Saber Askari

Serve as a financial operations and business support professional for a Part 135 aircraft management and charter company with approximately $15 million in annual operations. Provide analytical, financial, compliance, administrative, and operational support to executive leadership across treasury, budgeting, financial reporting, procurement, contract administration, regulatory compliance, internal controls, human resources, insurance, and special projects. Regularly analyze financial and operational information, identify issues and risks, develop supporting documentation, coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, and prepare recommendations for management decision-making.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare weekly cash flow forecasts and liquidity analyses supporting approximately $15 million in annual business operations, enabling executive leadership to evaluate working capital requirements, near-term obligations, and funding needs.
• Analyze operating expenses, maintenance costs, fuel expenditures, payroll, vendor spending, and departmental activity to identify trends, unusual variances, financial risks, and opportunities for improved cost control.
• Prepare executive-level financial reports, dashboards, forecasts, and ad hoc analyses used by senior leadership for strategic planning, resource allocation, and operational decision-making.
• Support annual budgeting, financial forecasting, and departmental resource planning by gathering historical information, reviewing expenditure trends, and evaluating projected operating requirements.
• Perform and review account reconciliations, accruals, prepaid expenses, fixed-asset activity, depreciation-related information, and other month-end close items to support accurate financial reporting and internal controls.
• Review financial records, invoices, supporting documentation, contracts, and transaction details for accuracy, completeness, authorization, and appropriate accounting treatment.
• Coordinate accounts payable and receivable activities, vendor onboarding, invoice review, payment processing, procurement documentation, and maintenance of supporting financial records.
• Evaluate vendor agreements and operating contracts, coordinate with service providers, and support negotiations involving pricing, terms, service levels, and business requirements.
• Maintain and organize financial, contractual, tax, insurance, personnel, and regulatory documentation to support management review, external audits, compliance activities, and business continuity.
• Assist external CPAs and advisors by preparing financial schedules, account reconciliations, transaction records, tax support, and other documentation required for financial reviews and filings.
• Support Federal Excise Tax reconciliation, research, documentation, and refund-related activities by analyzing historical transactions, validating tax treatment, organizing supporting records, and coordinating with outside tax professionals.
• Assist with property tax matters, franchise tax documentation, aircraft-related reporting, insurance renewals, workers' compensation, and other financial or regulatory projects.
• Conduct research and gather supporting evidence for complex financial and operational issues, summarize findings, and provide management with organized information needed to evaluate available courses of action.
• Identify process weaknesses, documentation gaps, inefficiencies, and control concerns and work with management and other departments to develop practical corrective actions or improved procedures.
• Develop and maintain written policies, procedures, checklists, and standardized documentation supporting finance, payroll, human resources, regulatory compliance, and operational activities.
• Develop Excel-based dashboards, reporting tools, templates, and automated processes that reduce repetitive manual work and improve the consistency, accuracy, and accessibility of management information.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects involving Finance, Operations, Maintenance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Safety, executive leadership, vendors, and outside professional advisors.
• Serve as a liaison between company executives and financial institutions, CPAs, insurance brokers, attorneys, vendors, consultants, regulators, airport authorities, and other external stakeholders.
• Support executive leadership on time-sensitive projects requiring independent research, financial analysis, documentation review, stakeholder coordination, and follow-through.
• Maintain sensitive financial, personnel, payroll, insurance, and business information requiring discretion, confidentiality, sound judgment, and careful documentation.
• Administer payroll and benefits-related processes and coordinate onboarding, offboarding, employee records, insurance enrollment, and compliance documentation for an organization of approximately 50 employees.
• Monitor and support compliance with FAA, TSA, airport security, payroll, insurance, and internal financial-control requirements within a highly regulated aviation environment.
• Serve as an Authorized Signatory for the San Antonio International Airport SIDA badge program, with responsibility for sponsoring and managing airport security credentials for company personnel and ensuring compliance with applicable airport and TSA access-control requirements.
• Hold an active SIDA Red Badge providing authorized access to secure and restricted areas of San Antonio International Airport, requiring adherence to airport security procedures and controlled-access requirements.

