JOHN J. SWEENEY
Ridgefield, CT **877
Cell: 203-***-****
E-mail: ************@***.***
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER who is a business-oriented finance leader and manager. Execution oriented decision maker. A business person with deep finance, legal, and operating skills for helping small and medium sized companies succeed. A track record of execution by formulating and implementing plans to achieve priority goals. Multiple problem solving, process improvement, and change management successes. Leads teams to accomplishment and maximizes their performance. Small company experience and entrepreneurial attitude combined with large company knowledge.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Contract CFO with legal, IT, HR, and compliance for a public Dot.com
CFO, GC, functional COO and Compliance Officer of a PE portfolio company
Extensive accounting and finance, both public and private
Deep skills in legal, tax, HR, compliance, operations, IT, and regulation
M&A, deal, and due diligence of over $12B both US and internationally
Creates Value by transitioning processes and people to best practices for efficiency and savings
Superior decision and execution skills for rapid growth companies and grey situations
EXPERIENCE
SWEENEY LEGAL, LLC, Ridgefield, CT 2017 to Present
Consultant and Attorney
Consulting for various businesses for operational, finance, accounting, legal, M&A and tax issues. Leadership and strategic direction. Member of management team of proposed Reinsurance start up for $1.5B. Domestic, international, and state, finance and tax. Execution, planning, analysis, and research. Reinsurance, insurance and financial services. Elder, Business, and Tax Law serving Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY.
GRANDPARENTS.COM, INC., New York, NY 2015 to 2017
Chief Financial Officer
Contract CFO for Grandparents.com, Inc., a small public company focusing on the senior market. Responsible for accounting, finance, treasury, planning, analysis, HR and IT. Led the Public Company reporting process. Substantial responsibility for legal and compliance. Significant process and simplicity improvement of the accounting, systems, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance processes. Fast moving and resource constrained growth environment.
SWEENEY LEGAL, LLC, Ridgefield, CT 2012 to 2015
Consultant and Attorney
Consulting for various businesses for operational, finance, accounting, legal, M&A and tax issues.
HANOVER INSURANCE COMPANY, Worcester, MA 2009 to 2012
Vice President and Director of Tax
Tax Leader for an international public P&C Company in the growth mode. Focusing on adding value by reducing taxes, maximizing efficiency, streamlining processes and implementing technology. Responsible for the full tax function including GAAP reporting, tax planning, M&A, analysis, tax compliance, audit, premium taxes, and state taxes.
Led the tax due diligence, structuring and integration of a $500M Public UK Lloyds Insurance operation and multiple domestic acquisitions resulting in significant GAAP and cash savings.
Improved complex tax accounting for tax assets and liabilities in excess of $1.2B and tax expense in excess of $50M.
Implemented various strategies to drive the Effective Tax Rate down and maximize earnings in addition to benchmarking the Income and State tax ETR to competitors.
Reengineered all tax processes and implemented new software to increase accuracy and quality while minimizing compliance and maximizing planning.
LONGEVITY ALLIANCE, INC., Washington, DC & Phoenix, AZ 2005 to 2008
Chief Financial Officer & General Counsel
Private equity Portfolio Company. A startup insurance agency selling insurance and financial services to the senior market on the internet and over the web. Entrepreneurial company environment with 40 people. Responsible for Finance, Accounting, Legal, Treasury, HR, IT, and Compliance. Challenged with start up environment, multiple acquisitions, rapid growth, thin staff, scarce resources and evolving business plan.
Finance: Led all aspects of finance including accounting, audits, forecasts, planning, budgets, cash management, treasury, investor relations, and valuation of acquisition targets.
Legal: General Counsel resolving all legal issues including carrier contracts, employment issues, real estate, agency licensing and 2 acquisitions. Successful in a complex regulatory environments.
Operations: Operational turnaround of two acquired insurance agencies including process reengineering, personnel reorganization, culture change and new management.
IT: Responsible for complex IT environment with multiple proprietary systems and an internet strategy. Led a hardware upgrade, multiple system conversions, and changes in vendors for significant savings and improvements in efficiency and operations.
Acquisitions: Led due diligence and acquisition of two companies from LOI to integration.
NEW YORK LIQUIDATION BUREAU, New York, NY 2004 to 2005
(NY INSURANCE DEPARTMENT)
Chief Financial Officer
CFO for the bankruptcy arm of the NY State Insurance Department. $6B in assets, $12B in liabilities, 400 people, and a budget of $100M. Wide ranging responsibilities included tax, accounting, finance systems, treasury, reinsurance and investments ($2.3B). Reports of 100. Challenged with poor systems, inefficient processes, union workforce, and cumbersome decision making.
Finance: Catalyzed finance to focus on planning, analysis, forecasting, and measurement. Eliminated processes, implemented new technology, and utilized existing technology intensively.
Legal: Operated in a court supervised environment which was also highly regulated.
Leadership: Started a change in culture to an open, team oriented, and empowered approach.
