Controller

ALEX CEPEDA

*** ** ********** ****** • New York, NY 10034 • 347-***-**** • ********@***.**.***

PROFILE

Controller • Senior Accountant

More than 15 years experience in managing accounting and financial controls systems in complex corporate environments in the publishing, not for profit, media and marketing research, and construction industries. Clear and consistent record of successfully introducing automated systems to improve control and reporting processes and generate major cost and time savings. Adept in assembling and managing the work of talented teams of accounting and bookkeeping professionals. Thoroughly knowledgeable of GAAP standard and compliance issues; direct experience in managing finances and reporting through a complex bankruptcy reorganization. Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills. Bilingual: English/Spanish.

Finance & Accounting Management • Strategic Planning • Financial Statements & Reports

General Ledger Analysis • Balance Sheets • P&L • Account Reconciliation • Income & Cash Flow • Accounting System Migration • Cost Controls • Savings

Payroll Process • Staff Development • Training • Change Management

Process Improvement • Mentoring • System Migration Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MONACHI PARTNERS. – NEW YORK, TAMPA, ORLANDO, CLEVELAND 2010–PRESENT

A Venture Capital Group with over $2 Billion dollars in assets, 150 subsidiaries of which 17 own commercial properties. In lieu of a 60% growth over the last 2 years it has been a challenge in accommodating key personnel and in terms of reporting capabilities the firm has grown quicker than personnel can accommodate. Particularly because their entities of businesses report on a cash basis, ownership and board members have been eager to change it to accrual.

Business/Finance Consultant

Appointed by the board to manage and assist in the management of 17 of their newly acquisitions ranging in the media, real estate and retail sectors. Supervise staff in organizing preparation of financial reports, P&L statements, balance sheet, cash-flow statements, public filings, and bank account reconciliations. Depending on size and industry implement and train staff on accounting package. Assist in the initial budget and forecast process, using existing models and reporting applications.

• Handled migration for various subsidiaries from Quickbooks to Great Plains, Working on the migration from Great Plains to PeopleSoft following a number of acquisitions in the past year.

• Implemented budgets for acquires keeping in mind current economic conditions while being able to minimize workflow damage.

• Implemented revenue forecasts assuming moderate growth. Train and assisted all staff so that going forward all personnel was clear of function and expectations.

• Assist with revenue projections in line with banking credit requirements.

• Implementing budget and revenue forecasts in 2012-2015. In some instances working on a 7 year modeling scenario.

• Working with a newly acquired public relations firm in San Francisco, LA, San Diego with a Navision implementation. Working on a 3 year budget and revenue forecast, training incoming staff on various modules and reporting expectations

• Assisting 7 other entities assisting with the post implementation of Great Plains. Training all accounting and project personnel on the many of the functionalities and uses of these systems.

• Creating a financial model which will automatically trigger revenue calculations for all open projects based on estimated time of completion.

PARK AVENUE RADIOLOGISTS, PC. – NEW YORK, NY 2009–2010

A medical facility with 2 offices in NYC, more than 40 employees, and revenues of more than $32M, the firm had been a partnership of 4. Following the deaths of two partners, management disagreements, a failed arbitration, and the departure of key employees led to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding arising out of high fixed expenses for the remaining organization, which consists of the parent corporation and three subsidiaries that manage real estate and leasing.

Finance Associate (Consultant)

Appointed by the court to manage the business and financial affairs of the organizations through the bankruptcy proceeding, which is expected to conclude by approximately year-end 2011. Train news staff in organizing preparation of financial reports, P&L statements, balance sheet, cash-flow statements, bankruptcy filings, and bank account reconciliations. Supervise payroll processing, profit sharing and 401(k) valuation, insurance, general ledger analysis, and financial controls. Collected finance and accounting data and other materials for external audits.

• Set up systems to report to the court by migrating financial data to Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) software from the legacy Navision system, which had not been GAAP compliant.

• Installed and supported FRX 6.7 and used it to create a number of financial reports including a Cash Basis P&L giving the client the ability to a 3 level drill down.

