Catherine Washington
Summary
Dynamic finance professional with over 8 years of experience in accountancy and management, specializing in reconciliation, process improvement, and multi-million dollar portfolio management. Expertise in asset analysis and ensuring the accuracy of financial records, combined with a proven track record of leading teams to enhance departmental efficiencies. Results-driven analyst skilled in managing large volumes of information while proactively identifying trends that impact operational success. Committed to contributing to team objectives and advancing organizational goals through a strong problem-solving mindset and effective communication skills.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Financial Accountant
Georgia Institute of Technology
12.2021 - Current
- Act as lead to a team of 6 finance professionals, fostering collaboration and improving departmental performance, which contributed to exceeding financial deliverables by 40%.
- Successfully integrated an additional team of 3 faculty support coordinators, improving service account oversight and elevating team performance metrics within 6 months.
- Led special projects that integrated new financial processes, mentoring staff to ensure compliance and accuracy, which improved overall team efficiency and accountability.
- Developed comprehensive documentation defining roles and responsibilities for employees, enhancing compliance with state and University guidelines while improving internal and external communication within 3 months.
- Facilitated accurate expense tracking through diligent maintenance of general ledger accounts and reconciliations.
- Provided valuable insights by leading monthly variance analysis reviews between actual results and budget/forecast expectations.
- Maximized company resources by performing ad-hoc analyses supporting cost reduction initiatives across departments.
- Played a pivotal role in annual budget planning, collaborating with department heads to allocate resources strategically.
- Enabled informed decision-making by presenting key findings from complex data sets in clear, concise formats for senior leadership team members.
Analyst, Financial Accountant
Georgia Institute of Technology
12.2021 - 10.2023
- Communicated key metrics and expectations clearly to finance staff, resulting in improved compliance and performance evaluations, while maintaining high standards of personal integrity.
- Partnered with team members to set clear employee goals and responsibilities, enhancing performance evaluations and driving accountability within 6 months.
- Utilized analytic skills to streamline interdepartmental communication processes, resulting in a 30% faster resolution time for funding inquiries, improving overall team efficiency within 6 months.
- Led the communication efforts as the back to the Assistant Director of Finance Operations, ensuring organized financial reporting that improved clarity and decision-making for stakeholders within 6 months.
- Executed monthly reconciliation and auditing of expense transactions for assigned portfolios, enhancing financial oversight and ensuring accuracy in reporting within 6 months.
- Managed salary requests and expenses for 40 PIs, ensuring compliance and accuracy for projects totaling $500 million, enhancing financial oversight within 12 months.
- Developed comprehensive training manuals that enhanced finance department efficiencies by 70% within 6 months, streamlining processes and improving response times.
- Streamlined financial reporting processes, resulting in timely and accurate monthly summaries, which improved decision-making and strategic planning across departments.
- Initiated process improvements that increased the efficiency of budgeting cycles while maintaining accuracy standards.
- Conducted detailed financial analysis to identify and evaluate changes in operations, trends and potential areas of improvement.
- Facilitated smooth month-end close processes by efficiently reconciling accounts and addressing discrepancies promptly.
- Created financial strategies to optimize portfolio performance and reduce risk.
- Optimized budget allocation, conducting meticulous cost-benefit analyses for major projects.
Senior Credit Analyst
S.P. Richards Co.
04.2018 - 11.2021
- Created and implemented budget strategies that identified key financial risks, resulting in a 30% improvement in resource allocation within 12 months.
- Effective in maintaining DSO levels below business plan and regularly maintained 90% or better in receivables– often exceeding department goal.
- Analyzed financial results and Key Performance Indicators for multiple accounts, enhancing decision-making processes and driving strategic initiatives within 6 months.
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive training program using Microsoft Office tools, resulting in a 30% increase in team productivity and successful onboarding of new business processes within 3 months.
- Streamlined cash application processes, achieving 95% accuracy in multi-million-dollar accounts within 6 months by enhancing standard operating procedures.
- Conducted in-depth financial statement analyses, mitigating risks and enhancing client relationships, resulting in improved financial stability within 6 months.
- Developed risk assessment strategies that improved customer relationship management, leveraging financial ratios and industry reports within 6 months.
- Performed credit reviews on corporations to assess financial conditions.
- Improved understanding of financial statements, which helped in assessing risk.
- Analyzed customer data such as financial statements to determine level of risk involved for extending credit.
- Played an instrumental role in the development of credit analysts by providing guidance, mentorship, and constructive feedback on their performance.
- Enhanced portfolio performance through regular monitoring of credit exposure, industry trends, and market conditions.
- Reviewed and approved or denied credit applications to keep organization profitable by making informed lending decisions.
- Mitigated potential losses by identifying early warning signals and proactively managing problem loans.
Education
Master of Science - Management in Finance
Colorado State University
Bachelor of Science - Political Science
Clayton State University
Skills
- Accountancy & Account Reconciliation
- MS Excel Skills
- Business Process Improvement
- Financial Analysis
- Forecasting/Budgeting
- Multi-million-dollar Portfolio Management
- Oracle/Peoplesoft
- People Leadership & Team Collaboration
- Workday
- Decision-making
- Analytical thinking
- Root-cause analysis
Timeline
Analyst, Financial Accountant
Georgia Institute of Technology
12.2021 - 10.2023
Senior Financial Accountant
Georgia Institute of Technology
12.2021 - Current
Senior Credit Analyst
S.P. Richards Co.
04.2018 - 11.2021
Bachelor of Science - Political Science
Clayton State University
Master of Science - Management in Finance
Colorado State University