Sales Customer Service

Steven J. Sheppard, MBA

***** ******* *****, **** *******, MN 55347-4734 ( Home 952-***-**** (

Cell 612-***-****

*********@*****.*** ( linkedin.com/in/stevenjsheppard

CFO ( Controller ( IT/HR Consultant

Delivering Innovative Financial Business Solutions

Partnership-oriented Finance Leader with progressive experience

collaborating with operational counterparts to manage internal controls,

design / implement infrastructure, drive change and achieve targets.

Strong, effective leadership and communication skills combined with high

energy to set and implement strategic plans, mediate conflicting business

needs and negotiate compromises as needed. Recognized for exceptional

problem-solving results with proven capacity to accurately assess

organizational needs, demonstrate sound judgment, and deliver results with

unquestioned integrity. Experience includes:

Strategic Planning Policy / Process Team Leadership

Development

Audit Compliance Continual Process Employee Training /

Improvement Coaching

Metrics / Internal Trend / Opportunity Budgeting / Forecasting

Controls Evaluation

Program Management M&A Integration Project Management

Professional Experience

CARLSON COMPANIES, Minnetonka, MN 07/07 - 11/09

A $2.7 billion global company specializing in the hotel, marketing,

restaurant and travel industries.

Controller

Led enterprise-wide department designing and implementing shared services

consistent with the needs of five global business units. Developed vision

and strategy for the corporate finance organization. Acted as liaison

between Corporate Finance and IT to establish and deploy new processes to

ensure compliance in acquisition, disposition and fixed assets. Improved

customer service, cost effectiveness and internal control. Leveraged

common tools and processes to provide flexibility and efficiency to each

business enterprise. Managed department budget of $4 million.

o Cleared outstanding comments from external auditors. Instituted

compliance performance measurements to maintain a 97.7% quality rating

for balance sheet accounts (2008).

o Interfaced regularly with IT to achieve strategic agendas to improve

data warehousing and developed methodologies for estimating cost and

benefit analysis.

o Developed and produced executive level presentation to report

financial analyzes to identify cost, customer, vendor and operations

drivers to enhance decision-making capabilities.

o Received accolades from Board of Directors for "notable improvements

in efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction" (2008).

o Created Vision, Value and Purpose Statements to inspire individual

contributors to engage in team goal of delivering exceptional service.

Achieved a 38% increase in customer satisfaction from 2007 to 2009

(based on annual surveys) despite a 34% reduction in staff.

o Achieved 80th percentile on Gallup employee engagement survey for two

years (company-wide, only 20 managers obtained this score).

o Applied Six Sigma Lean techniques to identify and correct accounting

and technology-related issues and increase productivity as measured by

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) metrics.

INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, Eden Prairie, MN 06/97 - 10/09

Financial consulting and project management services company.

Owner / Contractor

o Provided accounting, financial reporting, and process improvement for

a restaurant company located in Dallas, Texas.

o Participated in the implementation of Oracle 10.7 to 11i. Provided

cost and working capital analysis for the restaurant business.

Utilized Hyperion reports and essbase to analyze accounts.

Steven J. Sheppard

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HUDSON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Minneapolis, MN 02/07 - 07/07

Provider of internal audit, accounting and finance consulting, project

management and staffing services.

Senior Financial Analyst / Consultant

Provided accounting, risk management and process improvements for banking

client to mitigate risk; assisted with the implementation and

reconciliation of ITI Navigator in loan processing of $2 billion in

construction / project loans.

o Instituted a cash forecast program to predict daily cash flow.

o Applied Six Sigma Lean techniques to identify and correct accounting

related issues and increase productivity as measured by Key

Performance Indicators (KPI) metrics.

COLDWELL BANKER BURNET, Edina, MN 07/97 - 06/06

The Minnesota residential real estate brokerage operation of NRT LLC, a

division of Realogy, LLC, with $200 million in annual revenues derived from

$8 billion in real estate sales.

Director of Finance FP&A

Directed two professionals and 12 clerical support team members maintaining

shared service relationships with 3,000 Sales Associates and 400 employees

in 35 branch and corporate locations. Personally managed a department

budget of $1.3 million.

o Instituted statistical quality performance measurements to maintain an

error factor of less than 1% on commission processing transactions.

o Performed financial sale due diligence as part of a three-person team

on a $100+ million business to NRT LLC, a division of Realogy, LLC.

o Designed and implemented a $3.5 million compensation package for

Regional and Branch Vice Presidents with focus on quantified revenue

and expense targets.

o Instituted Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) to

collaborate with functional departments to identify and enhance the IT

Department's customer focus.

o Selected by management team to provide data and cost analysis used for

comprehensive decision-making related to independent contractor

compensation.

o Delivered planned financial objective services targeted to the needs

of the ownership group.

o Collaborated with Marketing and Sales Associates to redesign and

deploy a Home Warranty Program leading to annual sales increases of

33% (2004-2006).

Prior Experience

Collaborated with IT and Operations to develop and implement a turn-around

plan that eventually took the company public as an Accounting Manager with

Transport Corporation of America (Eagan, MN). Rapidly progressed through a

series of promotions in the finance organization of The Pillsbury Company

(Minneapolis, MN). Positions included: Internal Audit, Cost Accounting

Supervisor, Sales and General Administrative (SG&A) Accountant, and

Assistant Financial Analyst.

Education

CARDINAL STRITCH UNIVERSITY, Eden Prairie, MN

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY, Minneapolis, MN

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Finance

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