Ariel J

Experienced FP&A specialist with 8+ years of experience in consulting, retail and Education.

Avenues – The World School (New York, USA) Mar, 2019 - Present

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A – China Region

Independently manage all FP&A functions for the China region while remotely operating from overseas, overseeing 4 business units comprising 600 students and 200 employees.

• Demonstrated exceptional financial modeling skills by revamping models for budgeting, forecasting, revenue projection, staffing and scenario analysis, resulting in 30%+ in efficiency
• Established robust relationships with global and local teams, bridging complex local regulations for global stakeholders and earning recognition from 3 global executives and 5 campus leadership
• Oversaw a 10-member offshore outsourced accounting team, guiding them in streamlining the monthly close process during the absence of the China controller, leading to a 40%+ in efficiency and 30%+ in accuracy 
• Lead semi-annual budget process by partnering with 10+ department heads to align financial goals, consolidate budget submissions, and create board presentations for top management's decision-making
• Facilitate monthly close process with multiple accounting teams to ensure all necessary entries are recorded
• Generate monthly management reporting packages to include actuals, forecasts, and variance analysis; perform in-depth variance analysis to uncover insights behind the discrepancy, leading to a 10%+ in cost efficiency 
• Manage weekly cash flow forecast and analysis to optimize liquidity and support CFO with decision-making
• Develop and enhance financial reporting and procedures, aligning them with China’s regulatory requirements while customizing them to suit our company's unique needs, ensuring consistency and accuracy
• Developed and enhanced financial reporting and procedures, aligning them with China’s regulatory requirements while customizing them to suit our company's unique needs, ensuring consistency and accuracy

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A 

As the sole FP&A analyst, I report directly to the CFO, overseeing FP&A operations for 4 regions.

• Owned the annual budgets, monthly forecasts and variance analysis for all subsidiaries across 4 continents
• Improved business profitability of 5% by providing timely P&L analysis, calling out areas of improvements 
• Streamlined global budget submissions and compiled global financial reports for review by the CFO and the parent company (Stratasys), enhancing financial transparency and reporting efficiency

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A

• Managed weekly, monthly forecasting process including forecasting, budgeting and month-end 
• Enhanced business profitability by delivering timely P&L analysis, pinpointing areas for improvement, and offering strategic solutions to support CFO decision-making

Financial Analyst

• Provided financial and project management support for 5 multi-million dollar clients across North America, responsibilities including financial analysis, pricing, budgeting, forecasting, accruals and variance analysis
• Managed the financial aspects of projects, including tracking project costs, revenue, and profitability, ensuring that projects are within budget and profitable

EDUCATION

University of Toronto Jun, 2014

• Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction (Session GPA 3.7/4.0) Specialist in Finance