Management Manager
Resume:
J. Heather Meister
Village of Lakewood, IL 60014
********@***.***
SUMMARY
An accomplished FINANCIAL EXECUTIVE with over 15 years of finance,
accounting, and audit experience with proven results in managing corporate
objectives and meeting financial targets. Key partner of the senior
management team with diverse operational experience in multiple industries.
Experienced in developing and executing strategic and tactical plans in
alignment with corporate goals. A leader who operates effectively across
all functional departments within the organization. Deep technical
expertise and broad business skills include:
. Financial Planning, Analysis, and Reporting
. Governance, Risk, and Compliance
. Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement
. Project Management
. Corporate Ethics
. Internal Audit and Investigations
. Fraud Prevention / Detection
. Cash Management / Contingency Planning
. Accounting and Finance Operations
. Shared Service Center Operations
. Internal Controls and SOx Compliance
. IT Operations and System Implementations
. M & A Due Diligence
. Written and Oral Communications
. Regulatory / SEC Compliance
. Staff Development and Supervision
Utilizing a pragmatic approach and with a dedication to continuous
improvement, results deliver increased revenues, reduced costs, and
improved profitability that drive the enterprise forward.
Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Keenan Flagler School of
Business
M.B.A., Operations and Finance, 2004
Corinthian College, Key Business School, Newport News, Virginia
Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, 1992
Licensure & Certification
Licensed, Certified Public Accountant Certified Internal
Auditor
Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Certified Quality
Assessor
Certified in Production & Inventory Management Certified HACCP
Program Director
Certified Fraud Examiner (in progress)
Computer Skills
Implementation Experience / Advanced User: Oracle 12i, SAP R/3, Hyperion,
Crystal Reports, ADP, Ceridian, Idea, ACL, Axentis, Approva, EthicsPoint
Advanced User: MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.),
JD Edwards, Clarity Financials, FRX, Lotus
Familiar User: Microsoft Dynamics/Great Plains, Solomon, Lawson, AS/4000
PROFESSIONAL experience
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION Chicago, Illinois
2007-2010
The largest international not-for-profit voluntary professional association
with $550 million in revenue and serving over 420,000 members with over
1,000 employees.
Controller (Reporting to the Executive Director/COO and Chief Financial
Officer. Promoted from CAE and Ethics Officer to Controller in May, 2009)
Core Responsibilities:
. Served as Acting Chief Financial Officer between August 2009 and
October 2009.
. Oversee consolidation for multiple entities: ABA, Fund for Justice,
Education, and James O. Broadhead Corporation (real estate holding
company). Coordinate with affiliate entities: American Bar
Endowment and American Bar Foundation. Support year-end financial
statement audit and A-133 single audit.
. Plan, coordinate, and oversee the global operations of the financial
services division consisting of five departments: general accounting;
financial planning, analysis, and reporting; tax, retirement/pension
plan, and treasury; grant accounting and compliance; and financial
operations and controls. Supervise a staff of 50 in Chicago and
Washington, DC offices plus 35 Field Financial Managers working
internationally.
. Act as primary staff liaison for board's Treasurer, Finance Committee,
and other subcommittees.
. Project sponsor for technology initiatives including: Oracle 12i,
Association Management Software, and other IT application upgrade
teams.
Accomplishments:
. Designed and successfully implemented a staffing realignment plan that
efficiently organized the operations of the financial services
division. Updated finance and accounting policies, documented
critical procedures, and made process enhancements to streamline
operations and strengthen the internal control environment. Staffing
realignment and process improvements led directly to annual cost
savings of over $550K.
. Collaborated with management to improve budgeting process, financial
reporting, and analysis tools to identify revenue opportunities and
trim expenses. Enhanced the approach to annual and multi-year
budgeting processes-adopting elements of zero-base budgeting
techniques-to incorporate more sophisticated financial modeling to
support revenues, strategically justify spending, and prepare
contingency plans.
. Identified the need for more aggressive cash management and engaged
the Board's Investments Subcommittee to request proposals for new
advisors and evaluate appropriate investment vehicles.
. Improved service levels by clearing transactional backlogs in accounts
payable, general ledger accounting, and cash receipts; began
monitoring and improving customer service metrics. Shortened the
month-end closing process from fourteen to four days within 3 months,
allowing more timely delivery of financial results and analysis.
. Enlisted support of Information Services Division to assume system and
application administration, enhancing segregation of duties.
Successfully partnered with management to support critical projects
including: pricing studies, integrated marketing / technology
initiatives, and organizational realignment planning.
Chief Audit Executive and Ethics Officer (Reporting to the Audit
Committee and Executive Director. Hired as Director of Internal Audit.
Promoted to CAE and Ethics Officer in August, 2007. Promoted to Controller
May, 2009)
Core Responsibilities:
. Establish and lead the governance, risk, and compliance group,
including: internal and external audit operations; enterprise risk
management; domestic and international regulatory compliance;
financial statement, annual report, statutory filing, and disclosure
review; and Audit Committee support.
. Lead the business ethics office operations, including: conducting
staff training and awareness initiatives, overseeing the whistleblower
hotline, and supervising investigations.
. Contribute as a member of senior management and provide leadership in
building senior management's culture.
Accomplishments:
. Promoted to Chief Audit Executive and Ethics Officer within one month
by establishing efficient department operations, demonstrating
capacity, and working productively with the senior management team,
Audit Committee, and Board.
