Hector Contreras
Chicago,IL
Overview
38
38
years of professional experience
Work History
Collections / Billing Specialist / Cash App
El Milagro Taqueria
01.2024 - 01.2026
- Collected outstanding invoices through follow-up calls and emails with delinquent clients, facilitating timely payments.
- Facilitated customer billing processes using EDI systems to ensure accurate and timely transactions.
- Apply ACH, Wire Transfers and Checks per customer remittance to customer accounts
- Assisted in timely completion of invoices, contributing to efficient billing cycles.
- Maintained and updated client contact list for collections, ensuring accurate communication.
B2B Credit Card Specialist
Newark Electronics (Contract)
09.2022 - 11.2023
- Managed credit card transactions to ensure accurate payment processing and mitigate issues.
- Contacted customers with outstanding balances via phone and email to facilitate timely payments.
- Followed up on past due payments and resolved discrepancies by maintaining accurate customer records and payment history.
Client Service Rep
LRS Waste Management (Contract)
02.2022 - 08.2022
- Forwarded invoices and account updates to clients, managing client data to ensure accurate records and outstanding balances.
- Managed late bill collection and questioned claims, compiling and evaluating data for quarterly reports to upper management to inform decision-making.
- Simplified and centralized billing process, assisting staff with billing, AR, service agreement creation, and other related tasks.
- Participated in optimizing the billing process flow, which generated a 15%+ increase in monthly revenue
- Implemented conservative credit policies to achieve a high AR turnover ratio of 6.3, outperforming the industry average.
Contact Tracer
Howard Brown Health
11.2021 - 02.2022
- Guided individuals to testing resources in the Covid-19 Disease Investigator Program.
- Maintain trust and provide calm and professional demeanor to help patients recall individuals they may have been in contact with and their specific locations
- Updated case management system enabling Contact Tracers and Daily Patient Monitor to initiate follow-up process.
- Provide exceptional customer service to all patients and always maintain confidentiality of patient information.
Senior Collections Specialist
Castle Credit
03.2021 - 09.2021
- Managed customer accounts with past due balances to facilitate timely payment resolution
- Encouraged customers to resolve overdue accounts through effective communication strategies
- Engaged with customers via multiple communication channels, handling high volume of calls, processing payments, and addressing requests while solving problems in real time
Senior Collections Specialist (Contract)
Ankura Consulting LLC
08.2019 - 03.2020
- Collection calls and/or correspondence in a fast-paced goal-oriented collections department
- Provided customer service for collection issues, processed account adjustments, resolved client discrepancies and short payments, and monitored assigned accounts through customer calls, account adjustments, small balance write-offs, customer reconciliations, and processing credit memos.
- Analyzed performance of existing clients and their credit, providing insights for strategic decision-making.
- Monitoring of monthly AR reports and reporting on past-due balances
- Developed partnerships with account reps to enhance communication and streamline resolution of collection issues.
- Weekly and monthly reporting to direct supervisor
- Participate in team planning meetings
Collections Specialist
Merieux NutriSciences
05.2016 - 07.2019
- Conducted collection calls and correspondence in fast-paced, goal-oriented collections department
- Providing customer service regarding collection issues, process, and review account adjustments, resolve client discrepancies
- Oversaw the monitoring and maintenance of assigned accounts, handling customer calls, account adjustments, customer reconciliations, and processing credit memos.
- Analyzed client performance and credit to identify trends and inform collections strategies
- Monitoring of monthly AR reports and reporting on past-due balances
- Established and maintained effective partnerships with account representatives to enhance collaboration
- Weekly and monthly reporting to direct supervisor
- Engaged in team planning meetings to contribute to project development. team planning meetings
Collections Specialist
KapStone Paper Packaging
03.2017 - 05.2018
- Accountable for reducing delinquency in assigned accounts.
- Coordinated with sales and senior management to expedite collection efforts and improve cash flow.
- Managed escalated phone calls and complaint letters for Collections Department, ensuring timely resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Provided timely resolution to customers, reviewed potential patterns and trends with the leadership team and trained other analysts.
- Communicated & followed up effectively with sales dept. regarding customer accounts on a timely basis.
- Established and maintained effective and cooperative working relationships with customers and sales.
- Established new accounts, tracked and verified documents, and managed credit limits, holds, and releases to streamline account setup.
- Assisted in multiple functions to enhance operations within the Accounts Receivable Department and duties necessary to support the Accounts Receivable Department.
Collections Manager
MT Food Service
07.2015 - 12.2016
- Oversaw daily collection of outstanding receivables, managed collectors to optimize performance, and established dialer campaigns based on delinquency trends.
- Managed a portfolio of accounts over $2 million including Chicago's largest restaurant chains.
- Negotiated settlement of accounts and reasonable payment arrangements within company guidelines.
- Streamlined standard operating procedures and policies, while modernizing guidelines that had been in place for 30 years.
- Mentored new employees, enhancing department effectiveness by 30%.
