Paul Klier, CPA, CGMA

***** ********* ***** **** ***** Gardens, FL 33418 T - 561-***-****; M - 561-***-**** adap4l@r.postjobfree.com

Senior Operations Executive / CFO

Diplomatic, forward-thinking senior executive with extensive experience leading business and financial operations for large billion-dollar firms. Successful at defining and translating strategic plans into tactical initiatives to achieve aggressive business goals. Strong track record of allocating resources to create optimal value at minimal marginal cost across organizations. This includes conceptualizing, designing, building and directing off-shore operations. Excel at directing large cross-functional teams to deliver solutions that meet customers’ needs. Proven leader and team builder with strong skills in financial reporting & analysis, regulatory compliance, budgeting / forecasting, auditing, and accounting policies & procedures. Well versed at managing technology integrations, process improvements, negotiations, and cultural change. Experience includes venture capital, treasury, banking relationships, and start-ups.

Core Leadership Competencies

Finance & Operations Management

Team Leadership & Collaboration

Cultural / Process Reengineering (Six Sigma)

Integrating Technology & Business Solutions

Strategic Planning & Tactical Execution

Financial Modelling, Reporting, & Analysis

Vendor / Customer Relations & Negotiations

Board-level Communications

SOX / Regulatory Compliance

Venture Capital Enterprises

Professional Experience

Battery Point Financial (REIT) – Jacksonville, FL (GAAP, GAAS, COSO, PACOB) 2014 – present

KKR Venture capital- backed, start-up, financial services organization in the in the single-family residence niche.

Managing Director

Designed and built the Accounting, Finance and Treasury functions and communicated the Principal’s vision throughout the organization. This includes: strategic planning; modelling, establishing financial and non-financial performance metrics and measuring performance against these metrics; Board reporting; financial reporting; accounting; establishing and monitoring compliance with policies & procedures; strategic tax planning, reporting, and compliance; investor, lender, and regulatory agency audits; planning & analysis; forecasting and budgeting; financial covenant forecasting, reporting and, compliance.

Veritas Financial Partners LLC – Boca Raton, FL (GAAP, GAAS, COSO, PACOB)

2012 – 2014

Goldman Sachs Venture capital- backed, start-up, financial services organization in the asset based lending niche.

VP – Controller

Designed and created the Accounting, Finance and Treasury functions. This includes: Board reporting; compliance reporting; financial reporting; accounting; policies & procedures; strategic tax planning, reporting, and compliance; audit; planning & analysis; strategic planning; forecasting and budgeting; financial covenant reporting and compliance; as well as establishing Veritas’ offshore back-office operations in the Philippines.

PRISM EDUCATION GROUP – Cherry Hill, NJ (GAAP)

2011 – 2011

Venture capital- based, for profit educational institution that provides degree programs predominantly in healthcare environment.

Interim CFO

Reporting to CEO, brought on board to enhance infrastructure, ensure compliance with Dept. of Education regulations, and provide direction and leadership in close relationship with VC firms, the management team, and their Boards of Directors.

KAPLAN HIGHER EDUCATION – Ft. Lauderdale, FL (GAAP, COSO, PACOB)

2006 – 2010

Group of institutions that offer career-oriented certificate and degree programs with annual revenues of $2.6 billion.

VP of Finance / Controller / Process Improvement

Promoted to lead day-to-day operations support improving processes across the enterprise. Accountable for financial reporting, planning, & analysis, budgets, book close processes, AR / AP functions, process reengineering initiatives, employee relations, internal financial controls, and SOX audit compliance. Supervised and trained an 85-member cross-functional team.

Selected Achievements

Delivered 246 projects valued at over $20 million in one year by identifying target opportunities and influencing and leveraging decision-makers to expedite project closeout.

Designed and successfully negotiated the outsourcing of a $22+ million financial aid call center to mitigate financial aid processing issues upon discovery and quantification of improvement opportunities.

Significantly improved financial reporting and management decision-making by building and integrating organization's accounting and financial reporting functions across operations.

Secured The Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) continued accreditation by leading efforts to deliver a thorough, honest, and introspective institutional assessment in a key section of the report to meet regulatory compliance requirements.

CSX CORPORATION – Jacksonville, FL

2003 – 2006

Global transportation firm offering a variety of rail, container-shipping, intermodal, trucking and contract logistics services.