. Established the audit and ethics department by implementing new
policies, procedures, and assessment tools in accordance with leading
guidance. Authored the Association's Business Conduct Standards,
Hotline Protocol, and Internal Investigation Guidelines. Enhanced the
EthicsPoint website and implemented Idea data analytics software.
Engaged General Counsel and Human Resources to support business
conduct investigations, reducing overall risk. Implemented succinct
and relevant reporting for management and the Audit Committee.
. Partnered with management to perform an annual enterprise risk
assessment and develop a multi-year audit plan. Executed audit
projects to improve the internal control environment and enhance
operational efficiency, leading to management's implementation of
several cost-effective solutions.
. Improved ethics training programs by incorporating fraud awareness and
prevention.
. Excelled in conflict resolution and key facilitator in building an
ethical and transparent tone at the top, as evidenced by consistently
positive survey results.
. Managed a model ethics office and internal audit shop supporting over
1000 employees, and 15,000 volunteer leaders, many prominent lawyers.
GLOBAL HYATT CORPORATION Chicago, Illinois
2006-2007
A $3.8-billion public company in the hospitality industry managing 735+
locations in 44+ countries employing 100,000+ staff.
Manager of International Accounting (reporting to the Executive VP of
Accounting and Finance)
Core Responsibilities:
. Lead operational changes at over 200 international hotels to
standardize policies and procedures meet SOX 404 requirements within
12 months. Redesign the field financial reporting process to
establish consistency and streamline delivery of reporting.
. Analyze field financial statements, provide annual budgeting
coordination for revenues in excess of $500MM, and verify management
fees.
. Prepare payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable procedures
for consolidation to a shared services center.
Accomplishments:
. International hotels were prepared to meet SOX 404 requirements on
time and within budget. Developed and gained consensus on policy
revisions with a team of Regional VP's and Controllers who added
industry expertise and facilitated implementation. Policy and
procedure revision to meet 404 requirements also considered shared
services transition, eliminating rework.
. Assessed financial statement risk and defined key control objectives
material to consolidated operations. Implemented Protiviti GRC
software and provided global training.
. Developed Hyperion report templates for consistent and comparable
financial reporting, budget planning, and management fee validation.
APTAR GROUP, INC. Crystal Lake, Illinois
2005-2006
A $2 billion public company supplying dispensing systems for
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and personal care. Manufacturing operations span
over 19 countries and employ over 9,000 employees.
Internal Auditor Manager-Finance and Information Systems (reporting to
the Chief Audit Executive)
Core Responsibilities:
. Plan and oversee internal audits including assessments of: internal
controls over financial reporting; information systems and security;
employee health and safety; and quality/compliance programs. Consult
with management to identify key internal controls and develop a method
for self-assessment.
. Perform due diligence for joint venture and acquisition projects.
Accomplishments:
. Developed a guest auditor program to recruit internal talent to assist
with audits and facilitate global exchange of ideas.
. Demonstrated broad expertise by developing efficient, integrated audit
programs over multiple compliance areas. Internal audit work accepted
and relied upon by external auditors, reducing total audit effort and
cost.
. Consulted on the development of a centralized data warehouse to
consolidate SAP data and enable robust managerial reporting.
. Reconfigured existing Axentis software and created Excel work papers
and training programs to streamline self-assessment process.
CONSULTING 1998-
2005
While launching Planet Gravity, attending graduate school, and relocating
to Chicago, worked as an independent contractor, W2-contractor/employee, or
via Control Solutions International
. Quixote (public company)-Year 2 SOX remediation, focused on accounting
policy and ERP systems
. Hartmarx (public)-Year 2 SOX remediation, focused on EPR systems and
inventory control
. Apple Gold Group-(private) developed and implemented supply chain
improvements for a 145+ Applebee's franchise in coordination with
Applebee's corporate staff. Realized annual savings of over $1MM.
. Liggett-Vector (joint venture, public)- acted as Financial Reporting
Manager during plant closure, contributed to Year 1 SOX program, and
developed forecasting tools.
. Biogen-Idec-optimized payroll and accounts payable processes,
contributed to Year 1 SOX program, enhanced operational reporting.
Process redesign lead to over $250K annual cost savings.
. Putney Pasta, Inc. (private start-up)-optimized inventory and
production, negotiated supplier contracts, wrote GMP's and HACCP
compliance program. Inventory reductions and contract negotiations
led to annual cost savings over $760K.
Earlier experience
Planet Gravity, inc., Cary, North Carolina, Chief Administrative Officer,
1997-2002. Conceptualized, funded, built, operated and expanded three-
location health club. Created sound financial projections and budget to
meet growth needs of company. Maintained daily operations, including
finance, human resources, information services, investor relations,
marketing, planning and retail sales. Supervised staff of 50+.
Metal Service Supply Corp., Poughkeepsie, New York, Office Manager 1993-
1997. Oversaw, inventory management, accounting, information systems, and
purchasing functions.
AffiliaTions
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Institute of
Internal Auditors
Association for Operations Management (APICS) Executives' Club
of Chicago, Finance Committee Member
Association for Certified Fraud Examiners Open Compliance
and Ethics Group
Center for Economic Progress (Volunteer Tax Advisor)
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