Key Accomplishments

• Led a significant Federal Excise Tax recovery initiative involving approximately $1.2 million in identified tax matters, coordinating research, transaction analysis, supporting documentation, and external tax-advisor communication; the initiative has resulted in more than $200,000 recovered for the company to date.
• Negotiated and supported vendor and operating agreements that produced cost reductions exceeding 15% across multiple vendors while maintaining required service levels.
• Developed recurring cash flow, liquidity, and executive reporting used by senior leadership to monitor financial position, evaluate obligations, and support short-term funding decisions.
• Improved management visibility by developing Excel-based dashboards and standardized reports that consolidated financial and operational information into more consistent executive reporting.
• Strengthened internal processes through development of policies, checklists, documentation standards, and workflow improvements across finance, HR, compliance, vendor management, and business operations.
• Successfully managed multiple concurrent initiatives involving taxation, insurance, banking, regulatory compliance, software implementation, employee administration, and operational support while continuing recurring financial responsibilities.

Provided financial, analytical, underwriting, and operational support to executives of a private lending and investment firm specializing in short-term commercial financing, factoring, real estate investments, agricultural lending, and small-business financing. Analyzed borrower and investment information, supported underwriting and due diligence, maintained transaction documentation, and coordinated with clients, financial institutions, attorneys, and other business partners.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Supported underwriting and investment analysis for commercial lending opportunities involving real estate, agriculture, small businesses, short-term financing, and factoring transactions.
• Reviewed borrower financial statements, tax returns, cash flow information, business records, and supporting documentation to assist management in evaluating financial condition and repayment capacity.
• Performed cash flow evaluations, financial analysis, asset valuation support, and return projections to assist management in assessing lending and investment opportunities.
• Conducted financial due diligence by reviewing borrower records, collateral information, contracts, loan documentation, and other supporting evidence before transactions progressed toward funding.
• Reviewed collateral documentation and loan agreements for completeness, accuracy, and consistency with transaction requirements and identified documentation requiring additional follow-up.
• Prepared financial summaries, management reports, reconciliation schedules, and supporting analyses used by management to evaluate transactions and monitor business activity.
• Processed and reconciled financial transactions and maintained accurate records of loans, investments, payments, and client activity.
• Maintained loan files, investment records, contracts, financial documentation, and transaction histories to support management review, reporting, and document control.
• Monitored documentation throughout the lending process and followed up on incomplete or outstanding items to help ensure files were complete before funding.
• Coordinated with clients, lenders, attorneys, financial institutions, investors, and other external parties to obtain documentation, resolve outstanding issues, and facilitate completion of transactions.
• Assisted management in investigating discrepancies between financial records, transaction documentation, and supporting information and worked with appropriate parties to resolve identified issues.
• Used Microsoft Excel to organize and analyze financial data, reconcile transaction information, prepare analytical models, and improve reporting processes.
• Developed and improved Excel-based analytical tools and reporting processes to increase the efficiency and consistency of recurring financial analysis.
• Improved documentation workflows and record-keeping procedures to make loan, investment, and transaction information easier to organize, review, and retrieve.
• Maintained confidential borrower, client, investment, and financial information requiring discretion, accuracy, and careful document management.
• Supported day-to-day business operations through financial reporting, records management, transaction coordination, correspondence, and executive administrative support.

• Processed and reconciled high-volume financial transactions with 100% accuracy, maintaining reliable financial and transaction records for management review.
• Improved financial and operational workflows through enhanced documentation procedures, reporting automation, and Excel-based analytical models.
• Strengthened management's evaluation of lending and investment opportunities by providing structured cash flow analysis, financial reviews, asset-valuation support, and return projections.
• Improved transaction-document readiness by reviewing financial, collateral, contractual, and borrower documentation for completeness and identifying outstanding information before funding.
• Supported complex lending and investment activity across real estate, agriculture, factoring, and small-business financing, developing practical experience evaluating financial risk across multiple types of transactions.
• Improved coordination among management, clients, lenders, attorneys, and other external partners by tracking transaction requirements and helping resolve documentation and financial-information issues.

