MARTIN RUZ
San Diego,CA
Summary
Strategic finance leader with 25+ years of multinational experience improving profitability, controls, and decision-making across manufacturing, retail, and distribution. Deep expertise in plant controlling, cost accounting, budgeting/forecasting, inventory, and reporting under US GAAP, IFRS, SOX/JSOX. Trusted partner to Plant GMs, Operations, and executives; known for building high-performing teams and delivering faster closes, stronger KPIs, and disciplined cost management. Experienced in ERP implementations, M&A due diligence, and large-scale finance transformation; effective in remote/hybrid environments.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Plant Controller
Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc.
San Diego, USA
06.2025 - Current
- Lead plant finance and accounting, ensuring compliance with US GAAP and SOX/JSOX.
- Partner with the Plant GM and Operations Finance to improve cost control, performance visibility, and decision-making.
- Own plant accounting (GL, cost, inventory, AP) and financial controls.
- Coach and develop accounting staff; set standards for quality and timeliness.
- Implement and enforce policies, procedures, and controls to safeguard assets.
- Deliver month-end reporting, production cost analysis, and KPI dashboards to plant and corporate leaders.
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and CapEx planning; track performance vs. targets and drive corrective actions.
- Run variance analysis across labor, materials, overhead, scrap/yield, and productivity to identify savings.
- Maintain accurate inventory accounting (RM/WIP/FG); oversee cycle counts and physical inventories.
- Support audits, vendor interactions, and cross-functional initiatives.
- Improved reporting accuracy and shortened close cycles through automation and strengthened controls.
- Built KPI frameworks for materials, labor, and overhead to increase cost visibility and accountability.
- Improved inventory accuracy and reduced obsolescence through analytics and optimized cycle counts.
- Identified and executed cost takeout initiatives to improve plant profitability.
Plant Controller
Simonton Windows (Cornerstone Building Brands)
Vacaville, USA
01.2022 - 06.2025
- Led finance for a high-volume manufacturing facility, strengthening governance, cost control, and operational visibility for plant leadership.
- Owned monthly plant financials, business reviews, and KPI reporting for Finance and Operations.
- Maintained strong internal controls and SOX compliance; drove continuous process improvements.
- Led budgeting, forecasting, and OpEx/CapEx planning; built models aligned to corporate targets.
- Managed plant accounting (GL, cost, AP) and month-end close execution.
- Analyzed material usage, labor, overhead, and variances to identify productivity and margin opportunities.
- Improved inventory accuracy and obsolescence management; led physical inventories and cycle counts.
- Developed and mentored finance associates in manufacturing costing and analytics.
- Drove cost takeout, productivity improvements, and automation opportunities with Operations.
- Improved month-end close time by >65% through automation and standardization.
- Raised inventory accuracy from 88% to 98% across multiple locations.
- Built KPI dashboards that improved operational visibility and decision-making cadence.
Head of Finance
BCN Proactive Team
Barcelona, Spain
01.2017 - 01.2021
- Provided finance leadership for multinational investment and operations, overseeing performance management, investor reporting, risk, and strategic planning.
Head of Finance & Operations Manager
Kare Design
Panama City, Panama
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Directed accounting, finance, inventory, procurement, and operations for retail and wholesale channels across multiple regions.
Finance Manager & Controller
FEBECA & EPA Homecenter
, Venezuela / Costa Rica
01.1999 - 01.2014
- Led reporting, budgeting/forecasting, treasury, tax, ERP implementations, and cross-border operations for a multi-country organization with $1.2B+ annual revenue.
Education
MBA - Finance
B.S. - Accounting (CPA)
Master in Real Estate Management & Development -
Skills
- Plant controlling
- Manufacturing cost accounting
- Budgeting/forecasting
- Variance analysis
- CapEx/OpEx
- Working capital
- Inventory management
- US GAAP
- IFRS
- SOX/JSOX
- Internal controls
- Audit readiness
- SAP ECC
- JD Edwards
- NetSuite
- SAGE
- GreatPlains
- Compiere
- FloQast
- Advanced Excel
- Power BI
- Tableau
- MS 365
- Teams
- SharePoint
- Salesforce
Open To Remote
True
Volunteering And Certifications
- American Red Cross, Rising Star of the Year, 2021
- AARP Tax-Aide, Volunteer Tax Preparer
- Color Accounting Literacy Foundation, Certified Trainer
Languages
Spanish
Native language
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Timeline
Plant Controller - Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc.
06.2025 - Current
Plant Controller - Simonton Windows (Cornerstone Building Brands)
01.2022 - 06.2025
Head of Finance - BCN Proactive Team
01.2017 - 01.2021
Head of Finance & Operations Manager - Kare Design
01.2015 - 01.2016
Finance Manager & Controller - FEBECA & EPA Homecenter
01.1999 - 01.2014
Universidad Simón Bolívar - MBA, Finance
Universidad Bicentenaria de Aragua - B.S., Accounting (CPA)
Universitat de Barcelona - Master in Real Estate Management & Development,