Ascend Group (www.ascendvt.com), and its sister company Vermont Expertise (www.vermontexpertise.com), provide accounting and corporate financial services ranging from fractional and interim roles to assisting on specific finance and accounting projects. We are the only company in Vermont that offers true vertical integration (bookkeepers, Controllers, and CFOs), all within one firm, all based here in Vermont, and all working on a fractional basis, tailored to meet the specific needs of every client.We look forward to working with your business, too! Check us out at www.ascendvt.com. Clients that Tim has partnered with include:- A biotechnology company focused on improving therapeutic efficacy- A back-office service provider to local colleges- A wholesaler, retailer, and ecommerce natural products company- An importer and distributor of winter sports equipment- A premier commercial architecture firm- A branding and design studio performing work globally- A building glass supplier and installer- A manufacturer and seller of mobile accessory dwelling units- A foodservice design consulting firm- An internet retailer of gardening products- An internet retailer and wholesaler of maternity wear- An institution of higher education- A clinical testing and R&D laboratory- A designer and wholesaler/internet retailer of pet products- A DRTV and home shopping television marketer of home furnishings- A product and service provider in the utility and renewable energy sector- A wholesaler of South Asian textiles- An international bulk commodity distributor- A non-profit arts organization

Annual revenue ≈ $50 million, position reported to General Manager (CEO equivalent)• Financial Leadership. Principal contact for all banking relationships. Negotiated lower borrowing rates and restructured the organization’s long term debt. Lead contact for annual external financial audit with Gallagher Flynn. Overhauled the Co-op’s budget process to be more participatory and bottom-up. Introduced new expense reporting to provide managers at multiple levels of the organization visibility for the first time as to the details of their monthly department revenue and expenses. Oversee an accounting team of six individuals.• Expansion. Handled all financial matters pertaining to the Co-op’s significant transformation from a single-store to multi-store enterprise with its ≈ $20 million investment at 207 Flynn Avenue. Prepared multiple sources and uses forecasts, coordinated draws on construction loan, and rebuilt internal financial structures and reporting tools. Key participant in the development and execution of the Co-op’s Member Loan Campaign to raise capital for the Co-op’s new South End store.• Community Lending. Revamped the Co-op’s farm and community lending program, by working with dormant borrowers to resume/restructure their payments, bolstering the legal documents pertaining to loans, and filing with the State of Vermont to become a registered revolving loan fund. Chair internal committee reviewing applicant creditworthiness and community fit.• Organizational Strategy. Served on the Leadership Team of the Co-op, participating in annual and long-term strategic planning exercises and SWOT analysis, with particular focus on financial stewardship and business intelligence capabilities.• Legal Affairs. Responsible for non-employee legal matters, including contract drafting and review, and working with external legal counsel on critical matters.

Annual revenue ≈ $70 million, position reported to Founder/CEO.• Financial Direction. Responsible for directing all financial, banking, and foreign exchange activities. Negotiated eight-fold increase in line of credit and 175 basis point interest rate reduction. Coordinated annual external financial audit/review. Built company budget model, department financials, and cash flow forecasting model from scratch. Created numerous Excel queries to mine data from ERP system and data warehouses. Supervised accounting team. • Supply Chain Management. Responsible for warehousing, inventory control, and domestic distribution to mail order companies, home shopping TV networks (QVC and HSN), and big box retailers (Walmart, Target, Dollar General, Walgreens, CVS, BB&B, Home Depot, Staples, Ace Hardware, etc..) Introduced third-party warehousing, gaining transportation efficiency and better managing variable customer demand. Built the company’s first product development tracking model. Continual focus on improving inventory turn and liquidating slow moving inventory. Supervised supply chain team.• Information Technology Management. Led two ERP implementations (Sage Platinum in 2001, Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Navision in 2011) and EDI implementation. Supervised IT team in California and Vermont.• Human Resources Management. Created the HR function and implemented organizational structure, benefits, and HR policy changes. Supervised the in-house HR Manager.• Legal Affairs. Reviewed all significant contracts and drafted agreements with external parties. Supervised the in-house Legal Affairs Manager before the role moved to the California office in 2014.• Strategic Direction. During my interview for the role, the Founder/CEO said he wanted to focus on developing and selling products, and have me manage and improve everything else. It was my continuous mission to achieve that goal. Over my first eight years with the company, annual revenues grew twenty-fold.

Annual revenue ≈ $350 million, position reported to Controller/Manager of FP&A• Global Budgeting and Forecasting. Responsible for the execution of the global budget process for Burton, the market share leader and pioneer of the $1+ billion/year snowboard industry. Constructed quarterly forecasts, plus additional forecasts on an as-requested basis. Introduced new monthly expense reporting, giving senior management visibility of budget variances from around the world.• Coordination of Global Efforts. Responsible for coordinating counterparts in Europe and Asia in the budgeting and forecasting processes to ensure accuracy, completeness, and standardization. Traveled to the Japan office in September 2000 to provide training on balance sheet and budget review to Japanese staff. Implemented new expense tracking and forecasting processes for faster and more efficient global reporting. Managed methodologies for global intercompany management charges in accordance with national tax laws.• Value-Added Analysis. Conducted the Company’s first benchmarking study for the Board of Directors, comparing expense levels to operating measurements. Acted as a liaison with the marketing group, including decision-making on team sponsorships, development path of team riders, and invited by the marketing group to participate in an off-site annual strategic retreat.• Process Improvements. Streamlined brand segment reporting from a two-day process to a three-hour process. Designed and programmed Accounting/Finance intranet website, giving all employees access to policies, procedures, and answers to commonly-asked questions. Created PowerPoint classes to teach managers how to use SAP (Burton’s accounting software) to investigate variances.

Annual revenue ≈ $35 million, position reported to CEO/CFO• Capital Structure Analysis. Responsible for negotiating and evaluating debt and equity financing alternatives for the Company, making recommendations to the CEO and Board of Directors. In December 1997, secured a five-year term loan from a local SBIC lender. Analyzed existing equity capital structure, including anti-dilutive provisions of options and warrants and the exchange listing of the Company’s common stock.• Financial Reporting and Analysis. Conducted all financial analysis for the Company. Established the majority of reporting standards, including financial statement design for ERP implementations (Macola and Platinum/FRX). Disseminated financial results and analysis to management and regular presentations of the Board of Directors. Created line of business measurement structure, both internally and for SFAS No. 131. Deeply involved in marketing analysis of direct response campaigns, including frequency, reach, day-part, and margin analysis.• Investor Relations/SEC Compliance. Played a significant role in the Company’s initial public offering in November 1993. Responsible for the completing of 10-Q and 10-K filings, including authoring MD&A. Responsible for writing, layout, and production of the Company’s annual report and proxy statement. Organized the annual meeting of stockholders, handled analyst coverage, and managed shareholder inquiries. Responsible for maintaining NASDAQ common stock listing.• Budgeting. Directed the Company-wide budget process. Developed VTBC’s budgeting framework from scratch, including a network-based system to track expenditures instantaneously. Held monthly meetings with managers to discuss budget variances, and educated managers on the financial and accounting procedures of the Company.• Legal Affairs. Responsible for all legal affairs of the Company, including litigation, mediation, settlement discussions, intellectual property, and contracts.