Senior Business Financial Management

Valerie V. Holland

**** *** **** ***** ************, TX 78660

*******.*.*******@*****.*** 512-***-****

Multifaceted senior business & financial management executive bringing diverse and holistic perspectives ranging from both transactional and leadership roles, including global aspects

Knowledge spanning financial services, high-tech, government and manufacturing

Broad exposure to a diversity of business cultures including Shanghai, Singapore,

South Africa, Argentina, Switzerland, Canada, India as well as Russia

— Specializing In —

Auditing Business Process Evaluation & Improvements Financial Management

Waste Reduction & Elimination Cost & Variance Analysis & Control

Qualification & Career Highlights

●A career marked by a history of driving operational efficiency, managing multibillion-dollar operating budgets and slashing over $75M in costs.

●Developed and analyzed financial and variance data, annual and capital budgets, and business/operational financial projects and performance.

●Provided forward-thinking business support and leadership in the evaluation of critical strategic decisions, business case analysis, and financial decision-making.

●Drive business initiatives and influence the organization regarding adoption of best practices and solutions that improve the overall financial health of an organization.

●Served as the chief financial authority, strategic business partner in the planning and execution of sound business and financial business processes, investments, strategy and decisions.

●Knowledge of GAAP, GAAS, SOX, AICPA, FCPA and IFRS standards.

Professional Overview

DIRECTOR, SOX COMPLIANCE THERMON INC. February 2020 – present

●Responsible to the Audit Committee and CFO for developing and oversight of the company’s internal accounting controls and SOX 404 compliance program.

●Conduct an annual entity wide control assessment coordinating and facilitating senior leadership team input from all major business units, corporate functions to determine opportunities for improvements and deficiencies.

●Establish scope, program milestones and oversee the annual SOX compliance program including evaluation of risks and control design, development of testing steps and evaluation of results and remediation plans.

●Actively participant in business initiatives to provide control insights and guidance for acquisitions, consolidations and process improvements.

●Manage the documentation, assessment, testing and monitoring of internal controls over financial reporting, including tracking control gaps and action plans to remediate weaknesses.

●Coordinate with internal and external audit leadership to ensure coordination of efforts, consistent evaluation of control deficiencies and awareness of and leveraging control initiatives.

●Develop and provide routine training to the control owners to ensure a thorough understanding of the SOX program, control design, and the impact of their controls on the company’s financial statements.

SENIOR Consultant Guidehouse LLP (formally Pricewaterhouse Coopers)

January 2016 – January 2020

●Budgeted, planned, executed and managed USTRANSCOM’s Universe of Transactions audit readiness efforts.

●Collaborated with DoD Finance departments to examine processes, establish standard operating procedures (SOPs), test of controls, evidence verification and collection, develop corrective action plans (CAPs) and design tests to validate CAP remediation.

●Assessed internal controls frameworks, including testing design and operational effectiveness, develop risk remediation strategies, performing and interpreting gap analysis.

●Maintained relationships with client management and personnel to manage expectations of service, including work products, timing, and deliverables, as well as briefing audit management team.

●Demonstrated a thorough understanding of compliance, financial, and operational risks along with performing internal control testing, as well as recommending process improvements.

●Created and maintained program status charts and metrics among other program management functions.

●Developed and scoped Universe of Transactions test program to provide coverage of high risk information technology objectives for application, database and operating system layers.

●Created standardized testing templates to utilize for FIAR documentation purposes.

●Evaluated the command, including components’ third party management process.

●Provided detailed recommendations and guidance to the entire command in the creation of their control framework for third party management.

●Provided effective coaching and training to team members, client contacts, and business partners of audit process, third party management process.

●Collaborated with other consulting firm team members in an effort to achieve the command’s audit readiness and sustainment goals.

●Managed daily activities, review of workpapers, provided monthly status report (MSR) updates and weekly component status updates to elevate issues identified progress towards achievement of project plan timelines and outstanding tasks or documentation required from the business.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL AUDIT MANAGER Monsanto, St. Louis, MO

April 2014 - January 2016

●Managed and contributed to financial, SOX and FCPA audits for the evaluation and validation of internal controls, financial statement integrity and compliance with corporate and legal requirements. Performed risk assessment of audit engagements; communicated audit schedules and plans to site management.

●Reduced overall audit travel budget by $2M through streamlined audit scheduling and maximization of audit resource allocation for international audits.