Key Accomplishments

Supported financial advisors serving high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and business owners through investment analysis, portfolio administration, financial planning, retirement planning, securities research, transaction support, and regulatory documentation. Worked extensively with confidential client financial information and used eMoney Advisor, Morningstar Advisor Workstation, Orion Advisor Technology, Microsoft Excel, and CRM systems to support investment and financial-planning decisions.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Conducted investment research and financial analysis across equities, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, fixed-income securities, and alternative investments to support portfolio-management decisions and advisor recommendations.
• Prepared portfolio performance reports, investment summaries, asset-allocation analyses, financial-planning reports, and presentation materials for advisor and client review meetings.
• Assisted advisors in developing comprehensive financial and retirement plans by gathering and evaluating client assets, liabilities, income, expenses, investment holdings, retirement accounts, and financial objectives.
• Reviewed portfolio allocations and assisted with rebalancing activities to maintain alignment with client objectives, investment strategies, and risk tolerances.
• Conducted market and investment research using Morningstar Advisor Workstation and other financial resources to evaluate investment performance, risk characteristics, and portfolio suitability.
• Prepared investment proposals and analytical documentation for advisor review and presentation to clients.
• Used Microsoft Excel to analyze client portfolios, organize financial information, reconcile account data, identify investment-planning opportunities, and improve recurring reporting processes.
• Used eMoney Advisor to support financial planning and retirement analysis and Orion Advisor Technology to assist with portfolio reporting, account information, and investment-management activities.
• Coordinated brokerage account openings, account transfers, beneficiary changes, retirement-account administration, advisory paperwork, and other client-account maintenance.
• Processed and monitored investment-related transactions while ensuring proper documentation, timely execution, and accurate client records.
• Worked directly with custodians, financial institutions, clients, and advisors to investigate and resolve account discrepancies, transaction issues, wire-processing problems, and documentation deficiencies.
• Maintained confidential financial and personal information in accordance with SEC, FINRA, firm compliance, and privacy requirements.
• Reviewed account records and documentation for accuracy and completeness and escalated discrepancies requiring advisor or management attention.
• Prepared materials for client meetings, documented action items, and coordinated follow-up activities involving investments, financial planning, and account administration.
• Maintained organized client and investment records to support regulatory compliance, internal review, document retrieval, and operational continuity.
• Developed standardized spreadsheets, templates, checklists, and documentation procedures to strengthen reporting consistency and reduce manual processing.
• Created an auditor-data checklist to organize required information and improve the completeness and accessibility of documentation provided for review.
• Improved preparation of mutual-fund and investment-manager performance reports by approximately 30% through improved Excel processes, standardized reporting templates, and more efficient data organization.
• Developed and used an Excel-based process to identify clients with potential tax-loss-harvesting opportunities with 100% accuracy, providing advisors with organized information for further review and client recommendations.
• Maintained 100% accuracy in family-advisor forms and account applications, helping reduce documentation corrections, processing delays, and compliance issues.
• Successfully identified and resolved 100% of assigned account-setup and wire-processing errors, coordinating with advisors, clients, custodians, and financial institutions to ensure accurate completion.
• Developed standardized documentation and an auditor-data checklist that improved organization, consistency, and readiness of financial and client records for internal and external review.
• Reduced repetitive administrative work by standardizing spreadsheets and reporting procedures, allowing more time to be devoted to portfolio analysis and client-service activities.

• Supervised daily restaurant and bar operations, coordinating staff activities and assisting management in maintaining service, financial, and operational standards.
• Managed cash-handling activities including register reconciliations, point-of-sale balancing, deposits, and end-of-shift financial accountability.
• Assisted with employee scheduling, payroll coordination, labor allocation, and shift coverage to support effective staffing and operating requirements.
• Monitored inventory levels, coordinated purchasing activities, and worked directly with vendors to maintain adequate product availability and resolve order discrepancies.
• Developed and implemented an improved inventory-ordering process that increased ordering accuracy and helped ensure critical supplies were available when needed.
• Trained, coached, and mentored bartenders, servers, and support staff on operational procedures, customer engagement, product knowledge, and suggestive-selling techniques.
• Assisted management with budgeting, cost-control initiatives, inventory management, and operational performance monitoring.
• Ensured compliance with Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) regulations, food-safety requirements, company policies, and established operating procedures.
• Performed opening and closing responsibilities involving facility security, financial reconciliation, cash controls, and inventory verification.
• Investigated and resolved customer concerns and operational issues while exercising independent judgment and maintaining professional service standards.
• Worked collaboratively with management, kitchen personnel, vendors, and service staff to identify operational problems and maintain efficient business operations.

Key Accomplishments

• Achieved 100% customer feedback and company secret-shopper performance ratings, demonstrating consistent adherence to organizational service and operational standards.
• Coached team members on customer engagement and suggestive-selling strategies, contributing to approximately 20% growth in food and beverage sales.
• Developed an improved inventory-ordering process that increased ordering accuracy, reduced the likelihood of product shortages, and improved availability of required supplies.
• Earned increasing operational responsibility during more than five years of continuous employment, progressing beyond bartending responsibilities into team leadership and floor-management support.

GPA: 3.6/4.0

Selected Relevant Coursework: Financial Accounting Concepts, Financial Analysis, Corporate Finance, Investments, Financial Modeling, Risk Management

Selected Relevant Coursework: Intermediate Accounting for Finance Majors, Principles of Accounting I & II, Investments, Business Statistics, Financial Management