BEVERLEY JOSIAH WALKER, MSA,
New York
Summary
Strategic Finance Leader with over 20 years managing complex academic portfolios and overseeing a $100M+ operating budget. Specializes in transforming financial operations for mission-driven institutions, optimizing funding streams, and ensuring compliance for restricted awards. Collaborates with executive leadership to modernize financial infrastructure and support high-growth research initiatives and multi-institutional partnerships.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Director, Finance Operations
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
New York
01.2019 - Current
- Recruited to oversee all financial operations for the School of Professional Studies, managing a $100M+ annual portfolio and serving as the primary financial liaison for 250+ internal and external stakeholders.
- Manage a $100M annual operating budget, ensuring seamless allocation of resources across degree programs and operational units.
- Partner with Executive Leadership to design financial dashboards and reporting tools, providing real-time visibility into financial performance to support data-driven strategic planning.
- Spearheaded an accounting and procurement initiative that improved operational efficiency by 9%, reducing processing times for critical program expenditures.
- Serve as the strategic liaison between the School and Central Purchasing for high-value contracts, recently guiding the RFP process for a $15M multi-year marketing contract.
- Negotiate terms and pricing with external vendors to ensure cost-effectiveness and favorable legal clauses for the institution.
- Lead annual audit preparation and internal control reviews, resulting in successful year-end audits with zero material findings.
- Manage annual IRS Form 990 reporting and foreign tax disclosures, ensuring full regulatory compliance for the institution.
- Manage the distribution and reconciliation of Restricted Scholarship Portfolios (including Merit Awards and Yellow Ribbon/Veteran funds), ensuring 100% compliance with institutional award criteria.
- Directly administer Faculty Research Funds (FRF) and Dean’s Applied Research Awards, overseeing the allocation of seed money for data collection, research assistants, and software licensing.
- Produce monthly variance and burn-rate reports for faculty members to ensure research funds are fully utilized within fiscal deadlines.
Manager, Procurement System Operations
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (CENTRAL FINANCE)
New York
01.2013 - 01.2019
- Audited and reconciled $5M+ in delinquent accounts, eliminating manual errors and recovering lost funds through rigorous oversight.
- Managed complex wire transfers and foreign exchange adjustments for international collaborations, ensuring seamless cross-border financial operations.
- Designed and delivered training programs to enhance university-wide compliance with procurement best practices.
Staff Accountant
PHOTOLIBRARY GROUP
New York
01.2006 - 01.2012
- Prepared comprehensive monthly closing packages, bank reconciliations, and variance analysis to support executive decision-making during a period of corporate growth.
Education
Master of Professional Studies - WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Columbia University
New York, NYMaster of Science - Accounting
Lehman College
Bronx, NYBachelor of Science - ACCOUNTING
Monroe College
Bronx, NYSkills
- Strategic Budgeting & Forecasting
- Faculty Research Fund Administration
- Vendor Contract Negotiation
- Financial Modeling for Growth
- Internal Controls & Audit
- Staff Mentorship & Development
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Financial Systems
- ARC
- Oracle/PeopleSoft
- Concur
- SAP
- Advanced Excel
- Pivot Tables
- VLOOKUP
- Data Visualization
- Dashboards
Community Leadership
- Treasurer, Wealth Management Student Club, New York, NY
- Volunteer, Hope Worldwide, Honorable Service Recognition
Technical Competencies
ARC (Columbia Financial System), Oracle/PeopleSoft, Concur, SAP, Advanced Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, Financial Modeling), Data Visualization/Dashboards
Core Value Proposition
- Restricted Fund Stewardship: Expert in managing commingled funding streams, ensuring strict adherence to award criteria for scholarships, veteran awards (Yellow Ribbon), and internal faculty grants.
- Operational Modernization: Track record of implementing dashboards and systems that reduce administrative burden for researchers and faculty.
- Audit & Compliance: Deep expertise in internal controls, IRS Form 990 reporting, and RFP/Contract negotiation.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Strategic Budgeting & Forecasting ($100M+) • Faculty Research Fund Administration • Vendor Contract Negotiation (RFPs) • Financial Modeling for Growth • Internal Controls & Audit • Staff Mentorship & Development • Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Timeline
Associate Director, Finance Operations
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
01.2019 - Current
Manager, Procurement System Operations
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (CENTRAL FINANCE)
01.2013 - 01.2019
Staff Accountant
PHOTOLIBRARY GROUP
01.2006 - 01.2012
Master of Professional Studies - WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Columbia University
Master of Science - Accounting
Lehman College
Bachelor of Science - ACCOUNTING
Monroe College