Financial Reporting Information Technology

Keri Venkatesan, M.B.A., C.P.A.

***** ******** ***** • Rockville, MD 20852 • 301-***-**** (D/E) • ****.**********@*****.***

FP&A CFO CONSULTANT & ACCOUNTING LEADER

Keri began his career with EY as a Manager in Business Risk Services. Highly effective business leader with 20+ years of experience in Financial Planning & Analysis, generating sustainable value in turnaround, transformational, high growth, and pre and post IPO environments. The aforementioned has been concentrated in the evaluation, design, monitoring, and improvement over the design, remediation, and on going monitoring of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) and information technology general (ITGC) control(s). Keenly adept in, technical accounting research and designing/implementing/training clients with industry specific leading practices. Proven track record working as global liaison with executive management, possess exemplary relationship building skills, and ability to lead and work effectively in teams. In the recent years, Keri has created business opportunities by his clients, involving various remediation of control deficiencies toward optimal valuation the tens of million dollars. Delivery of innovative solutions to CFOs in the areas of business strategy, operating model, evaluation of strategic alternatives, cost reduction, profitability improvement, working capital management, and business operations improvement. All resulted in cost savings in the millions of dollars. Knowledge in all key areas of finance & accounting, including: planning, budgeting and forecasting, financial and management reporting, risk management, internal control (ICFR &ITGC), external audit and taxation planning, compliance, and change management. Outstanding mentor with a keen focus on people workforce development.

EXPERIENCE

BGS Consulting, Washington, DC

Director Technical Advisory 2017 to Current

Led Global Business Service programs to focus on remediation of internal control deficiencies, with a specific focus on ITGC and ( ICFR) Financial reporting controls, for an international conglomerate, and, private equity firms looking to receive an optimal valuation price when sold to a large US government contractor and/or other companies. Several additional projects of the same caliber delivered flawlessly.

Established global relationships with service providers (audit & local vendors) and presence across 50 countries with output to establish a $5b Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ecosystem. Included process definition and implementation of broadband Internet 5G access to all users across the globe, from defining local statutory requirements, establishing formalized process templates and reconciliation control procedures of statutory accounting to US GAAP and/or IFRS for consolidation and local reporting.

Project manager of several cross-functional engagements that included ERP implementations, control design/monitoring, and performance improvement projects. Ensured the design of business rules, and internal controls, were best optimized to support timely and accurate management and external reporting, while leveraging entity level and ITGC controls.

Organized and led multinational teams, to comprise detailed business plans to reduce over top line expenses from 10-12 percent. Worked with C-suite level client contacts to co-develop, deploy, business plans, with a look to the future to be aligned with SOX compliance and process improvement. Served as the main point of contact to keep internal teams and client contacts, abreast of project process, and led final presentations, at conclusions of projects.

Worked with clients to evaluate current policy and understand the appropriate ERP platform(s) that would meet their strategic needs to achieve business plan goals. Upon selection, worked to implement, chosen platform, throughout SDLC up to go live date and testing. Upon testing, updated policy as necessary to comply with functional needs.

EXPERIENCE CONTINUED

Genpact Limited, Washington, DC

CFO Advisory & Finance Transformation

Assistant Vice President 2015 to 2017

Provide CFOs with global and strategic solutions to drive business operations improvement through the use of best practices, business benchmarking, assessing and modifying, implementing, and monitoring the control environment at an IT level and process level. For Fortune 500 organizations, globally.

Directed a team of multi-disciplinary professionals in transforming the go-to-market strategy and business operating model for a $50bn alternative energy from a matrixed product and geography oriented model with many different growth drivers to customer centric model. Redefined the role of the CFO and finance to align with business leaders' strategic priorities. Created a new global finance-operating model with new control processes, and developed skills and capabilities requirements for finance to support the organization as a true business partner.

Led multiple global cross disciplinary teams involved in the Record to Report & Order to Cash processes to develop and implement a global organization operational and process redesign for a multi-billion dollar energy client. The refreshed organizational structure was developed through multiple sources, but primarily “Design Thinking” and other domain knowledge. The overall savings for the organization was in excess of several hundred million dollars on an annual basis.

Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Washington, DC

Manager, Financial Reporting 2014 to 2015

On a monthly basis, led a team to perform all necessary financial reporting requirements for approximately a $100m annual budget to the U.S. Department of Treasury and S.E.C under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), including all Controller responsibilities surrounding the financial statement close process, and serving as the main point of contact to the U.S. Department of Treasury, external auditors, and other vendors.

Collaborated with cross functional finance, accounting, and operations teams to ensure similar models and assumptions were employed to yield reporting and reconciliation consistency that enhanced data quality, decision making, and reduced necessary adjustments by over $1m per quarter.

Performed analytics and data mining on various aspects of program progress to provide to Senior Leadership in the areas of budgeting, forecasting, and past performance. Critical success factors included the evaluation of the current sate control environment and making enhancements to the overall process level; starting with entity level, and optimizing ITGC controls with manual based process controls.

RSM, LLP, McLean, VA 2008 to 2014

Director, Performance Improvement Consulting 2011 to 2014

Manager, Performance Improvement Consulting 2008 to 2011

Worked with several clients in the communications of various industries to design, implement, and execute a holistic SOX function that addressed operational, financial reporting (ICFR), and regulatory risks, while maintaining flexibility as to not interrupt organizational goals, which resulted in several million dollars of cost savings and overall enhanced efficiencies throughout the organizations.

Led a pre IPO Readiness program for a software company to design and implement a finance transformation program, designing global best practice policies and procedures, strategically planning location and set up of global shared service centers/centers of excellence, and performed an overall analysis of their corporate governance structure to make recommendations, that allowed for increased financial and operational transparency for management planning and reporting and analysis.

