Ashley Marks
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Experienced global executive with deep CFO and financial experience specializing in process improvement, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and building and management of high-performance teams to align operations with strategic requirements.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief financial officer
RS&A, LLC
11.2022 - 04.2023
- Driving continual process improvement using Lean fundamentals professional, Led the finance and human resources functions for private equity backed service and repair company of ultrasound, mammography, and radiology oncology equipment
- Grew business from $24M to $45M and established business structure, processes, controls, and systems to create platform for growth
- Finance responsibilities included board reporting, financial planning and analysis, cash flow and working capital forecasting and management (including 13 week cash flow), billing and collections as well as preparation and execution of first-time audit of the four acquired companies and ERP selection and implementation
- Human resource responsibilities included compensation and benefits, recruitment, and structuring and implementing business processes and ADP implementation.
Chief financial officer
Chemring Sensors And Electronics
11.2021 - 10.2022
- Led the finance and contracts functions for a $100M defense company specializing in explosive hazard, chemical and biological detection
- Responsible for financial reporting, financial planning & analysis, controllership, internal/external/government compliance, commercial management, treasury, working capital and cash management (including weekly cash forecasting), capital planning, billing, and collections
- Brought in to fix and build internal process to position the Company for growth and grow company organically by entering commercial markets and executing acquisitions.
Director Sales Operations and Enablement
Raytheon Technologies (United Technologies)
01.2011 - 01.2021
- Director Sales Operations and Enablement, Collins Aerospace
- Led the sales enablement function for the customer facing organization including deal coordination and negotiation, process, and tools for both the central team and initiatives across Collins
- Responsible for strategic pricing, analytics and proposal teams supporting $2B annual sales and $100M of strategic pricing initiatives annually
- Aligned customer strategy and pricing across six business units and the central organization through influence without control to deliver customer proposals valuing up to $1B and support strategic long-term customer agreement negotiations
- Business lead for the customer portal and customer facing digital strategy to improve customer satisfaction and automation across Collins
- Redesigned sales operations processes to reduce proposal turn-around-time, focus on win strategy and build value proposition to support customer negotiations including implementation of one Collins CRM system
- Chief financial officer, Otis elevator company Australasia
- Managed the finance function of Otis Australia and New Zealand, a $250m elevator and escalator construction and service business
- Rebuilt the finance function and re-established the internal control environment after restructuring of the company as a separate unit within United Technologies
- Led 35 person finance team including financial reporting, financial planning & analysis, controllership, commercial management, treasury, working capital and cash management, capital planning, billing and collections
- Prepared and delivered the annual plan, consistent three day monthly financial closings, monthly reporting with updated latest estimates for the balance of year P&L
- Drove strategic initiatives including acquisition evaluation and process improvements across the organization
- Chief financial officer / ethics & compliance officer Sikorsky Defense systems & services, Aircraft & support division
- Led finance team of 15 including controllership, government accounting, business operations, financial planning & analysis, cash planning, inventory management and capital planning
- Provided monthly, quarterly and annual financial data and analyzed performance against plan
- Presented financial performance and passport reviews for new programs to Senior Executives
- Launched new aircraft modernization program from business strategy through to business startup and execution leveraging Lean principles to map execution strategy
- Expected revenue of over $300m per year
- Head of acquisitions and Business development finance Sikorsky aerospace services
- Executed global strategy through establishment of international presence including acquisitions, joint ventures, new business opportunities and large cross-divisional proposals
- Assessed financial opportunity, valuation, identification, key risks and project funding
- Led finance due diligence and integration of a $2.5 billion aerospace aftermarket business
- Lead finance manager for strategic, cross Business Unit proposals, values ranging from $500m to $2+B. Primary responsibilities include assessing the financial impact to the business, identifying and quantifying accounting issues and communicating key risks with Executive Leadership
- Identified and executed pricing and proposal process improvement opportunities
- Finance lead on business restructuring project including pillar redesign, $12 million of annual recurring cost savings and significant headcount reductions.
Director
KPMG US And KPMG Australia
01.2001 - 01.2011
- Director Financial Management, Brisbane Australia
- Built Brisbane Financial Management practice of KPMG with focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of client finance functions to drive results
- Implemented Enterprise Performance Management including cloud-based reporting tools, techniques for business partnering, applying Lean principles to financial processes, improving outsource solutions and talent management
- Director, Transaction Services KPMG US and Australia
- Global account director for one of the firm’s largest global Private Equity clients ($70 million revenue per year) and other national Premier Private Equity accounts
- Responsibilities included transaction screening, identification, due diligence and closing advisory services; and identification and implementation of value added services at the fund and portfolio company levels
- Provided financial due diligence services to both private equity and strategic clients
- Primary client and target contact throughout the deal process and team lead of up to 5 people
- Managed financial due diligence including detailed analysis of target’s historical performance and forecast assumptions; identification of key value drivers and deal risks, analysis of historical and forecast revenue and EBITDA, working capital and cash flows, identification and analysis of quality of earnings adjustments
- Reviewed financial models and business enterprise value, sale and purchase agreements including ways to maximize value through working capital mechanisms and other purchase price adjustments, identification of working capital improvements and post-transaction integration issues
- Developed client budgets, monitored profitability, communicated results and negotiated billings
- Tenure included a three-year international rotation to Sydney Australia
- Senior associate, assurance KPMG US and UK
Education
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - ACCOUNTING
Lehigh university
2001
Skills
- Strategic and financial planning Managing transactions, ventures and projects to closure
- Quickly assimilating and applying new information on different businesses and industries
- Managing cross-business unit and cross-functional teams, meeting tight deadlines with limited resources
- Building customer focused business processes, establishing internal and external customer relationships and ensuring high quality customer satisfaction
- Driving continual process improvement using Lean fundamentals
- Analytical and Critical Thinker
- Strategic Planning
- Change and Growth Management
- Audit Coordination
- Operational Analysis and Management
- Financial Management
Affiliations
UTC Finance Women’s Forum Leadership Committee
Otis Australasia Women’s Forum Executive Sponsor
Chemring Women’s Inclusivity Network Sponsor
2
Timeline
Chief financial officer
RS&A, LLC
11.2022 - 04.2023
Chief financial officer
Chemring Sensors And Electronics
11.2021 - 10.2022
Director Sales Operations and Enablement
Raytheon Technologies (United Technologies)
01.2011 - 01.2021
Director
KPMG US And KPMG Australia
01.2001 - 01.2011
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - ACCOUNTING
Lehigh university