Maria Andreu, MBA

786-***-**** Miami, FL adtaqb@r.postjobfree.com linkedin.com/in/mariaandreu18

Business Professional

A proven finance leader who offers a track record of accomplishment in optimizing both top- and bottom-lines by identifying and directing growth opportunities and cost saving initiatives. Leads adoption of process improvements, change initiatives, and tools/technologies that improve efficiencies, team performance, regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction, and margins.

Excels in recruiting, building, training, and managing teams in diverse fields and industries, including technology, insurance, real estate, medical products, banking, and recreational. Effectively directs financial, operations, logistics, and auditing functions. Leverages strong communications and interpersonal skills to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.

Areas of Expertise

Financial Management Budgeting & Forecasting Communications NetSuite Administrator

Change Management Training & Development Public Speaking Inventory Management

Process Improvement Regulatory Compliance Internal Audits Reporting/Documentation

Summary of Qualifications

Long-Term Strategic Planning: Proved vital to completing a five-year growth plan for UKW Franchising, determining strategies to help the marketing group effectively promote new stores and/or franchisees.

Business Expansion: Opened three new call centers for Health Family Insurance, hiring and training employees for each site while ensuring staff had appropriate lingual skills; setup policies and procedures for each call center, identified performance goals and metrics for quality and customer service, and captured significant cost savings as a result.

Operational Efficiency: Leveraged Six Sigma Black Belt methods and project management expertise at Health Family Insurance to achieve compliance during a major JV, providing planning and leadership from inception to launch.

Strategic Direction: Compiled monthly sales reports and created KPIs to set annual goals, resulted in 2% margin increase.

Profit Optimization: Led cost saving initiatives, uncovering $25M in cost reduction opportunities on a $2M goal at HP.

International Logistics: Proved vital to the completion of one of the most successful mergers of two global operations, assisting in the decision-making processes for Latin America region's finances, operations, and logistics functions.

NetSuite Expert: Successfully implemented NetSuite and deep knowledge of NetSuite usage

Professional Overview

UKW Franchising – Aventura, FL Aug 2017-Present

CFO/Business Manager

Lead finance, legal, and human resources functions for a franchise company and their distribution as well as several franchise-owned locations. Manage daily operations, including Director of Legal, Director of Human Resources, three Finance Analysts, Warehouse Manager, Site Manager, and two warehouse employees for a company with $10M in annual sales. Oversee budgeting, forecasting, daily/monthly AP/AR, monthly review of general ledger, and team development.

Ensure there are no chargebacks on accounts receivables while working to collect payments on charges; resulted in prevention of revenue losses. Decrease accounts payable aged invoices by ensuring company has an adequate amount of cash “on-hand” to ensure coverage of future expenses.

Chief Financial Officer, UKW Franchising Continued…

Steered strategic direction on company 5-year growth plan and guidance to franchisees on profitability/operational goals.

Provide budget planning and review forecast each month, saving the company more than $1M.

Collaborate with company lawyers to address and resolve any legal issues that arise.

Led change of full conversion process from QuickBooks desktop and QuickBooks online to NetSuite, resulting in a successful transition in four months with zero issues, resulting in less paperwork, more efficiency, and immediate payroll costs savings.

Provided strategic guidance to franchisees on sales margins, ensuring they met financial and profitability goals.

5 years of warehouse management experience. Turning raw material into finished goods,

Initiated a process to make the company compliant with US GAAP regulations.

ETL expert

Health Family Insurance – Miami Lakes, FL 2015-Aug 2017

Executive Director of Finance, Business and Operations

Provided leadership for finance, operations, human resources, IT, and administrative functions for one of the largest insurance brokers in Florida and nationwide, producing more than $100M in annual revenue. Managed 165 employees and worked across health insurance, property and casualty, life insurance, and Medicare lines of business.

Managed receipt, analysis, audit, and payout of commissions from carriers such as Molina, AmBetter, AvMed, Aetna/Coventry, Progressive, Transunion, and all other major insurance carriers.

Created and managed budgets for 14 separate businesses while focusing on identifying cost saving opportunities.

Promoted customer satisfaction and retention while ensuring satisfaction of license brokers and all stakeholders.

Provided accounting leadership, reconciling general ledger accounts, managing Chart of Accounts, overseeing payroll, tax, and directing AR/AP and monthly closing processes for revenue, commissions, expenses, and margins.

Led HIPAA audits and implemented necessary changes to drive compliance; and ensured GAAP compliance.

Managed legal agreements on behalf of the company.

Prepared monthly financial reports, consolidated reports and presentations for each business unit.

Setup internal audit controls, and prepared and facilitated the annual audit.

Collaborated with the marketing team to ensure events were completed appropriately and within budget.

ITIL and HIPPA Certification

Implemented a 401k, enhanced health benefits and other HR related programs, resulting in enhanced employee morale.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) – Miami, FL 1996-2015

Senior Financial Manager II, Worldwide (2008-2015)

Internal Audit Manager (2003-2008)

Financial & Operations Manager II, Latin American Region (2000-2003)

Financial Manager I / Financial Analyst, Latin American Region (1996-2000)

Progressed through positions of increasing scope and accountability before earning promotion to Senior Financial Manager, Worldwide. Directed 100+ senior/junior managers in the US and internationally while providing support to 1,200 operations and logistics staff, including senior level management teams. Oversaw budgets, forecasts, vendors, and distributors.

Managed team of 105 individual contributors and manager for over 15 years. A great deal of these employees were located overseas,

Managed warehouses internationally and local to US

Prepared, implemented, and executed financial controls for one of the top 10 accounts awarded to HP.

Proved instrumental in driving revenue to exceed $659M while growing gross margins from 24% to 42%.

Led internal audits worldwide, focusing on operations, logistics, and government contracts (holding top secret clearance).

Executed presentations of financial results, including actuals, forecasts, explanations of deviations, and recommendations.

Performed audits, including government property with security clearance

Worked with external auditors and prepared related documentation for internal and external audits.

Other Relevant Experience

Professor, University of Phoenix, Online: Instructed undergraduate and graduate-level business management courses online that covered management strategies, leadership skills, operational oversight, and logistics.

Manager, Reconciliations & Investigation, Credit Suisse First Boston & Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken: Investigated, prepared, and executed financial back-office for foreign exchange and money market deals carried out globally.

VP, Finance, Operations, & Human Resources, Exodus Software: Oversaw all business aspects, including preparing budgets, creating monthly actuals reports, negotiating contracts, and managing HR/operational processes.

Education & Languages

MBA, Business, Finance, & Managerial Leadership – City University of Seattle

BA, International Relations (Asian Studies) – New York University (NYU)

Fluent in English, Spanish, & Portuguese / Proficient in Mandarin, German, French, & Italian

Certifications

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) / Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)

Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt (and Green Belt)

HIPAA Certification / ITIL Certification {received at HP)

ETL Professional

Technical Skills

Technical Proficiencies: SAP Expert, Financial Reporting Systems, Hyperion, ESSBASE, Syspro, QuickBooks, ETL,

QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Quicken, Taleo, Ariba, Business Warehouse (BW), ERPs, Rubrics, EDS

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