ROBERT A. CANNON
**** *** ********** ***, *** Diego, CA. 92111
direct 847-***-**** email **********@*****.***
SUMMARY
MBA in Finance with 20 years of experience in corporate financial management seeking leadership position. Specific responsibilities have included successful:
•Budgeting and Forecasting
•Accounting Management
•Change Management and Team Building
Results-driven professional with a solid, verifiable career track for successfully propelling business endeavors through fiscal and operational improvement, business financial planning and analysis – annual strategic/profit plan and monthly forecasting. Subject Matter Expertise in wide range of corporate accounting functions, including Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Cost Accounting and Fund Accounting. Success in fundraising efforts. Enterprising strategist with proven success in establishing a lasting presence in new markets, identifying expansion opportunities, and initiating strong business alliances. Participative leadership style with excellent skills presenting, negotiating, and thinking outside of the box to identify business needs to enable organizations to meet their goals. Recognized as sharp and self-motivated, blending efficiency with a high standard of excellence, fair decision making, and strong interpersonal relations and communication skills.
Proven accomplishments include:
•Cost savings recommendations and implementations totaling more than $2 million annually.
Having served more than 50 clients over the past 14 years, I have worked with manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and all manner of non-profits to actively manage their profitability. I believe in setting profit goals prior to any expenses are considered. Given market conditions, this method can be used to establish acceptable spending based on given revenues.
My efforts based on recommendations backed by verifiable facts, converted into actionable standard procedures, in most all cases, led to an average annual cost savings (or profit improvement) of over $40K per client. Cost savings averaged 3% of sales over all clients, or usually enough to sustain the cost of consulting services, and provide for a growing firm.
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, B.A. in Economics
University of Michigan, Ross School, M.B.A. in Finance and International Business
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Nonprofit Management Executive Talent Acquisition Strategic Planning
Cost Statement Analysis Budget Development & Preparation
KPI Development
Cost Accounting
Financial Accounting
Managerial Accounting
Bank Deposits
Bank Reconciliation
Sales Tax Returns
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
ME/YE Closing
Financial Statements
Inventory Control
General Ledger
Measurable Personnel Goals
Cash Reconciliation
Cost Analysis
Breakeven Analysis
Budget Analysis
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Big Picture Bookkeeping 2018
Controller
Managed multiple clients while overseeing the bookkeeping staff.
Sprouts Farmers Markets 2017
Cashier Part time
Part time cashier for leading natural products grocer.
La Jolla Wetsuits Company, Inc. 2016
Financial Controller – maker and online retailer of wetsuits and paddleboards, 20 employees, Revenues in high single digit millions.
•Contracted to lead a restructuring of finances.
•I lead a financial revamp and reorganization, saving the company $50K annually.
•Managed the books, A/R, A/P and developed sales growth forecasting model.
•Fixed myriad problems with the tax filings, solved the inventory issue, and cleared up issues relating to 2015 and prior.
AMAZING EDIBLES, LTD.
Jan 2015 – Dec 2015
Chief Financial Officer – leading Chicago caterer, 20 employees, Revenue $1.5MM.
•Setup receivables procedure to speed up collections leading to 25% improvement.
•Led team to acquire outside financing of $50K to enable financial and operating revamp.
•Managed bookkeeper to set her on the right track, required weekly progress reports.
•Managed an overview of employee duties and procedures.
AZUL PARTNERS, INC.
July 2013 – March 2015
Financial Controller – online publisher of deep articles on tech supply companies, 20 employees, Revenue high single digit millions.
•Installed a refined chart of accounts, a complete fiscal budget, leading to committed cost savings of $85K annually.
•Installed procedures for pursuing receivables in a timely manner, leading to a 20% reduction in Days/Sales outstanding.
•Managed all books and procedures for improvement, instituted monthly meetings with President to discuss results and to institute corrective actions.
RJSL GROUP, and CANNONOMICS, INC.
Jan 2002 – June 2013
Principal Consultant
Management Consulting – provided financial, organizational, and operational change services, the group employed up to 100 professionals, we serviced organizations up to 500 employees.
