Gardnar O'Brien's Email Addresses & Phone Numbers

📖 Summary

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/ With Private Equity And International Experience I provide strong leadership and sound financial decision-making to public and private companies. During the past 15 years, I initiated the CFO function in three national, middle-market companies (two private equity-owned). My industry experience includes: consumer products, private equity, retail, construction, advertising/marketing, alternative dispute resolution, public accounting. Executive Qualifications Portfolio: • Public & Private Companies • Financial Systems, Controls & Reporting • Expense Reduction & Profit Acceleration • Risk & Asset Management • Global Product Importation (China) • Banking Relations & Corporate Credit FacilitiesChief Financial Officer @ Providing tile and setting materials to contractors and builders in the United States for over 65 years. America's preferred ceramic tile and stone source. From August 2015 to Present (5 months) Chief Financial Officer @ I was recruited by the owner to establish the CFO function, identify and implement profitability improvement initiatives and further strengthen the financial position for a liquidity event. Within seven months, it became a turnaround situation due to the economy downturn. My responsibilities included: managing accounting and finance function; finance & administration of Hong Kong companies and a Shanghai WOFE; IT, human resources; purchasing; strategic planning; budgeting; audit; legal; banking; and owner relations. *Established annual budgeting, forecasting and comparative financial reporting; the strategy then drove results. * Increased profit $2 million using in-depth benchmarking analyses, targeting excess spend and developing cost/expense-saving strategies. * Implemented immediate expense-saving measures to breakeven, amounting to $600k monthly, to scale the business to meet a steep revenue drop due to economic conditions. * Eliminated incorrect, wildly-swinging P&L performance with appropriate accrual and amortization accounts for annual commitments. * Implemented an extensive overseas tax structure adding $5+ million to annual cash flow. * Revised financial reporting process for Hong Kong-based company and hired Shanghai business manager for day-to-day oversight. * Installed China Government-approved enterprise system in Shanghai entity during WOFE formation process. From May 2008 to March 2015 (6 years 11 months) CFO @ I provided financial leadership skills to middle market, private companies and divisions of public companies. Major assignments: (1) As Interim CFO (9 months; see below), and (2) As Temporary CFO (1 month) for a company taken over by its senior debt holder. Interim CFO - Transpac, Inc. ($65 million gift industry supplier): Transpac's owner and a PE firm hired me two weeks prior to an ownership change to: *hire and manage an independent service for beginning inventory valuation; * prepare opening balance sheet; * revise cash-basis accounting/reporting process to GAAP; * restructure finance organization; * implement cash management process and procedures for credit facility use and reporting; * develop a timely close process with accurate monthly financial reporting; * develop first budget with integrated financial statement projections; * choose national audit firm to perform initial audit; * conduct a search for and hire first CFO. All successfully performed. From July 2007 to April 2008 (10 months) Vice President (Finance Operations) @ As VP (Finance Operations), I provided guidance and support to various portfolio company management (part-time: 1998 - 2006; fulltime, 2007) . Responsibilities included: *Due diligence. *Interim management of portfolio companies and senior management hirings. *Revenue enhancement and expense control initiatives. *Review of portfolio company performance. *Preparation of a SOX compliance plan for a billion dollar revenue portfolio company. *Holding company, investment and debt management. From 1998 to June 2007 (9 years) Executive Vice President - Chief Financial Officer @ I was the initial CFO for this private equity portfolio company. I installed and then managed financial and administrative systems and procedures of a national promotional products supplier with over 1,000 products and 400 employees. It tripled in revenue to $75 million with a 15% EBITDA during my tenure. I recruited and installed new, key roles for growth: Director of Finance; HR Manager, Senior Engineer and finally my replacement as CFO. I established three mainland China and one Taiwan representative offices for sourcing, product/shipment inspection, shipment consolidation and on-going manufacturer relations. From 1998 to 2006 (8 years) Region CFO @ Finance Director (CFO) for $200 million Southwest Region: 1995 - 1998 Regional Controller (CFO) for $140 million Los Angeles Region: 1993 - 1995 Regional Controller (CFO) for $40 million Indianapolis Region: 1990 - 1993 From 1990 to 1998 (8 years) Vice President / Division CFO @ VP - Finance & Operations; L.S Ayres Dept. Stores Div.: 1988 -1990 VP & CFO; May Florida Dept. Stores Div.: 1987 - 1988 May Corporate Manager - Expense & Operations Analysis: 1987 VP - Finance (CFO); May Design & Construction Div. (new stores): 1982 - 1987 May Sr. Corporate Auditor; May Department Stores Co.: 1980- 1982 From 1980 to 1990 (10 years) Supervising Senior @ Assurance / Audit: Seven Up; Firestone; Tiffany Industries; Barnes Hospital; Masters & Johnson; City of St. Louis. From 1978 to 1980 (2 years) BSBA, Accountancy @ University of Missouri-Columbia, College of Business Gardnar O'Brien is skilled in: Strategy, Strategic Planning, Executive Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Management, Financial Reporting, Due Diligence, Finance, Forecasting, Budgets, Leadership, Accounting, Mergers, Cash Management, Process Improvement