Ryan Sterk
Astoria,NY
Summary
Results-driven Sr. Director known for high productivity, efficient task completion, and exceptional customer service. Specialize in strategic financial planning, risk management, and capital budgeting. I excel in leadership, negotiation, analysis, and communication, ensuring successful financial operations and team collaboration.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. Director of Finance and A&R Administration
Columbia Records
12.2020 - Current
- Manage the strategic planning process for contract renegotiations, and new artist signings
- Create and manage the financial modeling process for new artist signings, and contract renegotiations
- Negotiate Producer, and Mixer recording contracts on behalf of Columbia artists
- Provide senior management reporting – daily, monthly, quarterly and yearly artist spending and recoupment reporting for the recording process
- Direct Finance, and Sony Royalty Operations on the setup of joint venture, distribution and royalty contracts
- Liaise with Artist Management, Legal, and Business Management, as week as individual artists in relation to all financial aspects of their contractual agreement
- Responsible for the accuracy of all Columbia Royalty and Joint Venture statements for our external partners, as well as managing all payments based on the artist’s earnings
- Columbia's representative on corporate strategy initiatives involving reporting to SONY Music's internal and external partners, as well as providing guidance on the creation and implementation of new technology across the A&R and Finance functions for the label
- Supervise the new vendor setup process for contractual recording payments
- Manage a staff of 3 employees
Sr. Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2016 - 12.2020
- Manage the Financial Planning and Analysis process for all sales channels well and all variable costs related to those revenues
- Designed and maintained the monthly financial, quarterly, and yearly reporting models and presentation package for Columbia’s senior executives
- Manage the talent accounting, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting process
- Liaison with the A&R Admin and Marketing departments to create accurate cash forecasting models for talent, marketing, and overhead spending
- Label Finance Lead for corporate improvement and restructuring projects
- “Real Time Royalties” “Artist Forward” “Financial Global Transformation”
- Label Finance representative for corporate IT initiatives
- Balance Sheet budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and analysis
- Management and reporting of the Columbia Artist Ledger, financial valuation of the artist catalogs
- Responsible for the creation and maintenance of quarterly, and year end, audit materials
- Create and maintain sales, marketing, and talent reporting modules and reporting systems for Columbia Records
- Physical and digital new product pricing, including artist and label merchandise
- Pro-Forma Profitability analysis for new products, both music in addition to artist merchandise
- New employee training – SRR, IRR, Marketing Systems, Talent Reporting Systems
- Preparation of the Columbia cash forecast for both Talent and Marketing gross and net expenditures
- Manage a staff of 2 employees
Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2012 - 04.2016
- Manage the Financial Planning and Analysis process for all sales channels well and all variable costs related to those revenues
- Designed and maintained the monthly financial, quarterly, and yearly reporting models and presentation package for Columbia’s senior executives
- Manage the talent accounting, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting process
- Liaison with the A&R Admin and Marketing departments to create accurate cash forecasting models for talent, marketing, and overhead spending
- Label Finance Lead for corporate improvement and restructuring projects
- “Real Time Royalties” “Artist Forward” “Financial Global Transformation”
- Label Finance representative for corporate IT initiatives
- Balance Sheet budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and analysis
- Management and reporting of the Columbia Artist Ledger, financial valuation of the artist catalogs
- Responsible for the creation and maintenance of quarterly, and year end, audit materials
- Create and maintain sales, marketing, and talent reporting modules and reporting systems for Columbia Records
- Physical and digital new product pricing, including artist and label merchandise
- Pro-Forma Profitability analysis for new products, both music in addition to artist merchandise
- New employee training – SRR, IRR, Marketing Systems, Talent Reporting Systems
- Preparation of the Columbia cash forecast for both Talent and Marketing gross and net expenditures
- Manage a staff of 2 employees
Associate Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2011 - 04.2012
- Manage the Financial Planning and Analysis process for all sales channels well and all variable costs related to those revenues
- Designed and maintained the monthly financial, quarterly, and yearly reporting models and presentation package for Columbia’s senior executives
- Manage the talent accounting, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting process
- Liaison with the A&R Admin and Marketing departments to create accurate cash forecasting models for talent, marketing, and overhead spending
- Label Finance Lead for corporate improvement and restructuring projects
- “Real Time Royalties” “Artist Forward” “Financial Global Transformation”
- Label Finance representative for corporate IT initiatives
- Balance Sheet budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and analysis
- Management and reporting of the Columbia Artist Ledger, financial valuation of the artist catalogs
- Responsible for the creation and maintenance of quarterly, and year end, audit materials
- Create and maintain sales, marketing, and talent reporting modules and reporting systems for Columbia Records
- Physical and digital new product pricing, including artist and label merchandise
- Pro-Forma Profitability analysis for new products, both music in addition to artist merchandise
- New employee training – SRR, IRR, Marketing Systems, Talent Reporting Systems
- Preparation of the Columbia cash forecast for both Talent and Marketing gross and net expenditures
- Manage a staff of 2 employees
Finance Manager - FP&A
Columbia/Epic Records
01.2009 - 04.2011
- International Sales and licensing accounting, forecasting, budgeting, and reporting
- Manage the talent accounting, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting process
- Liaison with the A&R Admin and Marketing departments to create accurate cash forecasting models related to talent and marketing expenditures
- Created and maintained analyses for artist capital investments
- Responsible for the creation and maintenance of quarterly, and year-end, audit materials
Finance Manager - FP&A
Epic Records
07.2007 - 01.2009
- Manage the reporting, analysis, forecasting and budgeting, for the P&L statement for Epic Records
- Create quarterly finance presentation for label management, including creating and monitoring KPI's and pro-forma analyses for the label, and album releases
- Created and managed expenditure analysis database for marketing expenses for Epic Records
Finance Manager
SONY Music Entertainment
12.2005 - 07.2007
- Manage the reporting, analysis, and forecast of the United States division’s Sales Returns Reserve, and Obsolescence Reserve
Financial Analyst
Symbol Technologies
Holtsville, NY
01.2004 - 12.2005
- Manage the reporting, analysis, and forecast of the United States division’s Sales Returns Reserve, and Obsolescence Reserve
Financial Analyst
Miller Knoll.
Zeeland, MI
05.2000 - 01.2004
- Financial Planning and Analysis for US Marketing initiatives
- Supported all financial process for the Herman Miller National Design Centers, including lease negotiations, monthly expense tracking, as well as sales and marketing presentation budgets
Education
B.A. - Accounting
Hope College
Holland, MI05.2000
Skills
- Policy development
- Data Analytics
- Administrative oversight
- Policy implementation
- Reporting expertise
- Team building and motivation
- SAP
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Access
- PowerPoint
- Hyperion Reporting Suite
Hobbies and Interests
- Kayaking
- Traveling
- Cooking
- Reading
- Board and Computer games
Timeline
Sr. Director of Finance and A&R Administration
Columbia Records
12.2020 - Current
Sr. Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2016 - 12.2020
Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2012 - 04.2016
Associate Finance Director - FP&A
Columbia Records
04.2011 - 04.2012
Finance Manager - FP&A
Columbia/Epic Records
01.2009 - 04.2011
Finance Manager - FP&A
Epic Records
07.2007 - 01.2009
Finance Manager
SONY Music Entertainment
12.2005 - 07.2007
Financial Analyst
Symbol Technologies
01.2004 - 12.2005
Financial Analyst
Miller Knoll.
05.2000 - 01.2004
B.A. - Accounting
Hope College
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