Detail-oriented accounting professional with over 20 years of diverse experience in financial management, corporate accounting, cost accounting, and payroll administration. Demonstrated success in implementing systems and processes that enhance operational efficiency and accuracy. Proficient in large ERP systems, such as Oracle, Hyperion, Sage, Lawson, QuickBooks, and SAP, with a strong focus on analytics and reporting. Committed to delivering high-quality work that drives management decision-making and contributes to the growth of the organization.
Hi, I’m
Lauren Weese
Wilmington,NC
Summary
Overview
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Juniper MarketKamloops, CAN
Store Manager
11.2022 - 02.2023
Job overview
- Managed the purchase of BC Lottery for both scratch-off and printed tickets.
- Managed daily opening procedures, ensuring the till was accurately reconciled before the start of business.
- Secured the safe with the appropriate denominations of bills and coins.
- Initiated orders with suppliers to maintain optimal stock levels, adapting to customer demand and seasonal trends.
- Managed order receipts and stocked the store shelves/freezers.
- Performed other various duties, including packaging of bulk items (weighing and labeling) and overseeing deli stock levels.
Acme Smoked Fish of NCWilmington, NC
Controller, NC Operations
11.2017 - 08.2019
Job overview
- Established the accounting framework for Acme’s newly constructed facility in Wilmington, NC, including the development of the chart of accounts, cost center, and setting up GL interface tables that govern posting to the subsidiary ledgers.
- Implemented a perpetual inventory system alongside a costing system to ensure precise product costing, setting a performance benchmark for other Acme sites employing a physical inventory system.
- Budgeted for start-up operations, set labor and overhead absorption rates pivotal for product costing, and conducted annual reviews of these rates to adjust for system configuration changes intended to improve throughput time.
- Maintained the inventory item master and the finished goods bill of materials.
- Completed all balance sheet reconciliations and month-end journal entries.
- Developed and prepared the monthly financial package and supporting schedules for the management and owners, including the cost of goods manufactured schedule.
- Prepared intercompany elimination schedules (and other schedules) linking to the consolidated financial package produced monthly.
- Conducted the final variance review for quarterly physical inventory counts, determining the necessity for additional re-counts by the plant staff in the warehouse.
- Oversaw payroll transactions, including weekly payroll processing, quarterly payroll tax reviews, and the preparation of the annual W-2 and 1099 forms.
- Compiled data for the annual 401K audit, addressing discrepancies between employee withholdings and funding to the plan.
- Played a crucial role in the implantation of two new payroll systems, which included thorough system testing and data validation for benefits enrollment and running parallel payroll runs (UltiPro & Paycom implementations).
- As production increased, I supervised one accounting clerk responsible for 3-way matching, followed later by one staff-level accountant who supported month-end close through delegated tasks.
- Reviewed invoices for privilege and sales tax remittance.
- Completed the company's Grantee Annual Report mandated by the NC Department of Commerce and Pender County to satisfy state and local incentive agreements.
- Assisted in managing the annual financial audit for a privately held company.
Lear CorporationKenansville, NC
Cost Accountant
07.2013 - 11.2014
Job overview
- Developed product cost sheets for R&D engineers and the NA Auto Sales team to facilitate customer pricing.
- Managed inventory for the foam/film warehouse, closely monitoring cycle counts, and led the bi-annual physical inventory counts in the foam/film warehouse.
- Generated annual product and materials standard costs and maintained related cost sheet templates to reflect newly established standards for machining, labor, and both variable and fixed overhead.
- Supported the month-end close process by documenting production and non-production AP accruals, recording production earnings across all commodities, and journalizing raw materials consumption, along with preparing related account reconciliations.
- Ensured SOX compliance in month-end processes.
- Collaborated with the IT department during SAP Materials Management implementation, reconciling goods receipts, consumption, and ending stock summary positions from the new system against the previous system for foam/film.
- Analyzed cost data and prepared reports to support financial decision-making.
- Streamlined production system of [Type] products, analyzing points of production to increase overall efficiency and product sales.
