Nelia Gutierrez
LA MIRADA,CA
Summary
Accomplished Director of Finance and Accounting with a proven track record at Secure Transportation, adept in leading system implementations and driving process improvements. Expert in Excel and project management, I've significantly reduced accounts receivable aging by 40% to 15%, showcasing my ability to enhance efficiency and foster team development.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Finance and Accounting
Secure Transportation
Cerritos, CA
04.2018 - Current
- Built and managed a team of sixteen, overseeing accounts payable, accounts receivable, collections, general ledger, financial and planning, treasury, operating business analysis and reporting, and office management administration
- Functions were previously nonexistent before my tenure
- Served as an advisor on the Excel Super User Team - consulting the management team's needs and aiding in desktop documentation
- Participated in projects as follows: 1
- Led the system implementation team for the new Payroll system Insperity
- Led new Accounting System implementation SAGE Intact
- Creating a new chart of accounts for the purpose of providing product segment reporting
- Implementation of Fixed Assets, Prepaid, and ASC 842 Lease Asset Accounting
- Implementation of Accounts Payable, including invoice entry automation, credit card and bank reconciliation integration
- Implementation of Order to Cash process by collaborating with various cross-functional teams, including accounting, finance, IT, Operations, Client Services, Fleet and Maintenance, and Executive Team.:
- Automating a direct interface between the Accounting System and the in-house mainframe
- Automating direct feeds into Customer Portals and creating efficiencies from order to cash flow 3
- Participating in KPI objectives by creating reports and serving as an advisement to the executive team for the company as follows:
- Decreasing Overtime by 10% of total wages
- Saving $500K of Cost of Sales by leading weekly focus team on creating efficiencies and processing documentation
- Providing report and trend analysis to operations to show visibility of non-profitable segments; this resulted in divesting those segments and creating positive EBITDA
- Created efficiencies in month-end closing from being behind six months to having a monthly closing schedule providing prompt and accurate information
- Trained staff and related departments in keeping monthly reconciliation for financial and non-financial customer compliance reporting, providing quality data for decision-making within the organization
- Aided in developing a budget and forecast model and provided reporting to all departmental areas
- Help in developing cash forecast tools and improved cash flow position by creating efficiencies in timely billing daily cash collection process as well as renegotiating vendor terms on the disbursement side
- Participating in Request for Proposal to bid for prospective sales volume
- The tasks are included but not limited to the following:
- Provide financial and historical trends for similar segments already in business
- Test specific data requirements that would be mandatory contractually
- Upon signing contracts, work with IT and functional area in automation and data requirements in testing and documenting
General Accounting Manager - Order to Cash Operations and Revenue Accounting
Airgas USA LLC an Airliquide Company
Long Beach, CA
01.2012 - 03.2018
- Managed a team of thirty overseeing Accounts Receivable functions, including billing, special handling, and cash applications department
- My department consists of one manager and three supervisors
- Prepared journal entries/accruals and reconciled general ledger accounts related to revenue and cash
- Supervised bookkeeping and reconciled inter-company sales for a sister company; functions included reconciliation for virtual plant inventory, intercompany sales, and stock transfer
- Managed property tax billing functions and reconciliation
- Facilitated billing is associated with projects that required progressive billing to customers and progressive pay to vendors, ensuring proper accounting in deferred revenue and adequate revenue and cost recognition
- Trained sales associates on the importance of equipment sales agreement compliance to protect the interest of the business
- Oversaw functions on third-party dropships, which includes processing customer billing and vendor payments
- Assisted and consulted with sales tax functions related to billing
- Served as an advisor on the Excel Super User Team - serving the needs of the management team
- Managed facilities and front desk team from 2012 to 2015
- Participated in the SAP system implementation team
- Project lead business process improvement initiatives as follows:
- Creating a central billing team and building policies and procedures
- Developing a special handling team and serving as a functional leader for all four corporate divisions contributing to a decrease in aging accounts receivable greater than 60 days from 40% to 15%
- Training general accounting and documenting procedures for general accountants after SAP full blown implementation
- Promoting an unapplied cash campaign eliminating aged items greater than 3 years and decreasing incoming unapplied applications by 30%
- Participated in SAP integration and served as a trainer for functional areas
- I participated in the BOT project to automate recurring manual processes and tasks
- Participated in Hi Radius project to increase cash application hit rate by 15%
Managed Cash Application and General Ledger Functions
Airgas USA LLC
Lakewood, CA
03.2007 - 12.2011
- Managed Cash Application and General Ledger Functions with a team of twelve, including one supervisor
- Prepared journal entries, month-end schedules, and account reconciliations
- Prepared schedules and manage supporting documents for unclaimed property
- Prepared auditing schedules and information
- Performed due diligence on the acquisition and prepared purchasing and consolidating entries
- Assisted Controller and CFO with special projects
Education
Master's - organizational management Business Improvement emphasis
Ashford University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration Accounting emphasis
California State University Fullerton
Skills
- Ability to work at every level
- Process improvement
- Project management
- Excel advanced skill set
- Proficient in Microsoft products
- Proficient in Google Kite products
- System knowledge and implementation
- Experience in training
- PowerPoint presentation
- Experience in acquisition due diligence
- Accounting
- Knowledge of recording foreign currency transactions
- Participating in a process improvement focus team
Timeline
Director of Finance and Accounting
Secure Transportation
04.2018 - Current
General Accounting Manager - Order to Cash Operations and Revenue Accounting
Airgas USA LLC an Airliquide Company
01.2012 - 03.2018
Managed Cash Application and General Ledger Functions
Airgas USA LLC
03.2007 - 12.2011
Master's - organizational management Business Improvement emphasis
Ashford University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration Accounting emphasis
California State University Fullerton
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