Donna Sheppard
Lancaster,CA
Summary
Accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in crafting and executing financial strategies that align seamlessly with business objectives to drive capital growth and operational excellence. Structured and meticulous with excellence in steering robust financial teams, delivering timely financial insights, supporting sustainable growth, and overseeing comprehensive budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis initiatives to ensure alignment with corporate goals. A transformational executive with sound proficiencies in leading strategic projects and championing process improvements to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance financial reporting accuracy. Trusted consultant and expert negotiator with a track record of fostering strong collaborative environments to drive innovation and continuous improvement in financial processes. Open-minded and composed under pressure, excel at adapting to evolving business environments, maintaining financial discipline, and delivering revolutionary results to realize long-term success.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Financial Officer
Second Harvest Food Bank
Watsonville, CA
01.2017 - 01.2024
- Strengthened operational efficiency by leading financial and IT operations and developing robust financial policies, internal controls, and IT practices
- Improved budget accuracy and team accountability by empowering department heads to collaboratively develop budgets with team input
- Reduced payroll processing time by 40% and eliminated manual errors through automation of payroll and onboarding systems while implementing Paychex for electronic timekeeping and employee onboarding
- Secured six consecutive clean audits with no adjustments or recommendations by producing accurate financial statements and collaborating with external auditors for annual and single audits
- Enhanced decision-making and resource allocation by analyzing trends in financial and inventory data, delivering actionable, data-driven insights across departments
- Increased financial transparency by providing quarterly financial reports to the finance committee and board of directors, addressing inquiries, and fostering trust
- Maintained six months of organizational reserves by effectively managing banking and investment accounts, monitoring balances, and coordinating with the investment broker
- Achieved significant time savings by streamlining payroll, timekeeping, and onboarding processes
- Transformed the budgeting process by fostering collaborative ownership among department heads and aligning financial goals with organizational strategy
Accounting Manager
Sambrailo Packaging
Watsonville, CA
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Delivered accurate financial results for U.S
- And Mexico entities by supervising accounting operations, including accounts payable, receivable, inventory management, financial statement preparation, and reconciliations
- Resolved production job setup and completion challenges by working with warehouse managers and staff
- Modernized business operations by contributing to the successful implementation of the Epicor ERP system, and training staff on its functionalities
- Fostered more efficient and capable team by training accounting staff in updated procedures and ERP system functionalities
- Boosted operational efficiency by documenting accounts payable and receivable procedures, improving process clarity, and enabling faster resolution of production job issues
Senior Accountant Consultant
Robert Half
San Jose, CA
01.2008 - 01.2015
- Ensured compliance with SOX audits by conducting intercompany reconciliations and internal control evaluations
- Optimized asset management processes by overseeing fixed asset additions, deletions, depreciation, and reconciliations
- Executed journal entries, account analysis, and fund accounting for grant billing and reimbursements while maintaining precision in government and private sector transactions
- Optimized payroll operations by processing payroll via ADP, managing vacation and sick time accruals, and ensuring timely employee reimbursements
- Recovered over $3M in unrecorded transactions by analyzing and correcting payroll system errors
- Accelerated monthly financial reporting by streamlining processes, reducing preparation and uploading time from 24 hours to just eight hours
- Achieved operational efficiency at Union Community Partners from January 2015 to February 2015 by contributing to short-term initiatives and optimizing workflows to meet project objectives effectively
- Streamlined processes at Sacred Heart Community Services from October 2014 to November 2014 by providing critical support and implementing improvements within a condensed timeline to achieve organizational goals
- Drove compliance and improvements at the County of Monterey from February 2012 to September 2014 by managing financial and operational responsibilities, analyzing data, and introducing more effective procedures
- Enhanced project outcomes at BT – INS, Inc
- From April 2009 to December 2011 by overseeing diverse initiatives and leveraging strategic planning to deliver measurable results
- Maintained process integrity at Menlo School from October 2008 to April 2009 by supporting organizational functions and ensuring smooth transitions during key periods
- Delivered impactful contributions at mBlox, Inc
- From June 2008 to September 2008 by demonstrating adaptability, analyzing project data, and providing actionable insights for better decision-making
Education
Master of Science - Accountancy
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Business
University of Phoenix
Skills
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Financial Operations
- Growth & Expansion Strategy
- Financial Reporting
- Business Transformation
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Forecasting & Reporting
- Capital Structuring
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Capital Funding
- Team Leadership
- Problem Resolution
Timeline
Chief Financial Officer
Second Harvest Food Bank
01.2017 - 01.2024
Accounting Manager
Sambrailo Packaging
01.2015 - 01.2017
Senior Accountant Consultant
Robert Half
01.2008 - 01.2015
Master of Science - Accountancy
University of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Business
University of Phoenix
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