Adonica Blackston
Alexandria,VA
Summary
Multi-talented Senior Manager well-versed and highly effective at developing, executing, and directing key improvements to enable business enhancements and growth. Visionary leader with solid success leading business operations toward growth.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Transformation Excellence Senior Manager
AJ Blackston & Associates, LLC
Washington, DC
10.2009 - Current
- Directed strategic financial planning and IT programs, optimizing financial reporting and compliance for the US Army Reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard. This contributed to over $10 million in savings.
- Led a successful cost-efficiency initiative at Freddie Mac, achieving a 30% reduction in IT operational costs while maintaining financial integrity and regulatory compliance
- Managed intricate intercompany reconciliations for Volkswagen Group America and Canada, ensuring the protection of $230.7 billion in annual revenues by implementing robust financial structures and controls.
Senior Associate - Project Manager
KPMG, LLP
Washington, DC
06.2008 - 10.2009
- Led financial planning and infrastructure separation efforts for Recovery.gov, driving a $60 million engagement with significant economic impact.
- Supervised the retirement and removal of legacy systems to enhance efficiency within the organization
- Negotiated contracts with key vendors, achieving a 25% reduction in costs and ensuring the continuation of critical services
Senior Consultant
IBM
Washington, DC
11.2005 - 04.2008
- Directed financial process improvement initiatives and SAP FICO implementations, for Broward County Public Schools and the Department of Agriculture
- Modernized financial systems for US Customs and Border Protection, streamlining financial processes and optimizing a $45 million contract, ensuring regulatory compliance and financial efficiency
- Conducted financial modeling to assess the impact of various strategic initiatives, supporting decision-making processes with accurate financial forecasts for the Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Sacramento, CA.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Bachelor of Arts - Public Policy
Skills
- Strategic Planning
- Regulatory Compliance
- Capital Management
- Internal Controls
- Leadership
- Exceptional Communication Skills
- Project Scheduling
- Technical Proficiency
- Quality Assurance
- Contract Management
- Negotiation Skills
- Agile Project Management
- Crisis Management
- Cybersecurity Awareness
- Process Optimization
- SAP S/4HANA Expertise
- Governance and Compliance
- Customer Centricity
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Time Management
- Business Continuity Planning
- Financial Forecasting
- Ethical Leadership
- Market Analysis
- Automation and AI
- Continual Learning
- Innovative
- Cross-functional team leadership
Certification
SAP Finance & Controlling, SAP America
Highlighted Projects
- DARPA - Silent Talk, Washington, DC, 09/01/12 to Present
Lead Research, Development & Testing, focusing on developing non-verbal communication through neural signal analysis, aiming for battlefield communication without vocalized speech. The project could revolutionize communication technology for the military and accessibility.
- US Army Reserve - Legacy System Retirement, 08/01/11 to 07/31/12
Retired a proprietary legacy system, inventoried all aspects of the system, evaluated the GFEBS system implemented by the US Army and created a strategy to transition the Army Reserve to the GFEBS system, resulting in a savings of $10 million per year.
Languages
Italian, Conversational
Awards
Service of Excellence, US Customs Border Protection
Publications
- Unleashing the Power of Advanced Data Analysis & Generative AI: Revolutionizing Financial Markets, LinkedIn, 02/01/24, Transformative impact of Generative AI in the finance industry, revolutionizing market navigation, customer understanding, and competitive strategizing.
- What is Blockchain and Are You Leveraging it for Private Equity Deals?, LinkedIn, 03/15/24, Explains blockchain's potential for enhancing private equity deals. Blockchain's transparency, security, and automation capabilities can improve processes like smart contracts, tokenization, due diligence, fund administration, and emphasizes how blockchain offers efficient, transparent solutions for managing transactions and investments, transforming the private equity landscape.
Volunteer Experience
David's Place, Assistant, 05/01/22 to Present
Assist homeless individuals with basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing.
Timeline
Transformation Excellence Senior Manager
AJ Blackston & Associates, LLC
10.2009 - Current
Senior Associate - Project Manager
KPMG, LLP
06.2008 - 10.2009
Senior Consultant
IBM
11.2005 - 04.2008
SAP Finance & Controlling, SAP America
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Bachelor of Arts - Public Policy
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