Financial & Accounting Controls Consultant - INDEPENDENT CONSULTING - Ocala, FL
(2023-11)
Provide hands-on accounting, financial-control, analytics, audit, and advisory support to privately owned and nonprofit organizations in Central Florida.
- Perform accounting and control reviews covering cash receipts and disbursements, vendor payments, bank reconciliations, journal entries, account analysis, and reconciliation of operational systems to the general ledger and financial statements.
- Support month-end processes, financial reporting, budgeting, transaction review, documentation, and management analysis using QuickBooks, Excel, and other financial systems; recommend improvements to accuracy, efficiency, segregation of duties, and internal controls, including review of payroll-related and personnel-cost processes when within project scope.
Chief Risk Officer - FIRSTLIGHT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION - El Paso, TX
(2017-11 - 2023-11)
Led enterprise risk, internal audit, compliance, quality control, fraud prevention, vendor management, collections, legal, and insurance functions for a $1.4 billion financial institution operating in Texas and New Mexico.
- Oversaw financial-control and internal-audit reviews of transactions, deposits, payments, vendor processes, reconciliations, financial reporting, and technology-enabled operations.
- Coordinated annual financial statement audits, regulatory examinations, special reviews, management responses, and remediation of financial-control issues.
- Advised executive leadership and the Supervisory Committee on financial and operational performance, internal controls, policy compliance, emerging risks, and process improvement.
- Managed and mentored multidisciplinary professional teams, established priorities, reviewed work quality, and promoted accountability and continuous improvement.
Vice President - Head of Retail Credit Review - CAPITAL ONE - McLean, VA
(2013-05 - 2017-04)
Led independent analysis and assurance over major retail portfolios, including Card, Home Loans, and Auto Finance, with responsibility for reporting accuracy, analytics, controls, planning, and executive communication.
- Managed annual risk-based plans, function budget, staffing priorities, reporting commitments, and multiple concurrent reviews in a complex financial environment.
- Evaluated data quality, reporting controls, financial trends, policy implementation, and remediation plans; translated results into clear recommendations for senior management and governance committees.
- Led Tableau-based analysis and automated testing initiatives that improved management information, exception identification, and review efficiency.
- Collaborated with Finance, business leaders, Internal Audit, Quality Assurance, regulators, and external auditors while developing professional staff.
Director / Audit Manager - Consumer, Commercial & International - CITIBANK - Los Angeles, New York & London
(2004-01 - 2013-05)
Held progressive leadership roles covering consumer and commercial banking, financial controls, business monitoring, accounting processes, and international operations across Europe and the Middle East.
- Managed an eight-person professional staff and country audit leaders while coordinating plans, special projects, issue follow-up, and reporting across 13 countries.
- Evaluated assets, liabilities, transactions, reconciliations, accounting controls, and reporting; presented findings and recommendations to senior leaders, regulators, and governance forums.
- Chaired the Audit Financial Control Workgroup and supported executive and regulatory reporting across finance, risk, and business teams.
- Managed priorities and deadlines within annual budgets in a large, decentralized global organization.
Controller (Acting CFO), Creative Services Group | Worldwide Internal Audit Manager - THOMSON MULTIMEDIA - TECHNICOLOR - Los Angeles, CA
(2000 - 2004)
Provided hands-on controllership and financial leadership for a production-services group that grew from $33 million to $190 million in annual sales.
- Directed month-end close, annual operating budgets and forecasts, monthly financial statements, variance analysis, expense and labor-cost oversight, and management reporting packages for executive leadership.
- Integrated accounting activities for seven new business units, including five acquisitions and two start-ups; standardized the chart of accounts and supported migration to a common accounting system across international locations.
- Prepared journal-entry and account analysis, capital expenditure analyses, and budget controls; supervised expenditures for an approximately 100,000-square-foot production complex.
- Partnered closely with operations on staffing and cost decisions, due diligence, systems integration, corporate initiatives, and significant business decisions; trained accounting staff and chaired financial and production systems integration workgroups.
- As Worldwide Internal Audit Manager, recruited and developed international staff, managed service providers, evaluated accounting and operational controls, and presented recommendations to management and the Audit Committee.
