SHERRY LALTA
Centene – Sunshine State Health Plan
Coral Springs
18
years of professional experience
Senior Finance Leader with 17+ years of experience leading financial analysis, forecasting, and strategic planning across complex, regulated healthcare environments. Proven expertise in operational performance analysis, cost optimization, and data-driven decision support. Trusted partner to executive leadership, with strong capability in variance analysis, financial modeling, reserves oversight, and vendor/contract evaluation. Adept at collaborating across operations, actuarial, analytics, and corporate finance teams to deliver actionable insights and improve financial performance.
Senior management professional, bringing strategic leadership and operational excellence to drive organizational success. Skilled in project management, team collaboration, and process optimization with keen focus on achieving results. Adept at navigating complex challenges, fostering culture of accountability, and adapting to evolving business needs. Known for strong decision-making, effective communication, and building high-performing teams.
Work History
Senior Manager, Finance
7 Years 5 Months- Lead budget-to-actual analysis and variance investigations, providing actionable insights to leadership
- Drive financial forecasting and scenario modeling to support strategic initiatives
- Analyze operational performance to identify cost-saving and efficiency opportunities
- Oversee financial reserves and accruals to ensure accuracy and compliance
- Evaluate vendor contracts and administrative expenses to optimize costs
- Partner with actuarial, operations, analytics, and corporate finance teams
- Ensure financial data quality, reporting accuracy, and regulatory compliance
- Prepare and present financial performance reports to executive leadership
- Support audits and regulatory requirements (MAR, ICFR, ORSA)
- Enhance data governance and reporting processes
- Manage revenue reconciliation processes
- Key Achievements:
- Reduced revenue accrual variance from $5M to $1M
- Recovered $10M in revenue through improved reconciliation processes
- Improved reserve accuracy (reduced accruals from $50M to ~$18M)
- Reduced reporting cycle time from 2 weeks to 3 days
- Streamlined reporting processes by implementing Power BI dashboards in place of Excel, saving 2–3 hours in refresh and analysis cycles.
- Developed and implemented program improvements, resulting in streamlined processes and reduced service delivery times.
- Collaborated closely with peers from other departments to drive organizational success jointly as one cohesive unit.
- Reduced costs, optimized resource allocation, and improved efficiency in managing projects.
- Implemented and developed operational standards, policies and procedures.
- Spearheaded change management efforts for seamless adoption of new systems or processes among employees.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and member satisfaction across health plan services.
- Championed process improvement initiatives that led to significant cost savings without compromising on quality standards.
Finance Manager, Revenue Operations
2 Years- Ensured compliance with GAAP and ASC 606 revenue recognition standards
- Strengthened audit readiness and reporting accuracy
- Improved financial processes, controls, and reporting quality
- Enhanced data integrity and governance aligned with compliance standards
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align financial objectives with business goals.
- Reviewed documentation and identified financial discrepancies where applicable.
Manager, Finance Business Partner – Consulting
1 Year- Led budgeting, forecasting, and executive reporting processes
- Delivered financial insights to improve operational efficiency
- Developed dashboards and analytics for decision-making
- Analyzed performance metrics to identify trends and inform decision-making strategies.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions tailored to client needs.
Manager, Risk & Controls – A/R Center of Excellence
3 Years- Conducted variance and trend analysis to identify risks
- Built KPIs and dashboards for performance tracking
- Improved forecasting accuracy and working capital performance
- Led cross-functional teams to drive strategic initiatives and enhance operational efficiency.
- Developed and implemented process improvements, resulting in increased client satisfaction rates.
Regional Finance Manager – Tax Function
5 Years- Managed full P&L including revenue, expenses, and profitability
- Delivered monthly financial reports and variance analysis
- Led scenario modeling and profitability analysis
- Drove process improvements and team development
- Led financial planning processes to align regional budgets with corporate strategy.
Education
MBA - Finance
BS - Accounting
Skills
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Forecasting & Scenario Modeling
Budget vs. Actuals & Variance Analysis
Operational Cost Optimization
Financial Reporting & Executive Presentations
Revenue Recognition (GAAP
ASC 606)
Financial Controls & Compliance (ICFR
ORSA
MAR)
Data Analysis & Performance Metrics
Vendor & Contract Financial Analysis
Cross-Functional Leadership
Culture Ambassador
Strategic planning
Cross-functional collaboration
Operations management
Cross-functional team coordination
Timeline
Senior Manager, Finance
Centene – Sunshine State Health Plan
01.2019 - CurrentRead More
Finance Manager, Revenue Operations
Citrix
01.2017 - 01.2019Read More
Manager, Finance Business Partner – Consulting
Deloitte
01.2016 - 01.2017Read More
Manager, Risk & Controls – A/R Center of Excellence
Deloitte
01.2013 - 01.2016Read More
Regional Finance Manager – Tax Function
Deloitte
01.2008 - 01.2013Read More
New Jersey City University
BS from Accounting
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Nova Southeastern University
MBA from Finance
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