MARY BETH LORENZ
Kentwood, MI 49508
Phone: 616-***-****
LorenzMaryBeth123@
Gmail.com
Summary of
Qualifications:
• Results driven CPA with over 25 years of experience in both public accounting
and corporate financial analysis.
• Studied production and inventory management through APICS
• Significant experience in the manufacturing industry with an emphasis on the
automotive and consumer product industries.
• Hard-working team player with a can-do attitude and firm believer in mentoring
staff.
• Passionate about searching for business process improvement opportunities
that ultimately lead to potential cost savings for the Company.
Professional
Experience:
Ventura Manufacturing, Inc. – Corporate Controller (June 2014 – Feb 2015)
- Accountable for oversight of one US and two international divisions with emphasis on a 3 day
companywide close and analysis and interpretation of financial results for Management.
- Bank reporting package prepared quarterly and continuous 13 week cash flow forecasting.
Including review of weekly check run reviews and approvals.
- Responsible for timely year end close with US and international external auditors.
- Supervision and coaching of three finance team members. Monthly coaching sessions with
team members to assist them with development and growth.
- Investigation of inventory variances with in Company ERP system. Upon hiring, researched
and corrected 43 general ledger accounts with errors from current and prior years
- Implemented monthly account reconciliation process. Extensively monitored and negotiated
with vendors to correct account balances and prevent stop shipments. Current goals are to prevent
financial surprises by keeping meticulous accounting records, tighten up closing time and anticipate,
interpret and enhance results versus simply number crunching historical activity.
Wolverine Wide, Inc. - Senior Internal Auditor (July 2012 – June 2014)
- Responsible for assistance in the development of Sarbanes Oxley controls for a newly
acquired group of footwear brands totaling 1.1 billion. Developed and tested controls for both the
legacy brands and new additions to the Company. Also responsible for operational audits and special
projects including an Accounts Payable process audit and Cost of Goods Sold build-up analysis.
Contract Roles:
Period of January 2012 through July 2012 successfully completed
three temporary contract roles while actively seeking full time
employment as a Corporate Controller or CFO.
Stryker, Inc. - Financial Analyst Contractor (Jun 2012 - Jul 2012)
- General ledger account reconciliations and necessary month-end true-up adjustments;
responsible for assistance with month-end closing process, as well as coordination of work with team
member’s staff to ensure timely deadlines.
Robert Half International - Account Executive (Dec 2011 - Apr 2012)
- Responsible for the development of new business by recruiting and placing candidates with
finance, accounting and business systems backgrounds in a variety of interim and project roles.
Amway - Senior Financial Analyst Contractor (Aug 2011 - Dec 2011)
- Responsible for assisting with Global Financial Reporting monthly consolidation
closing process;
submission of various governmental reports, monthly and quarterly financial reporting package
coordination and ad hoc requests.
Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., CPA's - Audit Manager (Mar 2007 - Dec 2 0 1 0 )
- Coordinated and managed audit, review and compilation engagements for companies
between$1 million and $100 million in annual revenues; supervised and developed sta ff while
managing multiple engagements; identified internal control improvement opportunities; managed and
developed client relationships and participated in development of proposals for new business.
Spartan Stores, Inc. - Corporate Audit Manager (Sep 2006 - Mar 2007)
- Coordinated and managed internal audit projects as requested by Spartan’s audit committee;
reviewed Corporate-wide Sarbanes-Oxley documentation at the request of external auditors; identified
$ 60K in slow-moving inventory at one distribution facility; identified an average of 225 hours of
unaccounted for building maintenance labor hours per month at the Grand Rapids distribution
warehouse; alerted category management of excess inventory on hand totaling 109K.
Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc. - Internal Audit Manager (Jun 2004 - Aug 2005); Corporate
Accounting Manager (Aug 2005 - Sep 2006)
- Coordinated and managed various internal audit, accounting projects and assisted in a
Sarbanes-Oxley implementation for a $1 billion, multi-plant, automotive supplier
- Detected inconsistent cost accounting practices impacting program profitability decision-
making
- Determined non-compliance relative to IRS reporting requirements for independent
contractor payments exceeding $850K
- Detected vendor and procurement card frauds that saved the corporation over $132K
annually
- Supervised and led 4 staff accountants through month end processes & procedures
- Identified over $550K of obsolete and slow moving MRO inventory at one plant location
- Detected over $500K in missed supplier discounts
Managed and performed daily wire transfers totaling over $1M and identified and resolved
i ncoming supplier and p ricing e rrors t hat exceeded 20% of a ll i ncoming w ire
requests
Assisted in the development of procedures for treasury, accounts payable, purchasing, etc.
within 30 days in preparation for the Chapter 11 filing; developed formalized and uniform
physical inventory instructions distributed to all plants;
Assisted with the Company’s 5-year plan restructuring budget process required by the
Bankruptcy court.
Mill Steel Company, Inc. - Corporate Controller (Dec 2000 – Feb 2004)
- Responsible for financial reporting and for a $100 million steel service center
- Led a staff of three senior accountants and payroll clerk through month end closing process
and full financial reporting; performed cash and treasury management for four operating
divisions
- Inventory analysis and control, corporate tax, bank compliance reporting packages,
- quarterly bank and year-end audit coordination and preparation
- Assisted in the acquisition of a $41 million bank re-financing package
- implemented a new Canadian treasury management and disbursement system within 30
working days
- Assisted with the coordination and integration of three operating division acquisitions; provided
due diligence studies for use in purchase decisions
Beene Garter LLP – Senior Manager (Dec 1989 - Dec 2000)
- Responsible for audit, review and compilation of financial statements, preparation and review
of corporate federal, state and local tax returns and presentation of results to owners and
managers;
supervised, trained, mentored and evaluated staff while working on multiple projects;
-
- participated in the development of a firm incentive compensation program based upon both
individual and team results;
- responsible for the oversight and relationship management of several of the Firm’s highest
revenue producing accounts; assisted in the preparation of client bank-financing requests by
analyzing and preparing projections;
Performed immediate turn- around acquisition due diligence projects that involved analyzing
target companies; provided a start-up company with temporary controllership.
PNC Bank (FKA First of America Bank Corp) - Internal Auditor (Oct 1987 - Dec 1989)
Performed internal audits of affiliate banks specializing in loan loss reserve review and
-
accrual validations; process flow analysis and assistance with external auditor (KPMG)
requirements.
Jackson Products, Inc. - General Accountant (Jun 1986 - Oct 1987)
- Responsibilities included month-end closing procedures through preparation of financial
statements for a $25 million manufacturer of safety products; conducted capital appropriation analysis
and reporting, fixed asset management, assistance with annual budgeting and corporate cash
management.
Education:
Bachelor of Business Administration, Western Michigan University, CPA in State of Michigan
Computer Experience: Microsoft Office-Excel, Word and PowerPoint-AS400 computer system
Hyperion, JD Edwards and OBIEE (limited experience), SAP (limited experience) and IQMS ERP