Karla Castaneda
New Brunswick
Summary
Senior finance manager with a proven track record in enhancing productivity and ensuring efficient task completion. Expertise in financial analysis, budget management, and regulatory compliance to optimize financial operations. Strong leadership and problem-solving skills applied to navigate complex financial environments and drive team success.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
Oracle
09.2023 - Current
- Direct corporate P&L annual planning activities, including creation, loading, and B5 reporting, to support strategic decision-making.
- Collaboration with leadership and operations teams to manage $110M+ portfolio budget for NAM, ensuring alignment with financial objectives.
- Deliver monthly financial reports for internal and external clients, achieving ~±5% variance.
- Manage oversight of fees and allocations to maintain budget compliance and financial integrity.
- Maintain real-time FTE data and labor rosters to support budgeting and invoicing.
- Supervise team of seven accounting and finance professionals, fostering a culture of high performance and accountability.
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
Lotte Biologics USA LLC
09.2021 - 09.2023
- Managed budget and forecast for portfolio exceeding $25 million.
- Presented budgets, forecasts, and month-end financials to client, facilitating informed decision-making.
- Oversaw accounting functions, streamlining vendor invoicing, client billing, and month-end close processes.
- Ensured compliance with ASC 606 reporting standards during month-end processes.
- Provided FP&A support for Amgen account, maximizing resources at 50% capacity.
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
Bristol Myers Squibb
01.2019 - 09.2021
- Managed $225M+ portfolio as strategic financial partner to leadership, focusing on budget performance and financial analysis.
- Collaborated on 2020 savings roadmap dashboard, achieving and surpassing 3% synergy savings target of $4.2M to secure future glidepath credits.
- Oversaw month-end client financial reporting, presenting insights to internal leadership on key variance drivers.
- Facilitated ~$6.7M in change control requests through proactive site communication, increasing management fee revenue for 2019-2020.
- Optimized labor reporting process model, reducing processing time by 50% for both internal and external customers.
- Strengthened client relationships, enhancing engagement and aligning outcomes with organizational goals.
- Supported finance director in developing annual corporate plan and forecasts to guide strategic planning.
- Managed two FTEs and mentored five finance team members, collaborating with facility management teams to support financial objectives.
Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
Bristol Myers Squibb
10.2018 - 01.2019
- Improved forecasting and budgeting precision, significantly improving variance reporting accuracy.
- Managed forecasting and budgeting to foster collaboration with site teams and senior leadership.
- Created detailed monthly variance and quarterly glidepath reports to meet client needs.
- Implemented comprehensive site-level labor reconciliation reports, improving reporting accuracy.
- Mentored junior associates, sharing financial insights to enhance their skills and practices.
- Facilitated team development through targeted trainings to address key areas: Direct pay, Year-end process, Forecasting/Budgeting, E1 reporting
Sr. Analyst, Finance
JONES LANG LASALLE
Bristol Myers Squibb
03.2017 - 10.2018
- Achieved BMS US AGM of $8.6 million and Puerto Rico AGM of $1.0 million.
- Delivered timely, accurate financial reports, including month-end statements and ad hoc analyses.
- Supported budget creation and forecasting, ensuring annual budget compliance across all sites.
- Spearheaded training for site-level budget completion and forecasting processes.
- Coordinated with operations team to obtain client approvals on forecasts and budgets, streamlining the approval process.
- Fostered partnerships through regular client meetings, proactively addressing issues and enhancing collaboration.
- Consulted with sourcing team to relay contract changes and guide FM team on major categories.
- Assisted account team in meeting operational KPIs effectively.
Sr. Accounting Associate I
JONES LANG LASALLE
Merck
04.2011 - 03.2017
- Ensured accurate, timely processing of over $240 million in labor and non-labor client funding through DCI, Ariba, and SAP systems.
- Produced comprehensive monthly management reports on revenue, costs, profits, and budget-to-actual comparisons for strategic decision-making.
- Completed monthly financials, including management fee reporting, AR reporting, and accruals.
- Developed reconciliation matrix to effectively track client payments against funding requests and vendor payments.
- Conducted variance analysis, providing detailed explanations for significant discrepancies.
- Supported management team in achieving 'exceeds expectations' rating on annual KPI scorecard.
Facilities Coordinator / Executive Assistant
JONES LANG LASALLE
Merck
07.2009 - 04.2011
- Managed purchase orders for national suppliers totaling approximately $63 million.
- Ensured client billing compliance with established terms, resulting in timely vendor payments.
- Coordinated with site leads to establish recurring vendor purchase orders, ensuring readiness before go-live date for Schering Plough merger.
- Collaborated with procurement transition team to successfully integrate Schering Plough vendors into E1 system, enhancing procurement processes.
- Conducted training for new JLL facility coordinators on E1 system usage, improving onboarding and operational efficiency.
- Improved transition effectiveness by assuming additional responsibilities.
Office Manager/Bookkeeper
JEIVEN PHARMACEUTICAL CONSULTING, INC.
03.2000 - 06.2009
- Oversaw financial management for four divisions, including tax reporting and bank reconciliations.
- Managed office operations, ensuring accurate payroll processing, effective human resources support, and streamlined benefits administration.
- Directed a team of 12 full-time employees and approximately 30 consultants.
- Developed and refined presentations, audits, proposals, and SOPs for executive review.
- Coordinated quarterly off-site meetings for Clinical Supplies Support Group, securing sponsorships and expert speakers to enhance engagement.
- Negotiated contracts for venues, arranged targeted advertising, and managed comprehensive travel logistics for successful meetings.
- Provided support in quality regulatory affairs, process development, and staffing for pharmaceutical clients.
Education
Master of Business Administration - Accounting and Finance
Rutgers Business School
New Brunswick, NJ01-2019
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ12-2010
Skills
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Financial analysis
- P&L reporting
- Month-end close & reporting
- Variance analysis
- Financial modeling
- Account reconciliation
- SAP/Ariba/JDE E1
- MS Office- Excel/Word/PowerPoint
- Process improvement
- Team leadership
- Collaborative problem solving
Awards
- 2011 JLL ABCD Award (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty)
- JLL Certified Facility Maintenance Manager (FMM) International Maintenance Institute Cert. #:10243
- 2019 JLL Team Player Nominee
- 2020 JLL’s Big Bet Coaching program
- 2023 JLL Finance Lead Readiness training
- 2025 JLL Empowering Others training
Languages
Spanish
Professional
Timeline
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
09.2023 - Current
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
09.2021 - 09.2023
Senior Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
01.2019 - 09.2021
Finance Manager
JONES LANG LASALLE
10.2018 - 01.2019
Sr. Analyst, Finance
JONES LANG LASALLE
03.2017 - 10.2018
Sr. Accounting Associate I
JONES LANG LASALLE
04.2011 - 03.2017
Facilities Coordinator / Executive Assistant
JONES LANG LASALLE
07.2009 - 04.2011
Office Manager/Bookkeeper
JEIVEN PHARMACEUTICAL CONSULTING, INC.
03.2000 - 06.2009
Master of Business Administration - Accounting and Finance
Rutgers Business School
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Rutgers University