Open To Work
Stephen Jackson Veal
APPEN LIMITED
Houston,TX
Work Preference
Job Search Status:
Open to workDesired start date:
FlexibleDesired Job Title
Staff AccountantTeam AccountantMutual Fund Accountant IIWork Type
Full TimePart TimeContract WorkGig WorkConsultingVolunteerSeasonal WorkLocation Preference
On-SiteHybridRemoteLocation:
Houston, TX, USOpen to relocation:
YesSummary
Dynamic accountant with 15+ years of extensive experience in managing general ledger reconciliations, financial reporting, and GAAP-compliant processes. Proven expertise in QuickBooks, Excel, Tableau, and SQL to optimize month-end closes and streamline accounting functions. Skilled at maintaining accurate financial records and supporting robust budgetary and audit activities.
Work History
Senior Accountant
5 Years 6 Months- Enhanced inter-departmental collaboration, coordinating closely with sales team to align financial strategies.
- Used accounting software to issue tax returns and prepare consolidated reports.
- Cooperated with senior leaders to create operating budgets and initiate financial planning.
- Assisted in successful completion of external audits by preparing comprehensive documentation and supporting evidence.
- Reconciled general ledger accounts and maintained chart of accounts for 200+ entries, supporting company growth.
- Enhanced ledger operations and account integrity by 20% using QuickBooks, improving financial reporting accuracy.
- Streamlined monthly close processes, reducing accounting task time by 20%.
- Conducted financial planning and analysis, preparing budgets, forecasts, and reports using Excel macros.
- Oversaw inventory management with regular audits to minimize discrepancies across 5 locations.
Senior Accountant
3 Years 1 Month- Supervised monthly accounting close processes, ensuring accuracy and compliance with GAAP standards.
- Achieved a 3-day closing cycle, 20% faster than industry standard, enhancing client satisfaction.
- Performed monthly bank reconciliations and general ledger account analyses for assets over $100M.
- Reduced processing time by 20% through error reduction in collateral debt obligation tracking using Excel.
- Designed and implemented Tableau visualizations to present financial trends for quarterly reports.
- Analyzed financial data to identify trends, informing management of potential risks and opportunities.
- Assisted in internal and external audits by preparing necessary documentation and responding to auditor inquiries.
Staff Accountant
3 Years- Contracted and hired by this privately held financial services organization playing a significant role for several entities in daily accounting, month-end, and year-end close processes including posting monthly, quarterly, and yearly accruals.
- Analyzed and reconciled general ledger accounts, preparing schedules for accounts receivable aging, prepaid amortization, fixed asset cost and depreciation and employee health and life insurance accruals and allocations.
- Performed account analysis and reconciliation, including bank statements and inter-company general ledger accounts.
- Retained by Receiver to assist in liquidation of assets.
- Recognized by management for organizing and completing due diligence reporting for related subsidiary.
- Improved efficiency by implementing new procedures for monthly employee health and life insurance accruals and allocations process, thereby reducing total time of completion by more than one-half.
- Conducted variance analysis on financial reports, identifying trends and discrepancies for management review.
- Supported annual audit preparation by compiling necessary documentation and responding to inquiries.
- Maintained general ledger accuracy through regular account reconciliations, journal entry adjustments, and transaction reviews.
Financial Data Analyst - Remote
6 Years 3 Months- Analyzed financial data to identify trends and support decision-making processes.
- Developed detailed reports using advanced Excel functions for financial forecasting.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline data collection and reporting procedures.
- Assisted in budget preparation by providing accurate data analysis and insights.
- Maintain and update accurate financial records for 100+ accounts daily, reducing errors to less than 2%.
- Optimize accounting processes, reducing processing time by 20% and improving accuracy by 15%.
- Leverage SQL and Tableau to analyze financial data and support detailed reporting.
- Implement strategic initiatives to improve financial data accuracy and operational efficiency.
Team Accountant
10 Months- Carried out core financial, accounting and reporting processes encompassing game closings, cash transactions, investment trades, ticket collections, accounts payable and receivable, and ticket and sponsor revenue recognition.
- Supported and optimized monthly close processes in Great Plains including journal entries, bank and inter company reconciliations, A/P batch reviews, payroll deductions, corporate American Express credit card reconciliation, and expense reports.
- Credited with recovering over 90% of disputed credit card charges.
- Significantly reduced unclaimed property liability by researching and resolving aged outstanding checks.
- Prepared and analyzed financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance with accounting standards.
- Reviewed invoices for discrepancies, ensuring timely resolution of issues to maintain vendor relationships.
- Handled day-to-day accounting processes to drive financial accuracy.
- Collaborated with external auditors during the annual audit process to provide necessary documentation and address any concerns or findings promptly.
Mutual Fund Accountant II
4 Years 5 Months- Resolved accounting and operational problems in accurate and timely manner.
- Organized financial analysis, market research and due diligence filing materials for potential investors.
- Key contributor to seamless development and integration of critical spreadsheets and work papers into proprietary accounting system during 2 separate mergers.
- Acknowledged for elevating AIM Investments’ flow position by researching and reducing the aged receivables valued at up to $1.5 million.
- Prepared work papers and generated financial statements, including footnote disclosures, annually and semi-annually.
- Collaborated with the compliance department to eliminate procedural errors and margin breaks.
- Used investment instruments in complex option hedging strategies and trading scenarios, including fixed income and equity securities.
- Recorded journal entries for bond amortization and interest accrual adjustments, pay downs, corporate debt accruals, and investment expense accruals.
- Trained new employees on accounting principles and company procedures.
Education
BBA - Accounting
- GPA: Overall 3.4/4.0 | Accounting 3.3/4.0
- Preparing with Becker CPA Review to sit for Certified Public Accounting Exam in 2026.
Skills
US GAAP principles
Advanced MS Access and Excel skills
Management discussion & analysis (MDA)
Excellent attention to detail
Oracle/PeopleSoft proficiency
Account reconciliation specialist
Pivot tables
Expense analysis
Flexible team player
Financial statement work papers
Variance analysis
Monthly close
SAP proficiency
Crystal Reports
Journal entries
Foreign currency
Great Plains/Dynamics proficiency
Strong organizational skills
CPA candidate
QuickBooks expert
Timeline
Financial Data Analyst - Remote
APPEN LIMITED
06.2020 - Current
Senior Accountant
HOUSTON DISCOUNT MATTRESSES
11.2014 - 05.2020
Senior Accountant
CONSULTING SERVICES
07.2011 - 08.2014
Staff Accountant
STANFORD GROUP COMPANY
07.2008 - 07.2011
Team Accountant
HOUSTON ROCKETS
07.2007 - 05.2008
Mutual Fund Accountant II
AIM INVESTMENTS
01.1999 - 06.2003
University of Houston
BBA from Accounting