Finance & Administrative Manager

Business Manager Operations Manager Coach/Trainer

Capabilities

Skilled and dynamic professional with significant success at the senior and executive levels. Firsthand experience with prominent and industry-leading brands throughout the United States and beyond. Outstanding non-profit management experience. Recognized as a hands-on leader with the ability to set a strong, positive example in the workplace, streamline day-to-day operations, and introduce new initiatives meant to jumpstart productivity and produce quantifiable results.

Controller/ Manufacturing

Budget Development & Adherence

Cost Reporting & Analysis

Inventory Valuation & Mgt

IT / Computer Software (SAP/SAGE)

Operational Metrics

KPI Development & Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Operational Modeling

ROI, NPV, IRR

Workforce Management

Human Resources

Staffing & Recruitment

Training & Development

Interpersonal Communications

Professional Experience

International Education Connections Greensboro, North Carolina 11/2020-Present

Director and Founder

IEC is a non-profit which is currently in early stages of development. IEC is developing connections between middle schools and high Schools in the United States with counterpart Schools in Africa and Asia. Connections will be facilitated by Zoom-like communications technology and specially developed joint curriculum focusing on comparative culture.

Alcohol and Drug Services of Guilford, Inc. High Point, North Carolina 6/2020- 9/2020

Interim Controller

Accounting System Modernization-Assessed current accounting system and made recommendations for modernization. Assessment uncovered serious gaps in documentation and a requirement for duplication of data entry for payroll accounting. Based on acceptance of recommendations, reviewed three accounting systems appropriate in size and scale and made a recommendation to the CEO. Billing Crisis-Rebuilt the Medical billing department by initiating creative recruiting and staffing approaches to mitigate problems caused by Covid.

Conduent, Inc. Raleigh, NC 6/2019 to 6/2020 Business Operations Manager (Contract) Office of Information Security

Conduent is a $5 billion provider of business services, primarily telephone banks. Conduent was spun off from the Business Services operations of Xerox in 2017.

Directed procurement and financial management activities for the Cyber Security Team for a $5 billion business services company. Negotiated the terms and conditions of five security contracts totaling $17 million. Worked directly with Department Heads and Principal Officer to manage the administration of contracts. Oversaw the administration of human resources budgeting and position management in a multi-national environment.

GKN AEROSPACE, Tallassee, AL 9/2018-6/2019

Business Finance Lead

Tallassee Plant focused on hi-tech structural fabrication of wings, fuselage and other aircraft parts. Services both Military and Civilian Airframes. Plant volume $200 Million.

Lead the ongoing collection, analysis, and application of financial data on behalf of business units, including the airframe manufacturing program valued at $200MM. Lead financial reporting, profit / loss reporting, cost accounting, and decision analysis. Created optimization models to anticipate and forecast constraints / bottlenecks in the production process.

By working directly with program managers, increased production yield by 20% for a key component part over a period of two months

Established and leveraged various metrics / key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge production improvement.

DUKE ENERGY TRIAD DISTRIBUTION DIVISION, Greensboro, NC 1/2018-9/2018

Financial Analyst (Contract)

Worked with power distribution and line repair, primarily linemen crews. Participated in a program to optimize labor costs of power maintenance and repair crews.

Participated in the development of resource models and cost accounting standards to optimize staffing levels. Delivered ongoing financial analysis in support of a $50MM commercial power distribution maintenance facility. Prepared and disseminated weekly and monthly reports, including financial forecasts, and variance analyses.

Pioneered new cost reduction strategies amongst a distribution team encompassing six different states.

Introduced a second shift workforce during the summer months, ultimately cutting overtime needs and reducing overall labor costs by 20% in the process.

GOODYEAR, INC. – DANVILLE TIRE PLANT, Danville, VA 3/2016-9/2017

Financial Analyst (Contract)

Manufacturing over 7,000 tires per week, the Danville Plant is a fully vertical operation from processing raw rubber, forming it into tires and curing the final product prior to shipment. The Danville Plant employs 600 workers and is the largest manufacturing plant in the State of Virginia.

Delivered hands-on cost monitoring and financial analysis in support of commercial and aero tire assembly departments with a combined total of 600 employees, monthly costs of $9MM, and revenues of $200MM. Controlled costs through regular analyses, forecasting, re-forecasting, and variance analyses. Disseminated results via Flash-based reports covering labor / engineering costs and miscellaneous purchases / anomalies. Participated in the annual operating plans for the entire plant.

