Lily Chen, MBA, CPA, CMA

Phone: 905-***-**** Cell: 416-***-**** acgl0q@r.postjobfree.com

CAREER PROFILE

Strategic and hands-on senior finance professional experienced in finance and operations. Proven ability to

improve operations, impact business growth and maximize profits through contributions in financial

management, cost reductions & productivity improvement projects. Demonstrated track record to provide

proactive and impactful strategic financial analysis to drive decision making and support the company’s growth

strategy.

Core competencies include management discussion & analysis, budgeting & forecasting, financial reporting

& analysis, financial modeling/pricing analysis, treasury/investment strategy, business process improvement,

financial system conversion, contract negotiation & strategic alliances.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

MBA with Distinction (Full-time)

Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK Jan 2014 - Oct 2014

Director, Finance & Administration

Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network, Toronto, ON 2012 - 2014

As business partner to the senior leadership team, managed the Finance, Legal and IT operations and

developed the infrastructure, business and operational analysis to support operating models and

business growth. Oversaw GL, A/P, A/R, compliance, general accounting, financial reporting and

business analysis functions. Negotiated all contracts and insurances. Performed capital budgeting and

ROI analysis. Responsible for government agencies, banking, investor and auditor relations.

• Directed the financial modelling project factoring in the new service launches, significantly

contributed to the revitalization of the organization’s business model

• Initiated quarterly MD&A with the company Board and monthly financial reporting to all internal

departments, significantly improved performance of company financial position and improved

alignment between corporate policy and departmental business plans

• Spearheaded the 10-year Fibre lease negotiation with Bell Canada and Hydro One through effective

risk mitigation and due diligence review process on contractual agreements, accomplished $6.5

million cost savings, 50% reduction from the initial $13 million renewal contract offer

• Successfully tendered audit service RFPs to the top 30 accounting firms in Canada, resulted in

partnering with Deloitte with a more robust service package for less cost

• Directed the go-to market strategy for annual network equipment and facility insurance renewal,

captured $20K reduction in annual insurance premium through capital inventory reassessment

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Lily Chen, MBA, CPA, CMA

Phone: 905-***-**** Cell: 416-***-**** acgl0q@r.postjobfree.com

• Realized 17% more in interest earnings compared to prior year by working with RBC Dominion

Securities to maximize the underperforming investment portfolio

• Designed project accounting reporting framework for various network upgrades and vendor

partnership projects, significantly improved the cost control and service profitability analysis

Controller

Extreme Brandz, Mississauga, ON 2011 - 2012

Managed all accounting and finance functions for their Canadian and US operations. Led company-

wide ERP system integration project.

• Optimized financial reporting systems from 3 different sources, eliminating the need for 1 FTE

position, improving reporting accuracy by 50% and accelerated fund deposit by 1 day per month

• Spearheaded the cloud-based ERP Netsuite system conversion that included finance, accounting,

purchasing, payroll, expenses management and human resources. Planned changeover, negotiated

and purchased software, put together a team of 3 and rolled out new system in 6 months with no

consulting costs

• Directed the integration of Marketing, Finance and Sales data into a single Netsuite CRM database,

resulted in enhanced efficiency and faster retrieval of higher quality analytics

• Developed the consolidation toolkit to streamline the monthly process for the holding company

(parent and 4 subsidiaries), drastically increased the accuracy of royalty reporting and

accountability of marketing spend

Manager, Finance

CMA Canada, Mississauga, ON 2009 - 2011

Managed the finance operations for CMA Canada and Research Foundations. Implemented zero-based

budgeting process. Accountable for all regulatory compliance and reporting. Prepared monthly

financial statements, financial planning & analysis, and reforecast.

• Transformed strategic and budget planning into a unified Zero-base Budgeting process, resulted in

significantly improved accuracy of corporate revenue projections and budgetary controls

• Coordinated HST changes for entire company, assimilated in a seamless manner

• Launched key performance indicators for finance department to enable enhanced tracking

• Facilitated a provincial chapter-wide cost recovery project (user fees) that retrieved annual

membership fees by $120K and strengthened management’s fiscal accountability

• Working closely with the VP, Corporate Services to redesign the funding model, significantly

contributed to the transition to the CPA Canada merger

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Lily Chen, MBA, CPA, CMA

Phone: 905-***-**** Cell: 416-***-**** acgl0q@r.postjobfree.com

Corporate Financial Analyst

North-Brook Capital Corporation, Mississauga, ON 2007 - 2009

Responsible for all aspects of the financial planning, analysis and modelling processes for the mortgage

lender’s Canadian and US operations. Utilized data from diverse financial and information systems to

build tools and forecasting models that greatly increased profitability

PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

Payroll Analyst/Six Sigma Green Belt - General Electric Canada 2004 - 2007

Payroll Specialist/JD Edwards Project Liaison – Lafarge Canada 2000 - 2004

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

MBA with Distinction, Heriot-Watt University, UK 2014

Certified Management Accountant (CMA) 2008

Certified Six Sigma Green Belt - GE Canada 2005

Master of Arts in Commercial Law, Peking University, China 1995

B. Com, Beijing International Studies University, China 1993

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