SUMMARY

Dynamic and resourceful, multifaceted business professional with extensive financial services, bank operations, project management, process improvement and training experience within the finance and consulting industry. Well versed in endorsing strategic plans, providing in-depth analysis, and delivering viable solutions with significant measurable results captured by compelling recommendations. As passionate trainer translates and condenses information into clear captivating presentations. Detail-oriented forward thinker with outstanding ability to multi-task, work through the unknown and solve issues. Result driven, inspiring and collaborative leader with exceptional communication skills. Persuasive consensus builder, who leverages diversity and uses strong coordination, influence and negotiation skills to achieve desired objectives.

EXPERIENCE

Confidential, July 2004 – Present
Clients: all confidential based on company agreements – worked multiple projects on and off during this time frame
Project Manager/Business Analyst/Consultant

• Partnered with small business owner to provide sub-contract consulting and project management. Build and cultivated client relationships and completed assignments within budget, scope and plan.
• Coordinated and worked with cross-functional business stakeholders, user groups and IT personnel to elicit, complete and validate business and functional requirements through interviews/user workshops/walkthrough.
• Managed LOB UAT, prepared, coordinated UAT test/resource plan, led users in the functional scenario based test script development, identified test beds and interdependencies, in HP Quality Center loaded, validated and tested scripts, raised, resolved and retested defects and reported on UAT status.
• Assessed bank operation units (DDA, loans,) documented gaps, analyzed and quantified benefits and in alignment with client strategic plan proposed recommendations. Assisted in rollout and updated client procedures.
• Handled business owner A/P, A/R and improved company cash flow by changing billing & collection processes.

Confidential, Consulting
Confidential, June 2009 – Oct 2009
PM/Senior Consultant M & A Bank GL/Reconciliation Integration

• Finalized SOW. Analyzed G/L and reconciliation process, determined conversion approach and strategy, evaluated risk and delivered detailed checklist to aid Recon Managers in the mitigation of GL balance issues prior to integration. Designed scalable and reusable tools/templates for use of wave conversions and future acquisitions. Developed Integration Plan Template, a communication plan and reports to monitor progress, escalate known or potential issues to CFO’s, War Room and relevant teams prior to, and during conversion.
• Spearheaded rollout plan, the creation of a detailed 102 pg PowerPoint document, which included system and report screens and trained 140 key Reconciliation personnel.

Confidential,
Confidential, July 2007 – Feb 2008
Senior Analyst CL Finance SOX

• Documented process, developed Sox 404 testing regimen, formulated methodology to validate P & P, developed test matrices, selected test items, tested and established sufficient compilation of documents and maintained Archer SAM. Organized/streamlined documentation, created Master list, Binder Indices and a P&P listing. Liaised with internal/corporate/external audit staff, presented test package, addressed/resolved issues and retested gaps.

PM/Consultant CL Finance Testing

• Took over troubled Fiserv release testing, developed test/resource plan and success indicators, created, reviewed and updated existing and loaded new test scripts in HP Quality Center. Coordinated on/offshore testing team and completed 203 Regression/New Functionality test scripts including defects within 6 weeks meeting plan/budget.

Confidential, Consulting LLC. (Now Experis)
Confidential, Jan 2005 – Jan 2007
PM/Consultant CL Finance

• Improved accuracy of monthly expense accruals by 35% through gathering and analyzing 12 months of A/P data.
• Managed resolution of 10 aged system trouble tickets outstanding for 180+ days within 2 months.
• Validated, investigated and resolved forecasted Remote Deposit Capture NSF’s against actual performance.
• Directed reconciliation of 1000’s of 90+days’ items and lowered reportable from $3M to $600K within 2 months.

PM/Consultant CL Finance Offshore Migration

• Worked with Six Sigma unit and VP Operations Hyderabad, India, to identify and move activities offshore. Designed and utilized data gathering templates and coordinated geographically distributed data collection. Analyzed and quantified data to identify and recommend offshore system/staff/position requirements and recommend activity for offshore migration and assisted VP with training plan/activities.

PM/Consultant CL Finance Process Improvement

• Propelled the launch of a process improvement assessment of Financial Accounting, Planning, Analysis and Reporting and by using Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC) effectuated a more efficient and accurate month-end and shortened the close process by 2 days. Constructed 35 potential improvements centered on technology, task reallocation, process streamlining, redundancy elimination and report standardization saving an estimated $435K.

PM/Consultant CL Finance Vendor Management HNAH

• Spearheaded large scale global VM initiative for CL and coordinated and collaborated efforts with global project team to establish guidelines, minimize risk, centralize and align processes to achieve global standardization in the areas of vendor selection, contract review, negotiation and compliance.
• Facilitated highly effective train the trainer for 93 employees via webinars by translating and condensing the 107 pg procedure and 28 pg policies into a 10 pg PowerPoint training document.
• Led existing vendor compliancy project, collected company-wide vendor data, created Master Excel list, reviewed and classified 478 vendors, developed project plan, researched and proposed database to manage contracts, track compliance/performance and identified ongoing VM duties and resource needs. Orchestrated contract consolidations. Negotiated reduced pricing by 23% combining 5 contracts into 1 MSA.