Created weekly forecasts, variance analyses and plan adjustments over a period of 18 months, complete with KPIs regarding compensation levels, overtime costs, and cost per employee hour. Utilized Excel spreadsheets, pivot tables and vLookup functions.

Implemented standardization to regulate monthly forecasts and analyses. Provided strategic recommendations for future improvements and updates.

Coached department Management Teams to build financial capacity and sophistication.

INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION (IPA), New Haven, CT 4/2012-1/2016

Budget Director / Interim Grants Director / Controller: Global Finance

IPA is a well-known social science research organization with projects in over 40 countries. In 2019, researchers from IPA were awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics.

Monitored financial results and consolidating all findings of a non-profit research company which operated in 30 countries with an annual budget of $50MM. Generated management analyses on a per-project basis while providing monthly reports of aggregate revenues earned, actual project expenses incurred, and local office costs. Explained and highlighted variances in consultation with the Country Directors, ultimately engaging in strategic planning and providing recommendations for future improvements.

Interjected new standardization measures in the complete absence of any such protocol.

Monitored key variables in support of planning operating parameters and long-term cash flow, including monthly cash requirement estimates, wire transfer time estimates, IPA cash receipts, domestic cash needs, and minimum cash- on-hand.

Designed and implemented project level budgets for the 110 grants carried out in 30 countries. Improved management of expenses at the country level (15% cost improvements) and overall cash flow at the Agency level.

Managed the Grants Department for 8 months on an interim basis. Due to employee turnover, had to replace all 5 Grants Managers in the first 5 weeks on the job. Brought in a temporary team to enhance collection efforts, moving the agency cash position from $3 million to $10 million in 6 weeks thus avoiding a cash crisis. Designed a communication program to keep all parties informed and calm.

OXFAM AMERICA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 5/2011-4/2012

Regional Finance and Systems Manager

Established in 1972 as a part of the Oxfam International Organization. Oxfam America focuses primarily on water and food projects. In July 2011, after a long drought, a Humanitarian Crisis was formally declared. Oxfam America immediately scaled up its activities to truck water and drill wells in hard hit areas within Ethiopia.

Directed financial activities, human resources, IT integration, administration, and general logistics on behalf of an organization boasting $20MM in annual revenue. Provided direct support to multi-million dollar development initiatives and emergency drought relief programs. Maintained operational budget as well as business bank accounts.

Served as second ranking officer during a humanitarian effort to counter severe drought conditions in the Horn of Africa, ultimately leading all efforts and hiring 20 engineers / support personnel within three weeks – effectively doubling the size of the mission. Secured $15MM in grant funding to support relief efforts.

Created a senior staff development program to identify and fulfill training needs. Organized user training for Oracle accounting systems, ultimately improving capacity for error-finding and correction.

OXFAM GREAT BRITAIN Port Au Prince, Haiti 7/ 2010-5/2011.

Business Support Manager

Established in 1942, Oxfam Great Britain is one of the leading Non-Profit Organizations engaged in responding to disasters around the world. The Haiti office was deployed in January 2010 to respond to the devastation caused by an earthquake which caused over 200,000 fatalities.

●Chief administrative officer for OXFAM's emergency relief mission. Directed Finance, Logistics, IT and Grants Management. Four direct reports, 175 total team. OGB Haiti Annual budget $40 million USD.

●Instituted changes in the manner of exchanging USD for local currency, saving the Country Office $300,000 over six months.

Cholera Humanitarian Response As Acting Country Director at the outbreak, Implemented and coordinated all administrative operations for the Oxfam Affiliates in Haiti. Formulated proposal budgets for emergency cholera response in Artibonite ($4.4 million) and Cap Haitian (2.7 million)

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Education

Bachelor of Science University of Maryland 1973

BS Public Administration

Master's Degree from Harvard Business School 1981

Master of Business Administration

Training

Grants

US AID Rules and Regulations: Grants and Cooperative Agreements

Financial Management for US Government Funding

Procurement Planning and Execution: US AID Grants and Cooperative Agreements

Language

Foreign Service Institute

French Speaking S/3 Reading R/3

German Speaking S/2+ Reading R/2+

Software

Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced Excel, Word, PowerPoint), PeopleSoft, Sage MIP, SAP

Linked In URL

https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-sowers-24a55780/

Specific Task Relevant Skills

Strong Verbal and Written Skill Set

Ability to present complex concepts and achieve a high rate of audience understanding

Remain calm under pressure

Well organized and set appropriate priorities

Skilled at establishing positive interpersonal and group relationships.

Contact this candidate