●Utilized knowledge of accounting principles to examine, operate and inspect accounting systems, and ultimately recommend accounting and control procedures to ensure transaction accuracy and promote integrity of financial records.

●Monitored financial reports for accuracy, evaluated source documents, identified discrepancies, recommended reconciliation and corrective actions, identified and resolved cost allocation issues and prepared internal reports.

●Garnered commitment from site management for the implementation of audit recommendations, documenting work procedures and testing the results and information collected from audits.

●Reviewed and consolidated audit findings, reports and made recommendation of auditors assigned to parts of overall audits to ensure findings and recommendations meet professional standards and enhance program effectiveness.

●Designed and tested business process area and SOX controls based on walk throughs performed with key business owners to obtain an understanding through inquiry, observation & inspection.

●Provided value add recommendations to Internal Audit and other Risk Assurance clients through formal reporting process and / or discussions with business owners.

●Prepared required audit documentation and schedules consistent with planned audit approach.

●Led team efforts for the scheduling and planning of auditor development initiatives, coordinating audit schedules, facilitating audit meetings and driving timely audit completion.

SUPPLY CHAIN LEADER & PLANT CONTROLLER Monsanto, St. Louis, MO

June 2011 - April 2014

●Led and managed the strategic and operational financial planning process for the Luling plant that included the development/management of a $1.8B operating budget and a $10M capital plan.

●Oversaw the negotiations and execution of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) contracts for plant services.

●Directed, arranged, and prepared internal and external audits, operational improvements and cost saving projects/initiatives.

●Managed all supply chain efforts that generated an FY14 cost savings of $10M. Reduced the cost of operations by improving quality and productivity, cost control and reductions in headcount.

●Uncovered $1.5M in cost savings over a 2-year period resulting from a 15% improvement in efficiency within the capital project approval process.

●Negotiated $50M in annual MRO contracts.

●Prepared reports, summaries, forecasts, and reviews of the organization’s financial status and progress against cost reduction and business initiatives as well as the company’s current/expected financial position.

SENIOR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT Wayne Bixler, CPA, Tulare, CA

December 2008 - June 2011

●Hired in a contract role to streamline and standardize audit practices. Developed an end-to-end audit program with a complete process redesign for non-profit clients. Implemented the procedure for the communication of audit status and results. Maintained work papers that documented the achievement of audit objectives that included audit summary memorandum, sample methodology, test work procedures, conclusions, recommendations and management response.

●Developed internal controls and assessment tools that led to a 25% reduction in audit completion hours.

FINANCE DIRECTOR Orbrist Americas, Inc., Richmond, VA

January 2008 - December 2008

●Directed the North America business forecast process. Held total ownership of all financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting that included P&L responsibility with manufacturing revenues of $125M. Managed a staff of seven. Provided financial leadership over strategic options including capital investments, material supply and distribution, growth opportunities, joint ventures and merger/acquisition activity.

●Implemented comprehensive financial training on month-end close and balance sheet review process that reduced the closing process from 35 days to 4 days (an 85% efficiency improvement);

●Orchestrated a financial reporting initiative that set target budgets, identified cost savings opportunities, provided cost efficiency analysis and long-range financial planning and implemented financial controls.

●Partnered with cross-functional finance leaders, business unit controllers, CEO and CFO in driving global initiatives, implement sound financial controls and validate the methods for safeguarding company assets.

●Led quarterly audits of the entire manufacturing organization.

Additional Experience

Owens Corning, Summit, IL Multi-Plant Controller

Owens Corning, Toledo, OH Senior Auditor

Amtrak, Washington, DC Director of Capital Budgeting

Dell Computers, Round Rock, TX Senior Financial Consultant/Finance Manager

Ford Motor Company, Chicago, IL Finance Manager/Accounting Liaison

Education & Professional Development

Master of Business Administration, Finance (Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA)

Bachelor of Science, Accounting (Fisk University, Nashville, TN)

Training

Leadership Development – Target Selection Interviewing – Six Sigma Overview

Breakthrough Thinking Leadership Team & High Performance –Certified Scrum Master –

CPA Candidate Designation (2023)

Professional Affiliations

National Black MBA Association – Women in Technology – Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)

Toastmasters International – Financial Management Association – National Association of Black Accountants (NABA)

Technical Skills

SAP – Peachtree – Team Mate – MS Excel – Oracle Financial – Hyperion Enterprise – Ariba

Crystal Reporting – MS PowerPoint – MS Word – Lotus Notes – MS Visio – Workiva

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