Katie L. Chen
Northbrook,Illinois
Summary
Accomplished finance executive with a proven track record at Reynolds Consumer Products, adept in financial planning, forecasting, and variance analysis. Leveraged GAAP knowledge and strategic planning to drive business growth, mentor teams, and implement process improvements. Demonstrates exceptional leadership and analytical skills, contributing to significant financial performance enhancements.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. Manager – Financial Planning & Analysis
Reynolds Consumer Products
Lake Forest, IL
07.2024 - Current
- Lead the annual budgeting process and develop accurate financial forecasts in collaboration with cross functional teams
- Monitor and analyze financial performance against budgets, forecasts, and historical results, identifying key trends and variances
- Effectively communicate financial results and forecasts to stakeholders, including executive leadership
- Offer strategic insights and recommendations to improve financial performance and drive business growth
- Act as a strategic partner to business leaders, providing financial insights and recommendations to drive business performance
- Direct Oversight for inventory reconciliation between RCP and 3rd Party Warehouses (3PLs)
- Lead and mentor a team of financial analysts, fostering their professional development and enhancing their skill sets
- Identify and implement process improvements to streamline the FP& A function and enhance efficiency
- Leverage technology to automate reporting, forecasting, and analysis tasks
- Provide ad hoc analytics and modeling in support of critical business decisions and special projects
Finance Manager – Supply Chain
Reynolds Consumer Products
Lake Forest, IL
11.2021 - 07.2024
- Led inventory reconciliation between RCP and 3rd Party Warehouses (3PLs)
- Developed processes to ensure ongoing inventory accuracy in systems with visibility to variances
- Communicated critical financial information from supply chain to the broader organization
- Implemented governance model for security roles in alignment with defined policies and procedures
- Provided ongoing oversight of roles and access
- Developed mitigating controls for Segregation of Duties (SOD) conflicts
- Co-Led RCP Network Optimization Project
- Managed and developed a small team of professionals
- Performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting
Manager – Financial Planning & Analysis
Anixter, Inc.
Glenview, IL
11.2019 - 11.2021
- Managed the overall financial reporting for Operations Finance
- Ensured compliance with accounting, company policy and procedures
- Developed annual operating plans, budgets and forecasts
- Responsible for the monthly financial close to include but not limited to, Reporting, Accounting, reconciliations and financial statement preparation
- Monthly Financial Presentation to Management with emphasis on productivity/expenses metrics
- Worked closely with regional warehouse leaders in educating and supporting them from a financial perspective (i.e., train and support location managers on their location P&Ls)
- Prepared Operations Costing Model for SCS/Sales Proforma on a needed basis
- Managed and developed a small team of professionals
- Performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting
Senior Financial Analyst
Anixter, Inc.
Glenview, IL
10.2017 - 11.2019
- Responsible for the monthly financial close to include but not limited to, Reporting, Accounting, reconciliations and financial statement preparation
- Worked with Business Partner as well as management in preparation of yearly budgets
- Analyzed financial statement and metrics and report trends and observations to management
- Prepared bonus plans for EES Canada
- Managed and reviewed bonus calculations to ensure accuracy
- Worked closely with sales, sale management and marketing in educating and supporting them from a financial perspective (i.e., train and support location managers on their location P&Ls)
- Led/Coordinated Canada Annual Physical Reel Inventory
- Prepared Contract Proforma on a needed basis
- Prepared Revenue Recognition Questionnaires for sales/purchase orders greater than $2M
- Mentored staff and associate analysts
- Performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting
Financial Analyst
Anixter, Inc.
Glenview, IL
03.2016 - 10.2017
- Responsible for the monthly financial close to include but not limited to, Reporting, Accounting, reconciliations and financial statement preparation
- Worked closely with sales, sales management and marketing in educating and supporting them from a financial perspective
- Involvement in monthly, quarterly and the annual forecasts
- Responsible for SOX compliance
- Interaction with internal and external auditors
- Perform ad-hoc analysis and reporting
Financial Analyst (Part-Time)
Hogsett US, Inc.