Performed a finance transformation process optimization engagement for an international private organization that included documenting the client’s future state accounting processes and related systems, developed leading practices based on secondary research, compiled unique benchmark data and case studies and performed a gap analysis accompanied with recommendations, a detailed implementation plan, and provided a reduction of department FTEs from 150 to under 100 to realize $10m in annual savings. All of the aforementioned was done with a primary focus of SOX compliance, from a holistic plan to utilize entity level, ITGC, and process controls.

EXPERIENCE CONTINUED

Evaluated several mega-process cycles, to make process improvements, specifically surrounding the financial statement close process (FSCP), providing an overall reduced close time on average of 30-50% by designing and leading client

specific training seminars focused on baseline standard accounting requirements (IFRS/GAAP/SOX, etc.) as well as upcoming policy changes as a result of emerging technical guidance from regulators and/or changes in corporate strategy. Developed and deployed a national educational program around IPO Readiness that included a focused walkthrough of explicit components that are required to be addressed in SEC filings, and PCAOB requirements.

Supported client in developing and launching a business plan to organize the establishment of a regional center, to support a $1b contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that requires multi-year annuitized audit, tax, and consulting assistance to develop an international water way port that will fundamentally enhance the supply chain model of the United States.

Worked with C-suite executives to identify working capital process enhancements that led to an increased ROI, without exposing the organization to excessive liquidity risk, which included an evaluation of the organizational strategy, risk appetite, industry benchmarking, and prospective acquisitions or divestiture.

Served as interim practice line leader of the performance improvement practice in the Washington D.C metro area during global firm realignment, which included spearheading new business development and leading a team of 20 FTEs.

Developed and implemented region wide, performance improvement repeatable models and methodologies (phases: launch, discovery, roadmap, implement, optimize) development ownership that were ultimately deployed on a national basis. All was designed with an assessment on the current control model and modifying where there were opportunities to optimize ICFR & ITGC process re-alignment.

Designed and transformed the cash flow and overall financial reporting process of a private equity client’s portfolio holdings to include standardized reporting models and training portfolio company management, designing and re-mapping and deployment of a consistent chart of accounts, and change management process, to achieve enhanced timeliness and accuracy of reporting data. During this process, we were able to remediate several material weaknesses, i.e. GAP’s, through an evaluation of segregation of duties and a combination of ICFR & ITGC).

Led ERP selection and implementation projects for several clients, where solutions resulted in immediate process efficiencies and costs savings ranging from $5m - $10m and an overall reduction or re-allocation of FTEs, provided more additional transparency with third parties, and an overall strengthened decision-making process and timeliness of reporting.

Achieved a significant reduction in compliance costs across several clients by examining internal control frameworks (COSO) and advising on the balance between cost and effectiveness of controls (at the ICFR and ITGC level) and implementing sustainable improvements to their structures.

EY LLP, McLean, VA 2005 to 2008

Manager, Business Risk Services 2007 to 2008

Senior Consultant, Business Risk Services 2005 to 2007

Responsible for overseeing all execution and reporting to executive management deliverables related to the financial statement close process (FSCP), designing and implementing company wide internal controls (Entity level, ICFR, & ITGC), policies and practices, and training employees on processes for client with annual revenue in excess of $2b, which saved the organization several millions of dollars in process improvements and increased regulatory compliance.

Worked with client personnel to understand and document key process cycles and significant transaction position memorandum that were provided to external auditors for reliance as they assessed control risk and ultimately resulted in reduced audit fees.

Developed and conducted educational series to aid in the communication of the impact of SOX/IPO readiness to over 100 employees as a client transitioned toward a more centralized reporting model.

Created job aids to assist the client in addressing/remediating material weaknesses that had been identified and disclosed as part of their S-1 filing and observed an increased success rate of over 90% compliance in deficient areas. Most of which were material weaknesses.

Supervised associates across multiple mega – process cycles and geographical locations to facilitate the ongoing success of the largest engagement in the Mid-Atlantic, and allow for consistency and scalability, of deliverables in a decentralized client.

EXPERIENCE CONTINUED

Engineered and deployed a robust methodology to inventory spreadsheets within a decentralized organization to prevent/reduce significant calculation errors that led to the company’s 10-K and 10-Q reporting documents.

Acted as a liaison between senior-level team management and client executives on an ongoing basis to ensure a high degree of client satisfaction, which led to additional services to internal customers company wide.

Developed, cultivated, and maintained strong relationships with client and engagement team members through various avenues of training and project management which allowed for a high degree of team camaraderie and project success.

Led a team of 7 FTEs to establish and execute a newly publicly traded telecommunication company’s internal audit department by establishing a functional charter, audit plan, with a focus on people, process, and technology controls and was successful in obtaining board level adoption/approval of function.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Masters of Business Administration, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas

Business Administration Degree, Accounting, Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas

Certified Public Accountant, Maryland & Virginia

Project Management Professional, (expected 2025)

Champions for Growth – Practice Growth Seminar – RSM

Experienced Partner Program – Partner Program – RSM

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

University of Maryland University College, College Park, MD – Instructor: Principles of Accounting

McGladrey, National FAS Conference – Instructor: Sarbanes Oxley Readiness and Monitoring

Ernst & Young, Cherry Hill, NJ – Instructor: Account Reconciliation Optimization

Co-developed, directly with the past Chairman of the AICPA, and other Accounting Leadership, the Firm’s first, “Culture, Diversity, and Inclusiveness program”.

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