Customer Service Accounts Payable

MARY R. ACCETTURO

**** * ***** *** ** #*** Milwaukee WI 53209 414-***-**** email ********@*****.***

PROFILE

An Accounting and Financial professional with over 20 years of AP/AR, Information Technology, Audit and Management

expertise. Proven dynamic leader with vision, self-directed, organizational skills and a record of accomplishments built on the

ability to create relationships, achieve results and impact bottom line growth. Innovative strategic thinker using best practices to

implement continual process improvements, enhance customer service and expand service level agreements. Tendency to thrive

in dynamic and fluid environments while remaining pragmatic and focused.

AREAS OF STRENGTH

Organizational Leadership Lean Practices and Tools

Best Practices and Benchmarking Project Management

Consensus Building and Teaming Cost Control / Reduction

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Accounts Payable Supervisor, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. West Allis, Wisconsin 2008 – Present

Brookdale Senior Living communities have provided exceptional senior living since 1978. Brookdale is the nation’s largest

owner and operator of senior living communities throughout the United States and a leading national provider of senior-related

services. Brookdale operates more than 550 senior living and retirement communities across the nation. Responsible for

managing the centralized accounts payable processing operations for all Brookdale’s Communities: Direct Reports – 2 Leads

responsible for 18 Associates & Dotted Line Reports – 32 Associates.

Responsible establishing Departmental and Associate metrics – Productivity and Quality Assurance accountability

measurements highlighting goals, accomplishments, strengths and opportunities.

Responsible for the outsourcing of the Energy and Telecom Utility Management for all communities. Results yielded

reduction of 5 full time associates nationwide; increase utility savings; elimination of business interruption due to utility shut-

off situations.

Responsible for implementation of Voucher Edit Review Process resulting in a 1.5 hour savings per AP Analyst per Day.

Developed Integration Strategy for centralizing the remaining 25 Communities processing their own Accounts Payable.

Initiated Cash Management Project to determine appropriate payment terms and payment methods for Vendors. Resulting in

cost savings and maximization of cash float.

Implemented communication strategy to increase effectiveness of customer service for both external and internal customers.

Directed the review of procure to pay process and implementation of value add changes in policies, practices and procedures.

.

Shared Services Accounts Payable Supervisor, Actuant, Inc. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2006 – 2008

Actuant Corporation is a $1.5B diversified industrial company employing over 7,400 with operations in more than 30

countries. Each Actuant Business Unit functions as its own unique operational entity. Responsible for managing accounts

payable operations for 10 Business Units in a centralized environment and 20 Business Units in a decentralized environment:

staff of 8 direct reports and 15 dotted line reports; 32,000 Vendors; 280,000 Invoices; 97,000 Check Payments; 200 ACH

Payments; 188 Foreign Wire Payments; 15 ERP Systems in Fiscal Year 2007.

Responsible for introducing global best practices and driving operational excellence into the management of Company's

accounts payable and cash distribution activities to optimize the cash management and disbursements contributing to

Actuant’s reduction of Primary Working Capital by $4 million.

Built and managed business relationships with both internal and external customers and suppliers which resulted in an

increase in our service level to our 30 Business Units with no increase to cost allocations.

Drove the implementation of lean principles within the shared services accounts payable department directly increasing

efficiency, raising productivity levels 35% and driving reduced headcount down 2 FTE.

Developed and implemented Accounts Payable Performance Scorecard Report which communicates the invisible reality

to upper management thereby providing an empirical basis for charge-back to Business Units.

Performed Accounts Payable due diligence for New Business Unit Acquisitions: approximately 4 a year.

Drove the implementation of ACH payments for initial 2 Business Units reducing number of checks by 30%.

Completed Phase 1 of Purchase Card Implementation Project for 8 Business Units identifying approximately $15 million

of Annualized indirect spend with vendors who are Visa Accepting Merchants.

Established a Standard Invoice Naming Convention for non-conventional bills which reduced duplicate payments by 99%.

Eliminated over 4,000 duplicate vendors in the master file and established guidelines for adding and maintaining vendors.

Clinic Office Coordinator, Columbia St Mary’s, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2003 – 2005

Responsible for managing a staff of twenty-eight non-medical employees: Billing, Medical Records and

Customer Service support functions in 2 clinic locations.

Worked across departments to identify and resolve roadblocks and implement process improvements.

Modified existing Accounts Receivable Tracking System. Captured $225,000.

Responsible for planning and directing the work and resources involved in running a service oriented business.

Directed Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organization compliance.

Executive Director, Clare Oasis, Inc. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1995 – 2003

Responsible for establishing a non-profit organization and establishing volunteer staff: 10 professional and 200 skilled.

Developed business relationships with local community and governmental organizations to finance and provide support

services.

Initiated and documented policies and procedures for the accounting and finance department for business control,

preventing and avoiding risk exposure and potential auditing.

Researched and implemented opportunities for improved services to clients.

Performed long-range corporation planning and goal setting.

Developed value-added services to support neighborhood and city community needs.

Ensured program awareness and shared information with the field by developing and implementing strategic/marketing

plans.

Financial Services Technical Director, CNA Insurance Companies, Chicago, Illinois 1976 – 1995

Financial Services Technical Director (6/92-7/95)

Internal Audit Manager (8/86-6/92)

Financial Systems Manager (8/80-8/86)

Accountant (6/76-8/80)

CNA is the 7th largest U.S. commercial insurer and the 13th largest U.S. property & casualty insurer. CNA provides

insurance protection to more than 1 million businesses and professionals in the U.S. and internationally.

Lead financial, operational, compliance and technical audits. Responsible for staff preparation and audit plan development.

Assessed and Managed business and risk, made recommendations on improving internal controls and provided bottom-line

oriented solutions

Functioned as active member of management team, with full responsibility for financial accounting and technical services.

Managed multiple teams within a department of 150 exempt and/or non-exempt employees.

Developed and maintained management reporting systems and flash reports to ensure executive team visibility of cash

management activities.

Established and implemented accounting month-end close policies and procedures including approval and disbursement

matrix.

Designed, implemented and rolled-out in-house Financial Accounting and Agency Reporting System to 38 US Branch Offices.

Managed and directed Inter-Company Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable.

Developed and established quality assurance program achieving 25% reduction in accounting error rates and heightened

customer service levels.

Responsible for Cash Applications, Accounts Receivable, Customer Service, General Ledger and Annual Statement

Preparation.

EDUCATION

MA, Pastoral Leadership, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois

BS, Computer Science and Information Systems, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois

Continuing Education Courses and Seminars in Accounts Payable, Finance, Management and Auditing.

COMPUTER SKILLS

A

Desktop: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, Project Manager, Crystal Reports, Kronos, Ceridian,

Procuri, Gelco, Concurs, Discoverer

ERP: Oracle 10.7, Oracle 11.i, Glovia, XAL, Unisys NxView, Great Plains, Quick Books, ACCPAC, PeopleSoft

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND LEADERSHIP

Member and Certified Accounts Payable Manager, IOMA

Member of ISACA, Serving IT Governance Professionals

Volunteer Business Manager, Clare Oasis Inc

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