Lake Forest, IL
01.2013 - 01.2016
- Responsible for annual business/budgeting plan
- Business presentations to upper management
- Developed and managed complex excel-based financial models
- Worked with Commercial Traders to forecast sales and purchases by month to ensure sufficient borrowing/funding are made available
- Performed monthly gross margin analysis
- Member of System Strategy Implementation Team
- Performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting
Senior Financial Analyst
Robert Bosch Tool Corporation
Mount Prospect, IL
04.2005 - 07.2008
- Business presentations to senior leaders including the President of the business unit, CFO and CEO
- Facilitated and organized annual business plan conference to forecast global strategy for the next three years
- Partnered with Marketing and Product Management to forecast sales on an annual and quarterly basis
- Worked with Marketing, Product Management, Engineers and Sales Management to forecast departmental annual budgets
- Acted as a financial liaison between Skill Manufacturing Plant in China and its Corporate Headquarter in the U.S
- Tracked and reviewed gross and net sales including gross margins in producing forecasts and trend analysis on a quarterly basis
- Created and evaluated business model for supply chain and logistical improvements
- Assisted in inventory planning and management
- Involved in cost reduction strategy to increase overall profitability for Skill North America
- Developed, managed and maintained annual bonus criteria and template to compensate employees
- Partnered with the Shared Service Group in managing and updating standard costing in SAP system
Financial Analyst
ADP, Dealer Services Group
Hoffman Estates, IL
01.2003 - 04.2005
- Responsible for analyzing, forecasting and planning for National Accounts business segment
- Partnered with Management and IT in developing automatic semi-annual client profitability via the Cognos PowerPlay Cube and the intranet
- Played a key role in National Accounts Annual Operating Plan
- Hosted monthly financial reviews with functional/regional area management
- Performed audits on clients
- Supported segment and field liaisons in their financial analysis needs
- Performed variance analysis against both plan and forecast
- Calculated and journalized monthly rebates for clients
- Prepared monthly financial analysis and report
- Provided ad-hoc report as needed
Senior Financial Analyst
Ameritech, Ameritech Information Systems
Hoffman Estates, IL
04.2000 - 11.2001
- Managed and analyzed plans and business initiatives to aid Sales in achieving their financial goals
- Provided financial counsel and analysis on business initiatives including business case development to enable management to make optimum business decisions and operate their function effectively and efficiently
- These analyses included direct expense investment decisions as well as capital investment decisions
- Assisted in a significant decision-making authority in the development and execution of business plans for growth that provided $4.6 B in revenue through several sales channels
- Total direct expense budget was $1.1B
- Prepared monthly financial analysis and report
- Assessed and directed the financial control procedures of the sales channels supported including policy education, spot audits and corrective action
- Developed annual commission plans for sales channels supported
- Developed annual expense budget for sales channels supported
Accounting Analyst
Ameritech, Corporate
Hoffman Estates, IL
02.1996 - 04.2000
- Responsible for methods and procedures such as defining transaction edits, assigning values in accounting tables, establishing business rules and ensuring data integrity with asset processes and investment records
- Corrected errors in the APRES database to ensure data integrity for the AOC fixed asset data
- Analyzed and reconciled $5M worth of submarine cable for Outside Plant (OSP) which resulted in the simplification of the management of OSP category by using average costing methodology
- Built an automated Microsoft Access Database for the reconciliation of an $88M Accounts Payable, which resulted in an improved and updated procedures and processes in the Database
- Transition from a manual to an automated process resulted in a reduction of reconciliation time from two weeks to two days per month
- Identified and wrote off $6.7M of unmatched purchase orders prior to 1997, which resulted in an updated Database
- Trained and provided on-going support to users for the Fixed Asset Millennium System, which resulted in consistency among users
- Converted AIS legal entity’s chart of accounts to the common (NetCom) chart of accounts, which resulted in consistency of accounts among legal entities
Tax Consultant
Arthur Andersen LLP
Chicago
01.1995 - 02.1996
- Researched tax issues and compliance with federal and state regulations
- Prepared and filed several multi-state corporate filings
- Performed alpha and logic testing of tax application software
Education
Master in Business Administration - Finance
DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Chicago, IL01.2001
Bachelor of Science - Accounting
University of Illinois
Chicago, IL01.1995
Skills
- Budgeting
- Financial Planning
- Forecasting
- Variance Analysis
- Financial Reporting
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Consolidations
- SOX Compliance
- Month-end close
- Strategic Planning
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Financial Process Improvement
- Supply Chain
- PeopleSoft
- SAP
Timeline
Sr. Manager – Financial Planning & Analysis
Reynolds Consumer Products
07.2024 - Current
Finance Manager – Supply Chain
Reynolds Consumer Products
11.2021 - 07.2024
Manager – Financial Planning & Analysis
Anixter, Inc.
11.2019 - 11.2021
Senior Financial Analyst
Anixter, Inc.
10.2017 - 11.2019
Financial Analyst
Anixter, Inc.
03.2016 - 10.2017
Financial Analyst (Part-Time)
Hogsett US, Inc.
01.2013 - 01.2016
Senior Financial Analyst
Robert Bosch Tool Corporation
04.2005 - 07.2008
Financial Analyst
ADP, Dealer Services Group
01.2003 - 04.2005
Senior Financial Analyst
Ameritech, Ameritech Information Systems
04.2000 - 11.2001
Accounting Analyst
Ameritech, Corporate
02.1996 - 04.2000
Tax Consultant
Arthur Andersen LLP
01.1995 - 02.1996
Master in Business Administration - Finance
DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Bachelor of Science - Accounting
University of Illinois
Similar Profiles
John AljetsJohn Aljets
Operator at Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.Operator at Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.
Gavin WallaceGavin Wallace
Machine Operator at Reynolds Consumer ProductsMachine Operator at Reynolds Consumer Products
Christian Ortiz De JesusChristian Ortiz De Jesus
Machine Operator at Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.Machine Operator at Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.