Fashionable Eyewear. Affordable Prices.

Led digital transformation efforts for the North American finance team (20+ FTE). Was responsible for financial accounting & reporting, treasury & banking, tax, financial systems, credit, collections, payables, and controls.Oversaw digital growth of 48%, leading to a 92% improvement in net profit margin over 3.5 years. Decreased financial overhead costs by 2% while managing headcount growth of 50% to support the evolving business. Reduced bad debt by 64%, reducing lines on sub-ledger by 25% while still growing the overall customers served and new sales channels. Delivered recurring income and cost savings totaling over $1.8M annually with additional value streams in the pipeline. Achieved record branch contribution amounts in each of the past 3.5 years, amounting to nearly 40% of the total retained earnings for North America. Initiatives included right-sizing office and staff readiness for hybrid/remote success, e-commerce expansion, subscription growth, real estate sales, warehouse conversion, and future-proofing the business model. Sponsored ERP system (S4 HANA) upgrade project, improving data cleanliness while enhancing existing controls. Achieved 100% balance sheet reconciliation result. Successfully closed audit engagements with no adjustments or misstatements during every exam. Founded in 1586, Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world's leading university press with the widest global presence. Grow. Simplify. Adapt.

I led the charge to create the firm and developed the finance function in our center of excellence. Built and managed daily cash forecasting, monthly 3-statement model, and Investor reporting & analysis. Partnered closely with the board of directors, private equity partners, lenders, and shareholders (including Blackstone, Ares, & Tengram), external auditors, and coordinated SEC and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) reporting requirements.Other day-to-day responsibilities included cash and debt oversight, payables, receivables, insurance, and working capital management. Constructed and optimized securitization and inventory lending programs, and guided other liquidity-building initiatives.In the beginning, I coordinated the build-out of the entire finance and accounting function during the carve-out from GBG, including deal funding, the S4 HANA system migration, new office construction, org chart development, and financial model. In the end, I helped to navigate the business during supply chain disruptions and a working capital crunch during the C-19 pandemic, steering the firm to a recapitalization and reorganization plan.Centric Brands is a $2.5B consumer lifestyle brands collective spun-off from Global Brands Group (GBG), delivering quality apparel and accessories to the marketplace under entertainment properties including Disney, Marvel, and Nickelodeon (along with many others), owned brands Robert Graham, Swims, Hudson, and licenses such as Calvin Klein, Under Armour, Tommy Hilfiger, Buffalo David Bitton, and Michael Kors, among others.

Developed and drove the strategic direction of the treasury department for a $4B global publicly traded consumer product company. Was the Senior finance leader responsible for the reverse merger carve-out that formed Centric Brands in 2018. Played a central role in the spin-off from Li & Fung in 2014, then a >$21B multi-national organization.Notable bottom line wins ($10M+ per annum): Established the creation of our Procurement department in charge of indirect spending. Optimized working capital and investments utilizing supply chain finance and cash pooling. Enhanced vendor master process and fraud prevention controls. Created and managed fixed asset financing facilities. Persuaded for consolidation of shared service center functions. Articulated and executed continuous process improvements and savings initiatives. Negotiated treasury-related contracts. Other responsibilities included operating the cash management and accounts payable functions. Played an integral role in global insurance placement, financing activities, treasury management systems, hedging actions, and global cash flow reporting. Integral business partner leading merger & acquisition integrations/divestitures & spin-off activities. Fostered the development of 14 direct reports, and 40+ indirect reports globally. Reported to CFO & Global Treasurer.

Was responsible for integrating dozens of acquired businesses into our financial systems and managed re-forecasting and budgeting processes globally. Handled due diligence and purchase accounting for M&A activity on deals ranging from small $10M asset tuck-ins to $1B+ equity transactions. Prepared the Global Balance Sheet and analyzed monthly changes and variances. Created P&L drill-through function comparing actual to forecast, providing much-needed visibility and insight to drive better business partner decisions. Designed special projects that improved the efficiency and reliability of finance operations. BPC power-user. Coordinated bank, financial, and internal audits. Led relocation and training efforts of shared services from NYC offices to Greensboro; including site selection, recruiting, systems and accounting process mapping, operational functions training for all new office staff, and financial reporting. Reported to SVP, Finance.

Led the creation of a proprietary first-of-kind $1B receivables securitization program. Drove SAP implementation as the finance global process owner and power user for cross-divisional products and teams. Developed a multi-dimensional FX hedging program to protect margin and cash flow for a fast-growing international business. Automated lockbox reporting and cash application process. Created a 40-member offshore team in Panyu, China to improve efficiencies, coverage, and cost. Developed a local team of 15 staff to effectuate the daily cash, imports, and accounts payable functions. Led design planning, configuration, and strategy sessions for major projects, including SAP. Delegated testing to several managers and analysts and was a power user for FI/CO and overlapping MM/SD functions. Reported to VP of Finance.

Managed growth of a <$10M organization w/ 6 store locations to ~$1B of revenue and >300 locations. Led and initiated roadshows and pitch decks for capital activities and relationship-building. Created a custom solution for document management and workflow approval, which has now become the global standard for digitization decades later.Constructed, directed, and led a highly skilled team in Mumbai, India, and New York to scale our finance function to support a high-growth pre-IPO firm. Managed general accounting functions, including AR/AP, balance sheet schedule reconciliation, and cash management. Prepared financial statements and created management reporting with FRx, Cognos, SQL, and Hyperion consolidation tools. Communicated daily with Senior Management concerning cash & sales forecasts, as well as the development of appropriate budget and variance reporting. Built and managed financial models. Automated functions by programming VBA scripts for repetitive tasks. Prepared and filed monthly sales tax returns. Administered all cash and financial management systems, evaluating and integrating new applications including SAP, Great Plains, Vertex, Aspect Loss Prevention, and our custom POS and Purchase Order tool. Worked in retail and warehouse environments to connect each to our corporate systems and processes, streamlining and automating receiving, replenishment, pick/pack/shipping systems, including a conveyor system.Coordinated activities leading up to restructuring efforts including two separate private equity sales of the company and directly handled DIP financing and associated reporting requirements. Reported to CFO. Steve & Barry's was the fastest-growing retailer in America and led the surge of celebrity-branded apparel. They provided customers with unmatched value and quality and gave me immeasurable early career responsibility and experience. I was corporate employee #32 when I joined and became the 4th longest tenured by 2008.

Student held position that provided administrative support for faculty and the Dean of Communications; while pursuing my own degree in business and economics.

Responsible for all day to day operations of a high volume retail apparel outlet. Recruited, hired, trained, and developed stock and sales associates, cashiers, and key staff. Drove sales through appealing visual merchandising strategy, coordinated price change promotions, and demonstrated attentive customer service. Maintained appropriate merchandise levels and controls, including replenishment ordering, receiving, and cycle counts. Performed register audits in compliance of loss prevention guidelines. Ensured accurate end of day sales and inventory reporting and deposit preparation. Controlled store operating costs and adjusted labor scheduling of 5 direct reports. Promoted a casual and fun work environment. Was the top performing outlet for the state, district, and East coast. Reported to Regional Director.

Participated in the mission to discover cures, enhance awareness, and provide assistance and support for patients, family, friends, and survivors of cancer. Supervised and contributed fund raising efforts through call center activities. Administered successful campaign strategies and implemented best practice procedures. Observed member calls, collecting data and auditing call center results. Simplified and streamlined the communication of the organizational message that encouraged repeat donations and converted first time contributions, maximizing the overall impact and reach of the mission.