PM CL Finance Mortgage & GL Conversion (Testing/Training)

• Led and managed large scale cross-functional 1 yr Fiserv-MortgageServ GL conversion within scope, plan and budget Provided technical and functional knowledge and performed full-cycle project management functions i.e. scope, strategy, project/resource/test plans, assemble/manage project/test team, document/review business requirements/scenarios, write test scripts, perform SIT and UAT tracing results back to the BRD and test scripts, identify and resolve defects, comply with Sox and audit, track/update/report project and test status, escalate any issues/risks and perform post-implementation root cause analysis of issues/errors.
• Elicited/documented 719 BRD’s, participated in JAD sessions, captured functional requirements and directed users in the development of 852 test scripts. Coordinated HP Quality Center training, loading and validation. Managed geographically distributed CL Finance team of 23 in all aspects of Unit, SIT and UAT Reviewed reports, attended/facilitated daily meetings and provided regular updates and issued status reports to team and executives.
• Identified, researched, quantified and documented 33 potential risks. Moved 30% of future testing offshore.

Confidential, Jan 2000 – June 2004
Manager/Senior Consultant Operations & Technology, Financial Institutions Group

• Worked with Sales and Program Managers during pre-sale phase. Was ‘Go To’ person for OverdraftHonor (ODH), a non-interest income solution addressing overdrafts, Vault Works, a Cash Management solution to identify/manage surplus cash and Crowe Quick Close, an Equity solution allowing closure within days.
• Defined scope, goals, deliverables, cost, resources and approach. Wrote proposal, collected and analyzed pre kick-off data and completed assigned small to large scale cross-functional projects within scope, plan and budget. Consistently stayed above 75% billable, calculated, billed and collected monthly Pay-for-Performance fees and achieved 95% client approval rating per 90-day post project reviews conducted.
• Groomed self into ODH expert and assumed responsibility for and completed 41 implementations within budget/plan, contributing over $1M in revenue over a 2½ year period. Created customized PowerPoint training presentation and conducted training to 1000’s of client employees.
• Eliminated Mortgage Company audit deficiency by authoring a 500 pg manual, incorporating business process/policy/system screens using self-taught Fiserv Vision/Unifi knowledge.
• Oversaw and facilitated small to large scale process improvements applying CI/Six Sigma methodology to re-engineer process/workflows with cross-functional, geographically distributed teams. Captured ‘as is’, ‘disconnects/gaps’ and ‘should be” via Excel/Visio, analyzed, quantified benefits, and in alignment of client strategic plan presented viable measurable solutions producing significant cost savings and income opportunities. For example, Client A, a review of CL, Trust and Accounting units produced 66 proposed recommendations with estimated annual cost savings of $520K, income of $1,3M, an asset increase of $13,2M, identified 50% under collateralization and a decrease of 56% per mortgage cost by changing bank infrastructure and platform. Client B, close was shortened from 10 to 6 days, by re-designing systems and processes to generate key monthly/qtly/yr-end financial reports. Client C identified key DP negotiation factors and reduced overall costs by $486K.
• Conducted Vendor Selection Studies, captured data and business requirements, researched/compared vendors, selected prospects, prepared RFP/RFI/RFQ, analyzed responses and documented and presented results to client.
• Process Assessment carried out identified/documented high-level opportunities to reduce cost and increase NII (Non Interest Income) and met contract guarantee of finding benefits of at least 3x the fee paid.

Confidential, Jan 1985 – Jan 2000
Manager Client Services, U.S. Asset Portfolio & Risk Mgmt Global Treasury Group
Project Manager, LS2 Servicing N.A. Corp Banking (1996-2000)

• Hands-on led geographically dispersed project team of 40 through full SDLC to convert the U.S. and Canadian corporate, commercial loan portfolio within plan and budget. Identified/documented BRD’s and FRD’s and actively participated in JAD sessions and worked with LS2 developers. Wrote, and evaluated test scripts, established test/resource plan, executed tests, raised, resolved and retested defects from SIT and UAT. Developed and conducted new system training for 110 employees and became sought after LS2 expert.
• Directed, coached, motivated and managed corporate/commercial loan B.U. of 31 (direct/Indirect) in the client service delivery of a $28billion portfolio consisting of 1500 customers and 3500 loan. Reduced turnover by 70% and absorbed 30% portfolio growth without adverse consequences or adding staff. Developed/tested Y2K Disaster Recovery Plan. Led cross-border taskforce to create and implement new guidelines for US/CA/Mexico deals.

Implementation Manager, After Sales U.S. (1995 – 1996)
Manager Product Delivery Services, Int’l Banking Operations (1993 – 1995)
Manager Projects and Acting Manager Systems & Services, Banking Operations (1991 – 1993)
Manager Loan Operations, Chicago (1989 – 1991)
Manager User/Customer Service, Chicago (1987 – 1989)
Loan Processing Officer & User Representative IBUK/CRD Project (1985 – 1987)

EDUCATION

• Business Administration
• Outward Bound Management Program,
• Project & Change Management, CI/Six Sigma, Business Analysis
• Fluent in German