- Developed over 32 new relationships under my management for a 12% increase in sales
Collections Representative /Customer Service
Daniels International USA
02.2014 - 06.2015
- Ensured timely follow-ups via mail and phone with insurance carriers and customers regarding overdue payments
- Researched unsettled account balances to identify resolution opportunities
- Investigated customers accounts and documents methodically
- Recorded comprehensive account details about the collection action of the account into the billing system
- Resolved inconsistencies and prepare adjustments
- Verified payment information adjustments and communicated findings to manager
Collections Analyst / Customer Service
Tripp Lite (Contract)
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Monitored customer accounts to maintain compliance with payment terms.
- Analyzed customer accounts to identify overdue payments and collection opportunities.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to resolve billing discrepancies and disputes.
- Managed communication with clients regarding payment terms and outstanding invoices.
Seasonal Floor Supervisor
Aramark Sports & Entertainment Management (Chicago Bears United Club)
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Coordinated opening of concession stands with warehouse and operations supervisors to ensure timely service for customers.
- Supervised daily operations in high-traffic hospitality environment.
- Trained and mentored team members on customer service protocols.
- Ensured compliance with safety and sanitation standards.
Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic)
United States Navy (Deployment)
Tikrit, Iraq
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Delivered emergency medical care to military personnel as Field Medical Technician at Fleet Hospital 20/Joint Task Force 160.
- Administered emergency medical care during combat and humanitarian missions.
- Assessed patient conditions and prioritized treatments in high-pressure environments.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure effective medical response.
Credit / Collections Analyst
Pactiv Corporation
01.2005 - 01.2008
- Conducted financial analysis and set credit limits while managing over two hundred accounts with monthly receivables over one million dollars, decreasing delinquencies from 120 days past due to 35 days.
- Evaluated customer account information and risk levels to make timely decisions on releasing or holding shipments.
- Updated customer credit limits and terms using information from Dunn & Bradstreet, financial reports, and trade references.
- Facilitated communication with customers and internal staff via email, telephone, and fax to maximize credit, minimize receivables losses, and reduce past due aging.
- Researched and resolved disputed billings and deductions on customer accounts using negotiation and organizational skills.
- Developed maintenance support for international and domestic accounts receivable including Walmart, Sysco Foods, and US Food Service.
Paramedic
United States Navy
01.1988 - 01.2011
- Provided critical medical services during military operations as primary provider for 3 Naval Special Warfare deployments.
- Developed and executed 3 battlefield medical programs, resulting in 1000+ hours of emergency training for 200 individuals.
- Directed activities ensuring high service standards while managing medical care for 90 individuals.
Education
Bachelor of Science -
Universidad De Madrid
SpainSkills
- Unequaled leadership skills successfully translated from military to corporate environments, Auditing, and collections within B2B for accounts exceeding $100M in receivables
- Effective analyst and project manager specific to workflow and communication for maximum team effectiveness
- Computer literate: Microsoft Office, (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook), Lotus 1-2-3, AS400, PeopleSoft, Oracle, JD Edwards, MS Dynamics AX, SAP, Salesforce, Get Paid, Ariba, Centricity, Epic, QuickBooks, Workday, Bilingual: Spanish / English, HIPAA Certified Contact Tracer
CORE COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
Bilingual: Spanish / English
Special Events:
- Bank of America Chicago Marathon/ Shamrock Shuffle (Paramedic) NASCAR
- American Red Cross Disaster Services Paramedic / RMHC Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicago Marathon (Paramedic)
- Chicago Sports Commission / Special Olympics / Wounded Warriors Project (Paramedic) / Special Olympics (Paramedic) American Red Cross/ Make a Wish
Timeline
Collections / Billing Specialist / Cash App
El Milagro Taqueria
01.2024 - 01.2026
B2B Credit Card Specialist
Newark Electronics (Contract)
09.2022 - 11.2023
Client Service Rep
LRS Waste Management (Contract)
02.2022 - 08.2022
Contact Tracer
Howard Brown Health
11.2021 - 02.2022
Senior Collections Specialist
Castle Credit
03.2021 - 09.2021
Senior Collections Specialist (Contract)
Ankura Consulting LLC
08.2019 - 03.2020
Collections Specialist
KapStone Paper Packaging
03.2017 - 05.2018
Collections Specialist
Merieux NutriSciences
05.2016 - 07.2019
Collections Manager
MT Food Service
07.2015 - 12.2016
Collections Representative /Customer Service
Daniels International USA
02.2014 - 06.2015
Collections Analyst / Customer Service
Tripp Lite (Contract)
01.2013 - 01.2014
Seasonal Floor Supervisor
Aramark Sports & Entertainment Management (Chicago Bears United Club)
01.2012 - 01.2015
Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic)
United States Navy (Deployment)
01.2009 - 01.2011
Credit / Collections Analyst
Pactiv Corporation
01.2005 - 01.2008
Paramedic
United States Navy
01.1988 - 01.2011
Bachelor of Science -
Universidad De Madrid