease audit/review, and real estate tax payments, representing $6B+ and the company’s largest market. Managed three teams of 12+ including the audit function to ensure compliance across 6K+ leases. Directed mission critical business transformations and new system implementations.● Spearheaded enterprise-level efforts to transition from no reporting to reporting for every lease, reviewing financial impact, and delivering all reporting according to the new ASC 842 guidelines● Influenced all project phases and collaborated effectively between the IT development and project oversight teams● Implemented a new lease accounting system in time to retire the legacy mainframe and meet all reporting deadlines● Ensured the U.S. portfolio passed audit with no issues and no adjustments ● Represented the company at conferences with Fortune 500 companies about the new system and kept internal customers up to date on changes to processes, policies, and procedures● Reduced annual penalties and interest from $500K+ to <$100K via a new in-house Real Estate Tax Payment team● Developed and retained talent by taking a hands-on approach to employee development, and promoting from within● Drove continuous improvement and worked with IT teams to transition and automate previously manual processes

Managed the $5M+ budget for the entire REF Accounting department, including monthly fluctuation review and yearly general and administrative planning process. Facilitated operator and company-owned store initiatives across the U.S. (technology billings, sustainability regional initiatives, etc.). Introduced improvements to streamline the escrow process.● Strengthened relations with the U.S. Restaurant Development team and improved communication and workflows with better understanding of invoice submission requirements and increased partnership with the Legal group● Boosted departmental ratings 30%+ by implementing NPS action plans; attained #1 ranking for benchmarking standards● Developed and implemented a new process for quarterly preparation and sign-off on commitments disclosure for U.S. business that increased efficiency for year-end requirements and reduced prep time by one day● Met or exceeded SLAs for 12 consecutive months for construction/real estate invoice processing, including year-end deadlines; processed invoices for regions beyond stated deadlines to ensure even greater accuracy

Directed internal controls for $10B+ in fixed assets and $4B+ in annual AR rent and service fees for 16K+ U.S. contracts. Led all SOX programs, including quarterly and annual certification, testing, and self-assessment; trained four internal audit staff.● Maintained a consistent record of no material compliance issues and no ineffective control findings throughout tenure after stepping into the role with minimal training and being self-taught on all aspects of the business● Achieved a 98% overall effectiveness rate for U.S. internal controls and consistently delivered strong SOX audit results ● Significantly reduced leadership involvement in most control areas; promoted a range of efficiencies and best practices ● Drove innovation while prioritizing continuity through transitions and new system implementation, such as contributing to new logic requirements in Oracle and training and developing staff for succession planning● Managed smooth transition of internal control activity from the Canada team to the U.S. team

Warrenville, Illinois, United States

● Provided key guidance as part of the team implementing the new Oracle Financial system in the design of internal controls related to financial reporting, accounting and subledger processes, and system testing and launch ● Collaborated directly with senior executives, including the VP of Accounting, and effectively served as Acting Controller during the critical year-end timeframe and a time of transition for the $700M+ organization

Chicago, Illinois, United States

● Built the internal controls reporting function related to corporate SOX compliance from the ground up for the $20B global professional services and management consulting giant● Maintained a “No Major Deficiencies” status in SOX audits and a “No Ineffectives” rating during internal controls evaluations for all fiscal years throughout tenure● Led four global teams, served as a subject matter expert in SOX compliance and technology solutions for internal controls, and oversaw training and implementation for SOX compliance in two centers in the Americas and Europe

Chicago, Illinois, United States

● Established Accenture’s first specialized fraud auditing function from scratch, collaborating with legal and HR and performing competitive research, then leading a team of four to expose $6M+ in recoveries for compliance

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Managerial Accounting

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Accounting, Magna Cum Laude