Senior Finance Executive
Resume:
JOHN D. CRAFT, CIA, MBA
************@*******.***
West Bloomfield, MI 48323
Residence: 248-***-****
Mobile: 517-***-****
CAREER SUMMARY
Senior finance executive and strategic business partner with broad international experience in progressively responsible positions with global multi-national organizations in developed and emerging markets. Proven track record of building high performance teams and partnering with operations to deliver superior audit and business results. Key competencies include:
• Accounting
FASB, GAAP ( U.S. and International ), IFRS, Account Reconciliation, Business Expense, General Ledger, Inter-company, Payroll, Project, Property, Reporting ( Financial and Statutory ) and SEC Filings ( 8K, 10K and 10Q )
• Audit / Internal Control
Audit ( Internal and External ), Business Continuity Planning, Change Management, Control Self Assessment, Corporate Disclosure, COSO Internal Control, Regulatory Review, Risk Management, Sarbanes-Oxley ( Sections 302 and 404 ), Fraud and Special Investigations
• Finance
Analysis ( Including Actual, Forecast, Budget and Business Plan ), Acquisition and Divestiture, Contract Negotiation, Corporate Restructuring, Cash Enhancement, Cost Optimization, Financial Controls, Profit and Loss, Six Sigma, Strategic Planning and Tax
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FORD MOTOR COMPANY, Dearborn, MI 1989-2009
Global automobile manufacturing company: $140 billion revenue.
Director, Corporate Financial Controls 2008-2009
Directed a global staff of 40 Internal Control professionals responsible for all Accounting, Corporate Disclosure, Financial Reporting ( including 8K, 10K, 10Q SEC Filings), Legal, Tax and Treasury functions. Led Corporate Sarbanes-Oxley ( S-Ox ) compliance initiatives and managed the global audit budget and forecast processes related to the Company’s external audit firms. Led internal control effort to ensure the successful financial transformation of global acquisitions and divestitures.
• Prepared and presented reports for senior management ( including the Corporate Audit, Disclosure and Internal Control Steering Committees ) .
• Led development of a collaborative approach to global enterprise risk assessment and internal control processes, including continuous monitoring of change management.
• Improved the Corporate Finance Manual by eliminating redundant policies and procedures and transitioning the manual to a new user-friendly web-based format.
• Implemented sub-certification process which facilitated the quarterly S-Ox ( Section 302 ) requirement that the CEO and CFO certify and approve the Company financial reports.
• Streamlined the S-Ox ( Section 404 ) requirement concerning the assessment of internal controls by eliminating non-value added documentation and testing procedures for global operations resulting in over $5 million annual savings.
• Reduced global audit fees by 10% and improved the quality of external audit engagements.
• Led internal control efforts in Romania to address significant audit and compliance issues for the acquisition of the Craiova Plant. Generated $1 million savings from reducing corporate reliance on external consultants.
Director, Finance & Accounting 2005-2008
Ford Motor China, Ltd. ( FMCL )
Foreign Service executive position based in Shanghai, China. Directed a regional staff of 30 Finance professionals responsible for all Accounting, Analysis, Internal Control and Tax functions for $5 billion revenue operation in Greater China ( including Taiwan ). Key member of joint venture Audit and Internal Control Steering Committees. Led enterprise risk management, Business Continuity Planning and S-Ox compliance initiatives. Scope of responsibility spanned FMCL, Premier Automotive Group China ( including Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo ) and related joint ventures with state-owned partners.
• Led preparation of all ( U.S. and P.R.C. GAAP ) financial statements, account reconciliations, business expense and inter-company payments, payroll administration, project and property accounting and federal, provincial and local income tax returns.
• Streamlined accounting and finance processes and updated regional Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP ) systems to reduce cost, workload and increase efficiencies. Total annual savings generated was over $1 million.
• Led financial divestiture of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle brands in Greater China.
• Designed and implemented cost reductions related to corporate credit card, Foreign Service benefits and travel programs which resulted in over $1 million annual savings.
• Strengthened the internal control environment in Greater China resulting in immaculate annual audit reports by both internal and external auditors.
• Conducted fraud and special investigations ( including suspected Foreign Corrupt Practice Act violations ) in Greater China.
• Built high performance Accounting, Analysis, Internal Control and Tax teams through mentoring and training. Personnel turnover was lowest in FMCL and employee satisfaction was rated highest in Finance.
Manager, Accounting & Audit 2003-2005
Ford of Europe ( FoE )
Foreign Service executive position based in Essex, United Kingdom. Managed regional staffs of 35 Accounting and 15 Audit professionals for $40 billion revenue operation in Europe. Scope of responsibility spanned FoE, Premier Automotive Group ( including Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo ) and related affiliates.
• Led preparation of all ( U.S. and U.K. GAAP ) financial statements, account reconciliations, inter-company payments, project and property accounting. Managed multiple task forces to resolve over $100 million in aged account reconciliation and receivable issues.
• Led accounting due diligence for divestiture of Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle brands in Europe.
• Initiated Balance Sheet Roundtable discussions and Certification reviews with regional CFOs to improve the quality of financial statements and comply with S-Ox initiatives.
• Restructured European accounting operations and transitioned functions to the low cost service center in India which resulted in over $2 million annual savings.
• Provided audit oversight to European operations and led development of standardized briefings for regional and affiliate Audit and Internal Control Steering Committees.
• Developed a revised audit process to enhance effectiveness under S-Ox requirements. Total annual savings generated was over $1 million.
Manager, Global Inter-company Accounting 2001-2003
Managed global staff of 30 Accounting professionals responsible for all inter-company accounting transactions between the parent and affiliate operations. Managed multiple task forces to resolve over $100 million in aged account reconciliation and receivable issues. Led internal control and S-Ox compliance initiatives for global inter-company accounting locations. Restructured North America inter-company accounting operation and transitioned functions to the low cost service center in India which resulted in over $1 million annual savings.
Vehicle Controller, Escape / Tribute Program 1998-2001
Ford of Japan ( FoJ )
Foreign service executive position based at Mazda Motor Corporation in Hiroshima, Japan. Managed 20 joint Ford / Mazda Finance professionals with complete Profit and Loss responsibility for Ford’s best selling Sport Utility Vehicle ( SUV) which generates over $4 billion of annual revenue. Prepared and presented financials from program approval to final status ( Job#1 plus 90 days ). Successfully teamed with engineers and suppliers to reduce program cost and delivered over $1 million annual material savings and over 10% reduction in tooling, facilities, launch and engineering expenses.
Controller, Automotive Components Division 1995-1998
Ford of Brazil ( FoB )
Foreign service executive position based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Managed 15 Finance professionals with complete Profit and Loss responsibility for the Arbor Plant. Prepared and presented financials for total plant and related components including climate control, electronics and powertrain products. Facilitated securitization of a $250 million trade finance facility for Ford South America Operations. Successfully implemented fixed and variable cost improvements which resulted in over $2 million annual savings.
Senior Financial Analyst, Automotive Components Division 1989-1995
Held progressively responsible positions in various finance functions.
EDUCATION
M.B.A., Finance, High Honors, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 1989
B.A., Economics, Honors, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 1987
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified System Investigator ( CSI ), The CSI World Headquarters 2008
Certified Internal Auditor ( CIA ), The Institute of Internal Auditors 2006
COMPUTER SKILLS
Business Performance Management - Hyperion
Enterprise Resource Planning - PeopleSoft, QAD and SAP
Microsoft Office Suite – Access, Excel, Outlook, PeopleSoft, PowerPoint and Word
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Japanese – Intermediate
Chinese (Mandarin) - Basic
Portuguese – Basic
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