Chief Financial Officer
Resume:
CHRIS JOSEPH GRESSETT, MBA, CPA
**** ** **** ******, **** 1013
Miami, FL 33133
*********@*****.***
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Experienced Chief Financial Officer with over twenty-five years of broad experience in finance, accounting and business administration. Currently seeking a Chief Financial Officer position with a growth oriented company that will benefit from my unique set of skills, experience and education. Have directed and overseen finance, accounting, human resources, information technology, inventory control and purchasing departments. Responsibilities have included treasury, accounting, audit, tax, employee benefits, payroll, ERP system, policies and procedures, strategic planning, financial analysis, budgeting, financial forecasting, due diligence, risk management, purchasing and contracts. Education includes both a MBA in Finance and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Florida. Possessing a Florida Certified Public Accountant license. Upon hire will provide strong leadership and a goal oriented focus to the company through excellent team building, negotiation and written and oral communication skills.
AREAS OF EXPERIENCE
• Business Plan Development • Mergers and Acquisitions
• Company Formation / Start-up • Due Diligence
• Raising Capital • Budgeting
• Strategic Planning • Banking / Credit Agreements
• Financial Forecasting • Bid Preparation / Contract Negotiation
• Financial Analysis • Team Building
• Financial Reporting • Training and Mentoring
• Accounting / Tax / Audit • Risk Management
WORK HISTORY
DADE MEDICAL COLLEGE, INC. 2009 to 2015
Coral Gables, Florida
Hired as Chief Financial Officer. Responsibilities have included directing and supervising accounting, financial reporting, banking, bank financing, treasury, mergers and acquisitions, taxes, financial analysis, budgeting, human resources, risk management, contract negotiations and purchasing.
Key Responsibilities:
• Directing and overseeing the finance, accounting and human resources departments.
• Officer of the company as the Chief Financial Officer.
• Banking relationships and credit agreement management.
• Financial reporting to regulatory and accreditation bodies.
Key Accomplishments:
• Acquisition of the University of Southernmost Florida in December, 2011.
• Negotiated over 10 facility leases as the company grew from 2 campuses to 8 campuses.
• Managed the growth of the company as revenues grew from $5.3 million to $44.9 million.
• Increased bank facilities from $0.3 million to $6.8 million.
• Streamlined and improved financial reporting to executive management and the owner.
FCC HOLDINGS, INC. (d/b/a Florida Career College) 2007 to 2009 Lauderdale Lakes, Florida
Hired as Vice President of Finance and within one year assumed the additional responsibilities of Treasurer and Secretary of the holding company and its subsidiaries.
Key Responsibilities:
• Directing and overseeing the finance, accounting and financial services departments.
• Officer of the company for both the Treasurer and Secretary functions.
• Banking relationships and credit agreement management.
• Financial reporting to regulatory and accreditation bodies.
Key Accomplishments:
• Established a new subsidiary to originate institutional loans for student financial aid.
• Restructured the accounting department and improved internal controls.
• Established an in-house collections department for the institutional loan portfolio.
• Streamlined and improved financial reporting to executive management and the board of directors.
JET TURBINE SERVICE, INC. 1999 to 2006
Boca Raton, Florida
Hired as Director of Business Development and within one year was promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer.
Key Responsibilities:
• Directing and overseeing the finance, accounting, human resources, information technology, inventory control and purchasing departments.
• Credit agreement management and loan covenant compliance.
• Business development initiatives outside of the normal course of operations, such as facility acquisition for a new product line and a sale-leaseback transaction for the corporate headquarters.
• Financial analysis, budgeting, financial forecasting and cash flow management activities.
• Financial reporting and business metrics reporting for executive management.
• Risk management administration.
Key Accomplishments:
• Managed the due diligence process with Siemens Power Generation, Inc. which concluded with a closing on December 1, 2004 for the sale of the company.
• Integrated the accounting, budgeting, payroll, tax compliance, employee benefits, information technology, export compliance, risk management and banking systems with Siemens.
• Increased the company’s credit lines from $3.0 to $9.0 million over a three-year period.
• Located rare and strategic facilities (gas turbine test cells) for the company and negotiated a long-term lease at very favorable lease rates.
• Led a cross-functional team to implement a new and integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for the company’s accounting, procurement, work order, repair order and inventory functions.
AUTONATION USA, INC. 1996 to 1999
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Hired as National Finance and Budget Manager of AutoNation USA, Inc., a start-up, rapid growth used car retailer. In 1999 promoted to Director of Financial Analysis for the Automotive Retail Division.
Key Responsibilities:
• Dotted-line management of the seven reconditioning center accounting departments.
• Budget process and budgets for the supply chain of the company.
• Financial reporting and performance metrics for the supply chain. Key Accomplishments:
• Developed and managed the $115 million budget for AutoNation USA’s supply chain.
• Established a weekly reporting system for the seven central reconditioning centers, which captured key operational and financial metrics for corporate executives.
FPL ENERGY, LLC 1995 to 1996
Juno Beach, Florida
As a senior financial analyst, was responsible for the financial modeling, forecasting and budgeting for four project companies within the parent company’s portfolio of independent power plants. Financial support member of several development teams engaged in acquisitions of limited partnership interests in power projects ranging in size from $45 million to $110 million. Created the financial model used to negotiate the acquisition of FPL Group’s first international power project.
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY 1988 to 1995
Miami, Florida and Juno Beach, Florida
Hired as an entry-level financial analyst and promoted five times to positions of higher responsibility. Performed financial forecasting for the utility’s corporate finance department from 1988 to 1992. From 1992 to 1995 served as an in-house financial consultant in the Power Generation Business Unit to implement a formal capital allocation process, develop and distribute financial tools to the field and perform detailed economic evaluations of larger projects.
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration in Finance
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains), Peachtree, QuickBooks, TurboTax
CERTIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Florida Certified Public Accountant
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