Teams: Raised the skill and efficiency level of the teams.
IT Management: Implemented significant new IT systems and drove utilization of existing systems.
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JOHN J. SWEENEY ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES & CONSULTING, Wilton, CT 2003 to 2004
Focus on start-ups, acquisitions, and distressed sales for private equity. Personally acquired a manufacturing company. Various consulting assignments in tax, finance, and operations.
ING INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC., Hartford, CT In total 1997 to 2002
(FORMERLY AETNA INTERNATIONAL, INC.)
Chief Financial Officer & Director of International Tax 7/2001 to 12/2002
ING acquired Aetna’s international life business in Latin America and Asia in December of 2000. Challenged with difficult transition period, multiple acquisitions, major reorganization, post-acquisition integration, conversion of major IT systems, and thin staff.
Finance: CFO with responsibility for strategic planning, finance, accounting, tax, and leadership of the finance function for US holding company of 90 foreign companies in Latin America and Asia and 10 US companies.
IT Management: Managed conversion from Hyperion to PeopleSoft general ledger on budget and time.
Tax: Responsible for the tax function of all international operations. Led the tax planning, compliance, audit, and GAAP reporting. Maximized the tax attributes of foreign tax credits, earnings and profits, Subpart F income, foreign source income, transfer pricing, and repatriation of profits.
Tax M&A: Moved over 80 companies worth $1.6B to the Netherlands in a complex series of transactions eliminating billions in future taxes and capital. Led the tax due diligence on purchase of Brazilian P&C operations. Structured numerous transactions.
ING INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC., Hartford, CT 1/2001 to 6/2001
Director of International Tax & Vice President
Directed the international tax function following the ING acquisition of Aetna’s international business. Responsibilities expanded to include all of ING’s international insurance operations in North America, South America, and portions of Asia.
Tax: Responsible for the tax function of all international operations. Led the tax planning, compliance, audit, and GAAP reporting. Maximized the tax attributes of foreign tax credits, earnings and profits, Subpart F income, foreign source income, transfer pricing, and repatriation of profits.
M&A: Led tax due diligence on $1.5B acquisition of a Mexican life and P&C insurer.
AETNA INTERNATIONAL, INC., Hartford, CT 1997 to 2000
(ACQUIRED BY ING AND RENAMED ING INTERNATIONAL HOLDING, INC.)
Director of Taxes & Vice President
Led the tax team of 7 for Aetna’s international business growing rapidly by acquisition. 120 companies in 30 foreign emerging markets (Asia and Latin America) selling life, health, P&C, pension, and bancassurance. $3.6B in revenue, $250M in earnings, and a FMV of $3.5B.
Tax: Responsible for the tax function of all international operations. Led the tax planning, compliance, audit, and GAAP reporting. Maximized the tax attributes of foreign tax credits, earnings and profits, Subpart F income, foreign source income, transfer pricing, and repatriation of profits.
Maximize Earnings: Drove the effective tax rate from 38% to 19% in 1999, reduced capital requirements, and positioned the companies to maximize future earnings.
High Performance Teams: Developed a high-performance team by providing challenges, encouragement, and reward and which resulted in a culture with high motivation and performance.
Process Improvement: Reengineered processes to streamline information and reduce costs.
Tax M&A: Closed 20+ deals in 4 years for $8 billion.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC., New York, NY 1988 to 1996
Tax Attorney
Broad tax responsibilities from domestic to international as well as real estate and financial products to insurance at AIG’s world headquarters. Involved in many of AIG’s material transactions and M&A. Negotiated a wide range of corporate transactions and deals. Progressed to second most senior tax lawyer at AIG.
Transactions, PE and Hedge Funds: Structured and supported a variety of transactions including: private equity investments, hedge funds, strategic investments, acquisitions, sales, and start-ups.
Financial Instruments and Real Estate: Partnerships, REIT’s, REMIC’s, RIC’s, and extensive work with commercial RE both domestic and foreign. Financial instruments such as swaps, convertible
securities, mark-to-market, and hedges. Support of investment function and investment accounting.
Asset Management: Participated in the formation and operations of numerous investment advisors, offshore mutual funds, and complex investment vehicles targeting emerging market projects.
Partnership: Multiple investments in and formation and structuring of complex international partnership vehicles for investment and investment vehicles.
ERISA, Labor Law, Employee Benefits & Life Products: Primary lawyer for employee benefits, labor law, ERISA, qualified products, life insurance, and annuities. Drafted and implemented new AIG defined benefit and 401K plans.
Auerbach, Lewittes & Plescia, White Plains, NY, Tax Attorney 1986 to 1988
Stern & Keiser, New York, NY, Tax Attorney 1984 to 1986
Ernst & Young, New York, NY, Tax Attorney 1982 to 1983
EDUCATION
New York University School of Law, LLM, Taxation 1988
Pace University School of Law, JD, Law Review 1982
Arizona State University, BS, Accounting 1979
ADMISSIONS
Admitted to the Bar of New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.