•Client: Private Datacenter supplier, copper and fiber optic data center solutions, $8 MM business
oI implemented profit improvement recommendations exceeding $100,000 annually.
oUtilized Financial Planning and Analysis tools, held QuickBooks Enterprise 2013 oversight, improved product pricing strategies, and revamped management accounting procedures.
•Client: Private Air Force government contractor, $12MM business
oI implemented profit improvement recommendations totaling $240,000 annually.
oAdvised and implemented a complete 2013 Excel Budget workbook, incentive plans for sales staff, provided effective job costing workbook, and rectified managerial accounting procedures across owner’s other entities.
•Client: Texas’ largest independent cable installer, $15MM business
oI implemented profit improvement recommendations totaling $280,000
annually.
o Developed functional and measurable job descriptions, an effective organizational chart, accurate product costing, and effective processes and procedures for QuickBooks Enterprise usage, budgets for eight unique branch locations and unified incentive plans for management, branch managers and labor force.
ARCOT SYSTEMS, INC.
Jan 2001 – Nov 2001
Director, Financial Services Consultant, PKI authentication software, globally 120 employees, since sold to CA Technologies.
•Drove strategic and tactical market entry and growth strategies in the Midwest and West Coast markets focusing on large banks and financial services companies.
ENTREPOWER CORPORATION
Jan 1999-Nov 2000
Chief Operating Officer, small venture funded startup using software to connect people with start-up management opportunities, 10 employees.
•Led business plan development, overall business operations, banking and financial operations, human resource management, financial strategies, fund raising, and partner development activities.
BANK OF MONTREAL / HARRIS BANK
Oct 1993 – Nov 1998
Director, Retail Industries, Global Corporate Banking (1997 – 1998), covered large national retailers, group oversaw lending and cash management products.
•Managed clients generating more than $3 million in annual revenue for the bank.
•No losses recorded on my portfolio.
Senior Business Development Officer, Corporate Banking (1993 – 1996)
•Developed, negotiated and closed new business opportunities for Harris, the Bank of Montreal, and investment bank targets in Wisconsin and Illinois totaling more than $5 million in new revenue.
•No losses recorded from my clients.
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION
June 1986 – Sept 1993
Vice President, Corporate Banking and Corporate Finance, 85 people in Chicago branch, largest US Corporate Banking operation
•Developed and managed over $10 million in revenues from corporate account relationships with Fortune 1000 clients.
•No losses from my clients.
•Cross-sold all corporate financing products, performed due diligence, prepared credit proposals, managed analysts and executed transactions.
MITSUBISHI BANK
June 1985 to June 1986
Assistant Vice President, largest Japanese Corporate banker in Chicago
•Executed lending activities throughout the Midwest; completed credit training.
OTHER ACTIVITIES and SKILLS
Public Art Chicago, Inc. (non-profit), Chicago, IL
Dec 2013- March 2016
Chief Financial Officer
Created the Chart of Accounts, developed an effective budget model in Excel, recorded weekly entries into accounts, reconciled bank accounts monthly, created a Labor Burden calculation, pursued A/R, paid A/P, managed Payroll, presented Monthly financial statements to the Board of Directors, managed the annual budget process, completed and executed Form 990 preparation and filing, managed insurance requirements, managed all restricted donations in separate accounts, oversaw the petty cash account, managed the bank accounts and relationships, wrote all checks.
•Successfully raised over $50K to enable growth and development of product.
•Refined financial structure to enable reduction in force.
Ross Business School Association of Chicago
Jan 2004-Dec 2015
Chief Financial Officer and Board Member
Managed all financial accounts, banking relationships, disbursements, petty cash, recorded weekly account entries, developed and made reports to the board on finances.
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
Quickbooks (Enterprise, Pro, Premier, for Mac, Online)
Microsoft Office, Excel Pivot tables, PowerPivot, PowerQuery, Business Intelligence,
Netsuite ERP, Accounting
Financial Edge