• Worked with GP Smartlist Builder to create numerous joins, views and selection criteria so that current users were able to extract information easily.

• Developed an “ERP Reporting System” using SQL reporter to extract data from a number of various sources within GP. The system executes these reports on a predetermined basis and distributes it via email to administration and accounting personnel. Reports for Purchasing, Payments and Cash Analysis are common schedules.

• Designed and implemented all budget and forecast scenarios using SQL Reporting Application.

• Assisted all non-accounting personnel in creating reports, shortcuts and executable processes for their everyday use.

• Trained staff on various models of GP including AP, AR, GL, banking module. Included in the training are the various functionalities while adding or making changes as requested.

• Currently upgrading all 3 satellite locations to GP 2010. Assisting sister facility with the preparation of all reports in FRX and Sequel Reporting Services. Implementing new add on to GP which will provide AR Details with 3rd Party Billing Software.

MENDELSOHN & CO. – NEW YORK, NY 2005–2009

A real estate holding and management firm with more than 70 properties around the tri-state area, Annual revenues of 45M a year with offices in New York, Tampa, Cleveland, Boston and Connecticut. A main holding company and 3 subsidiaries, one a not for profit managing properties and educating under-class population in the outer boroughs. After an unexpected tragedy to one of the partners the firm was sold and acquired by Tishman Speyer.

Controller

Led the accounting staff in managing corporate finances and reporting including balance sheets, financial and income statements, cash flows, and analysis of profitability and labor costs. Drove the monthly closing process and bank and ledger reconciliations. Prepared and managed budgets, forecasts, and internal audit controls.

• Automated outdated, manual accounting systems by adopting Timberline software from MAS 90, reducing the accounting staff to save $37,000 annually. Oversaw entry of 3 years manual data into new system.

• Saved $15,000 annually by reducing the need for tax extensions and resulting fees to retained CPAs.

• Enabled delivery of annual financial statements by March instead of July.

• Stabilized the position, which had turned over 3 times in a single year.

• By shopping banks, developed a relationship with CapitalOne in 2003, which guaranteed annual funding for the Mendelsohn Survey, saving at least $15,000 annually in storage and cash-management fees.

• Created an excel macro which linked an open project sheet to an accounting analysis sheet which calculated revenues based on percentage of completion.

• Handled all work papers and audit for not for profit at year, including OMB A-133 filing. (Grant Received totaled $1M)

HUGH O’KANE ELECTRIC, LLC – NEW YORK, NY 1993–2005

An electrical subcontracting firm focusing on providing electrical and telecommunications infrastructure on industrial and commercial construction projects.

Senior Accountant

Began as an accounting intern and was promoted rapidly. Prepared invoices, reports on variation versus estimates for home installation projects, budgets, forecasts, and accruals. Reconciled bank accounts and closed out monthly accounts for all subsidary company. Gathered year-end audit information and deployed external audit recommendations for finance and accounting.

• Trained various accounting personnel on payroll processing for parent and subsidiary company.

• Played a key role in selecting and implementing QuickBooks and the Timberline Sage system.

• Collaborated with the Accounting Firm in writing the Accounting System Handbook.

• Created report format from Crystal Reports this enabled exporting of data from GP into ADP and vice versa.

• Assisted the implementation consultants with the mapping of Wenn Soft (Inventory) to General Ledger and Purchase Order module. This process assured that all costs associated with inventory maintenance were properly accounted for when marginal analysis were reviewed.

• Developed custom Financial, Accounting and ADHOC reports using Crystal Reports, combining the SQL server and various tables within GP. Included were Store Profitability Analysis, Budget to Actual variances, Forecast to Budget scenarios.

• Supported the ERP Sage V6.2 production system, installation, upgrades, enhancements, trouble shooting, and 3rd party migration problems.

EDUCATION

HERBERT H. LEHMAN COLLEGE B.S. MAGNA CUM LAUDE, ACCOUNTING, 1994

• Phi Beta Kappa & Golden Key National Honor Societies

CERTIFICATIONS

• QuickBooks Pro Certified

• ADP Pay eXpert Pro Certified

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Association of Latin Professionals

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