Denise Gharaee
North Hollywood,CA
Summary
Knowledgeable Project Finance Director with proven record of managing large complex financial projects and ensuring accurate accounting practices. Skilled in implementing strategic initiatives that enhance productivity and efficiency. Brings depth of experience in project reporting and cost control. Demonstrated expertise in financial reporting and budget management.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Project Finance
MeowWolf
11.2021 - Current
- Directing the development, monitoring, and analysis of budgets and cost for all capital and expense projects ranging up to $115M
- Spearheaded the implementation of our financial and cost management system (WorkDay) across all projects
- Ensuring accurate oversight of all project reporting, forecasting and analysis
- Liaise with all Project teams and other Key stakeholders to establish and maintain project standards, controls, and processes
- Provide precise Trend EFC and Risk reporting for each project, delivering EFC updates to Executives and BOD
- Manage Project Time Entry controls, Contract, Change Order and Directive process both within and outside our system along with Project invoice procedures
- Implemented Work Breakdown Structure, Project Reporting, Project Time Entry, Resource planning, Contract Standards, Project ERP system, Pre-Qualification Program, Change Management and multiple processes updates since joining MeowWolf
- Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
Sr. Financial Analyst, Walt Disney Imagineering Attractions & Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
09.2017 - 11.2021
- Manage capital budgets for Parks & Resorts Asia portfolio including Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong totaling over $2B
- Prepare monthly/quarterly cost flows to internal and external partners along with many other metric analysis reports
- Began to manage HKDL and SHDR portfolios when other staff elected to leave while still managing a portion of Tokyo after only 6 months of being hired while delivering all responsibilities accurately and in a timely manner
- Streamlined staffing plan and reporting for all projects managed, drove the implementation of these new reports across all other Imagineering projects
- Consolidated Monthly Executive Updates for HKDL and SHDR while working diligently with Project Managers, Estimators and Schedulers to produce a flawless presentation to upper management, Executives and external partners
- Managed junior analysts on best practices, contributing to a stronger overall team performance
- Collaborated with multiple international teams to drive reporting efficiency, maintain clear communication and share best practices
- Developed budgets for Blue-Sky scope working closely with all studio leads
- Produced project phased estimates and life cycle staffing plans for CAR reviews
- Continuously provided feedback on NextGen, Project Management system, to drive discipline and improve processes for our projects
- Studied Sequel coding as part of a new task force to implement standardized reporting across all projects
Sr. Financial Analyst, Universal Pictures
NBC Universal
02.2014 - 09.2017
- Managed P&L/Cash Forecasting and Budgeting of $200M Live Stage and Music (Publishing, Soundtrack and Licensing) for the Film Division of NBCUniversal and DreamWorks
- Created and analyzed Soundtrack Proformas; provided low/base/high profit assumptions to our President of Music and CFO of Universal Pictures
- Compiled, allocated and analyzed soundtrack sales reports, reviewed our applicable recoupment costs per soundtrack, and created/updated Soundtrack worksheets for each Production title on a monthlybasis
- Prepared 200+ Royalty statements to Artist/Producers/Composers/Publishers semi-annually
- Managed Record Budgets, A&R Funds and Advances with our 3rd Party vendors (UMe, Republic, Atlantic)
- Responsible for over 96K cues worth $45M in our Music Publishing Database that needs to be reported and allocated semi-annually
- Leader in seeking new Music Royalty system to implement and manage; key player in the implementation of a new Stage Play database and forecast system
- Assisted with preparation of presentations and ad-hoc analysis for senior management
Sr. Financial Analyst, ABC Owned Television Stations Group
The Walt Disney Company
10.2012 - 02.2014
- Assisted in the consolidation of Long Range Plans, Annual Operating Plans, Forecasts and Closes for televised and digital media platforms
- Analyzed and reconciled complex financial data, created various financial models including cause of change analysis to support effective management and decision-making across the organization
- Prepared presentations for senior management
Sr. Financial Analyst, Walt Disney Imagineering Attractions & Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
06.2010 - 10.2012
- Project accountant supporting the $500M Magic Kingdom Fantasyland Expansion
- Managed the consolidation of Cost Reports, Cash Flow and project controls for the entire project
- Prepared and analyzed detailed financial reports and proactively identified any opportunities and risks
- Key departmental member in the implementation of the Project Management Controls System for Walt Disney Imagineering and performed tasks such as migration and validation of data, and recommend and influenced process enhancements
- Built financial models to analyze key performance indicators, developed budgets, created staffing plans, problem solved, and other ad hoc analyses as needed
- Actively participated in core team meetings, lead finance meetings and presented to audiences of all sizes and leadership levels
Previous Professional Experience
The Walt Disney Company
06.2004 - 06.2010
- Supported multiple departments within The Walt Disney Company including Financial Planning and Reporting, Tax and Alliance Development as a Financial Analyst
Education
MBA - Concentration in Finance
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL12.2008
BBA - Major in Finance
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL04.2005
Skills
- Project Cost Controls
- ERP project system proficiency
- Project budget & cost analysis
- Project forecasting
- People management
- Detail oriented
Timeline
Director, Project Finance
MeowWolf
11.2021 - Current
Sr. Financial Analyst, Walt Disney Imagineering Attractions & Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
09.2017 - 11.2021
Sr. Financial Analyst, Universal Pictures
NBC Universal
02.2014 - 09.2017
Sr. Financial Analyst, ABC Owned Television Stations Group
The Walt Disney Company
10.2012 - 02.2014
Sr. Financial Analyst, Walt Disney Imagineering Attractions & Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
06.2010 - 10.2012
Previous Professional Experience
The Walt Disney Company
06.2004 - 06.2010
BBA - Major in Finance
University of Florida
MBA - Concentration in Finance
University of Central Florida
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