Lear CorporationWilmington, NC
Senior Corporate Accountant
04.2011 - 03.2013
Job overview
- Engaged in the monthly BS account reconciliation process, including cash accounts and accruals.
- Reviewed and posted the trial balances for Japan and Mexico, addressing IC entries and foreign exchange differential adjustments.
- Facilitated the preparation of balance sheet trending and analyzed P&L variances.
- Participated in the quarterly and annual audits by addressing various PBC requests.
- Managed and reconciled the flood receivables account tracking an insurance claim exceeding $35 million.
- Prepared summary reports for management and insurance claims adjusters/forensic accountants.
- Recorded most purchase accounting entries to document the acquisition of Guilford Performance Textiles by Lear Corporation, reconciling goodwill and APIC with the Lear finance team, and taking responsibility for the ICP Match Report.
- Conducted variance analysis, providing insights for strategic decision-making and financial planning.
Lear CorporationWilmington, NC
Senior Accounts Payable Clerk/Payroll
06.2010 - 04.2011
Job overview
- Processed a significant volume of AP invoices into SAP from a separate PO system.
- Instituted a barcoding process for AP invoices, allowing seamless integration of images into our SAP software, resulting in annual savings exceeding $25K in external scanning costs.
- Administered weekly payroll for approximately eight hundred wage employees using ADP.
- Transitioned payroll processing from our PA location to Corporate HQ, optimizing efficiency by employing ADP query and advanced Excel techniques, which reduced the time to calculate PA’s monthly pension reporting from 6 hours to 1 hour.
- Received training in salaried payroll processing for approximately three hundred employees.
- Stepped away from AP and oversaw both wage and salaried payroll during the payroll lead’s parental leave.
Carolina Wings ManagementWilmington, NC
Accountant/Office Manager
10.2009 - 05.2010
Job overview
- Recorded all four Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, processed payroll through Flex-Pay, and managed Human Resources.
SSP AmericaLansdowne, VA
Accounting Manager
06.2007 - 05.2009
Job overview
- Supervised a team comprising three regional accountants, a job cost analyst, an AP analyst, and an accounting clerk.
- Led the month – end close process and facilitated monthly P&L reviews for forty airports, preparing individualized financial packages for each airport.
- Participated in the GL migration of data from the predecessor company into SSP through system testing.
- Recognized as the SAP super user and overseer of system interface transactions and hierarchy maintenance, including profit and cost centers.
- Ensured proper interfacing of POS data from over forty airport locations to SAP, identifying and rectifying IDOC errors.
- Collaborated with our CPA firm to outsource sales tax filings using Vertex sales tax software.
Education
East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
Master of Science from Accounting
12.2001
University Overview
Skills
GENERAL SKILLS
- Month - End Close
- Account Reconciliations, including Bank Reconciliations
- Financial Statement Preparation/IC Eliminations/Consolidations
- Advanced Microsoft Excel Skills/Data Analysis
- Creating Processes/Process Improvement
- Payroll Processing & Management (Incl Year End tasks, W-2/1099)
- Recruitment and Hiring/Staff Supervision
SOFTWARE
- Sage 100
- Oracle
- Timberline
- Seasoft (Acme Custom)
- Hyperion (HFM)
- SAP
- QuickBooks
- Kronos Timekeeping/Checkpoint HR/UltiPro/Paycom/ADP Workforce Now
OTHER
Software Implementation (SAP Materials Mgmt, UltiPro, Paycom)
- Business Intelligence
- SQL/ODBC MS Add-in
- Tableau
- Teams/Zoom Meetings
Timeline
Store Manager
Juniper Market
11.2022 - 02.2023
Controller, NC Operations
Acme Smoked Fish of NC
11.2017 - 08.2019
Cost Accountant
Lear Corporation
07.2013 - 11.2014
Senior Corporate Accountant
Lear Corporation
04.2011 - 03.2013
Senior Accounts Payable Clerk/Payroll
Lear Corporation
06.2010 - 04.2011
Accountant/Office Manager
Carolina Wings Management
10.2009 - 05.2010
Accounting Manager
SSP America
06.2007 - 05.2009
East Carolina University
Master of Science from Accounting