Director, Policies & Procedures (GAAP, GAAS, COSO, PACOB)

Oversaw company’s compliance with external SEC reporting / regulatory requirements for a controller organization in the midst of a downsizing. Managed the accounting and reporting of firm’s treasury function that included all debt and liquid assets. Supervised and trained three direct reports and a team of internal / external auditors and consultants. Led a financial reporting and treasury team, financial executives, and financial processing departments to ensure accuracy and compliance of all functions. Selected Achievements

Accomplished SOX 404 compliance within first year of SOX reporting while engaging in material reorganization that targeted a 20% reduction in staff headcount.

Worked closely with Treasury department to forecast financial implications of multiple, complex financial transactions involving $1 billion in cash / equivalents, and retirement of $1 billion in debt obligations.

Six Sigma Black Belt 2000 – 2003

Accountable for implementing Six Sigma across the company. Delivered one of four proof-of-concept projects, selected a consulting firm to train and mentor project professionals. Developed and deployed a 100-member black belt organization to roll out six sigma principles across organization. Led cross-functional teams comprised of 1 to 20 employees.

Selected Achievements

Saved $2 million in annual payroll and interest expenses by leading a DMAIC project that accelerated the collection of unbilled receivables by $17 million.

Created the ability to virtually eliminate rail service failures throughout North America by developing and executing a tool using Six Sigma methodology to isolate, predict, and pre-emptively eliminate failure root causes.

Director of Revenue (GAAP) 1995 – 2000

Led daily processing, reporting, accounting, and analysis of firm’s revenue representing more than 250 lines of business. Oversaw all accounting, reporting, budgeting, and forecasting of non-freight revenue with gross value exceeding $250 million. Supervised a 130-member department organized across 18 functional areas. Reported directly to Controller and VP of Finance.

Selected Achievements

Grew operating income $18 million by reducing unnecessary reserves discovered as part of process to align accounting, reporting, and business processes.

Maintained integrity of company's daily revenue processing, reporting, accounting, and analysis despite complexities of a $10 billion, multi-functioning acquisition and partitioning of operations.

Exceeded annual financial goals for $250 million of non-freight transportation revenues and expenses for 4+ consecutive years by devising and executing financial business strategies, plans, budgets, and actionable items.

CSX INTERMODAL – Hunt Valley, MD (GAAP) 1988 – 1995

Stand-alone, integrated intermodal transportation provider linking customers to railroads via truck terminals.

Director, Financial Reporting, Analysis, & Corporate Accounting

Led all day-to-day financial reporting & analysis and corporate accounting functions. Established and enhanced the accounting and reporting functions as the business unit grew to a $1 billion organization. Directed a 20+ member team comprised of CPAs and MBAs. Planned and coordinated the preparation and issuance of external and internal financial reports.

Selected Achievements

$10 million eliminated annually in railroad retirement taxes achieved by merging a $500 million railroad subsidiary into a $70 million trucking subsidiary.

Created and enhanced both accounting and financial reporting functions for a business unit that expanded and grew from $600+ million to a $1 billion organization.

Developed and implemented numerous systems, processes, and procedures supporting all aspects of accounting for a newly created $600 million start-up business unit consisting of eight corporations.

CSX Corporation – Hunt Valley, MD (GAAP, GAAS) 1984 – 1988

Global transportation firm offering a variety of rail, container-shipping, intermodal, trucking and contract logistics services.

Manager Internal Audit

Directed and managed financial, operational, and fraud audits. This included working with national law enforcement agencies and court depositions.

Selected Achievements

Identified and recovered $2.3 million of unbilled freight transportation charges

Performed the fieldwork and provided the documentation for the FBI and CSX Corporation to pursue criminal and civil remedies again an individual defrauding the company of $6,2 million.

R L Prigge & Company – Butte M (GAAP, GAAS) 1980 – 1984

Local CPA firm providing auditing, tax and write-up services.

Accounting Manager

Directed and managed a book or accounts for the firm.

Selected Achievements

Recovered multiple accounts lost to other firms or threatening to leave for other firms by providing superior customer service and by always meeting the firm’s commitments to the customers

Western Energy Company – Butte MT (GAAP) 1979 – 1980

One of the largest coal mining companies in North America.

Staff Accountant

Provided general ledger accounting and reporting for this subsidiary of the Montana Power Company.

Wolpoff & Company – Baltimore MD (GAAP, GAAS) 1977 – 1979

Local CPA firm providing auditing, tax and write-up services.

Staff Accountant

Provided general Accounting services as directed by managers

Education / Certifications

Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Loyola University, Baltimore, MD

Master of Administrative Science, (Concentration: Information Technology), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Florida, Maryland, & Montana State Boards of Accountants

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