Russell Nickel, CPA

*** ** **** ****** ( Seattle, WA 98115 ( Cell: 206-***-**** ( Email:

abk54w@r.postjobfree.com

Professional Summary

Senior Financial Executive with Big 4 experience and proven ability in

providing financial and operational leadership to high growth

organizations. Strategic decision maker with an operational mindset and

business partner to all levels of management focused on creating

shareholder value. A change agent with a record of team building to

ensure that a solid foundation is created that enables and fosters long

term growth and value.

Selected as one of the region's top financial leaders in the 2010 Puget

Sound Business Journal's

'CFO of the Year' Award (small private company).

Core Competencies

. Financial Modeling

. Corporate Finance & Budgeting

. Financial Reporting

. Strategic Business Planning

. Working Capital Management

. Financing Growth Fundraising

. Internal Controls

. Operational Focus

. Metric Driven

. Risk Management

. Project Management

. Team Building & Development

. Board Reporting

. Process Improvement

. Tax Management

Professional Experience

Reischling Press, Inc. (RPI), Tukwila, WA

2007 to 2010

A privately held manufacturing company that is the leader in the

personalized print market, offering the widest range consumer products

such as photo books, stationery and calendars to brand owners such as HP

Snapfish and Costco.

Chief Financial Officer

Reporting to CEO, direct responsibility for owning all aspects of the

company's accounting, finance, corporate governance, administrative and

human resource functions. Integral partner in facilitating a turnaround

that enabled the company to strengthen its financial position and

solidify its position as a leader in the marketplace. Creatively

navigated a $2.5 million working capital shortfall by restructuring loan

and lease agreements. An integral part of strategic team that increased

overall revenues threefold in three years.

. Established and managed banking relationships, securing over $16 million

in working capital and equipment financing, including a $4.5 million

revolving line of credit.

. Played leading role in company's investment banking initiative focused on

providing total or partial shareholder liquidity by way of equity

investment, mezzanine debt financing, or acquisition.

. Secured $5 million in growth capital in the form of mezzanine debt

financing and positioned company for future equity investment to be used

for shareholder liquidity.

. Increased overall contribution margin by 13.2 percentage points (as % of

revenue) and EBITDA 18 points by identifying key performance metrics and

focusing company on controlling variable costs.

. Teamed with VP of Operations in identifying and implementing significant

costs savings initiatives.

. Worked closely with Sales and Product Management in landing new long term

customer contracts and maintaining strong customer relationships.

. Increased overall gross margins by 5 points by creating sales programs to

drive off-peak revenues.

Screenlife, LLC, Seattle, WA 2004 to 2007

A privately held company that develops, manufactures and distributes

casual games, including 'Scene It? the DVD Game' - the #1 selling brand

of board game in the world that topped more than $100 million in

wholesale revenues in 2007.

Vice President of Finance (2006 to 2007)

Reporting to CFO, responsible for managing all facets of the company's

accounting and finance function, including royalty reporting. Developed

and implemented proper controls and procedures, and financial reporting

that helped to grow the top line nine-fold in three years.

. Developed model to assess ROI on new product concepts to insure viability

prior to development.

. Key player in initiative to position the company for acquisition or

infusion of growth capital.

. Reduced overall capital requirements by $4 million through aggressive

management of cash.

. Partnered with all levels of management to identify issues and implement

solutions in order to gain efficiencies and reduce costs.

. Provided direct communication to over 250 investors and financial backers

of the company.

Controller (2004 to 2006)

. Identified and implemented new corporate structure that saved over

$300,000 in state taxes annually.

. Minimized credit risk by implementing new credit policies saving

$2 million in potential credit losses.

. Directly responsible for the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP.

. Designed and managed development of custom integrated royalty program

that reduced process time by 320 personnel hours quarterly and

significantly improved reporting.

Chef'n Corporation, Seattle, WA 2002 to 2004

A privately held, fast paced, growing international brand company that

develops and manufactures innovative kitchen wares including the patented

'PepperBall'.

Controller

Reporting to VP of Finance and Operations, responsible for developing and

managing the company's accounting and finance functions. Implemented

procedures and controls which have enabled the company to grow revenues

fivefold since 2002 with limited additional resources in the finance

department.

Public Accounting 1996 to 2002

KPMG, LLP, Seattle, WA - Audit Manager

Moss Adams, LLP, Seattle, WA London, England - Senior Accountant

Clothier & Head, P.S., Seattle, WA - Staff Accountant

Education, Certification, & Other

University of Washington, Seattle, WA 1996

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration - Accounting

Certified Public Accountant, Licensed in Washington State 1996 to

present

Music Center of the Northwest, Seattle, WA 2010 to present

Board of Directors

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