Tamara Gates
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Accomplished financial analyst with expertise in strategic analysis and financial forecasting; skilled in translating financial data into actionable insights. At EPRI, managed a $57M budget, enhancing automation through SAP ERP upgrades. Proven leader in executive presentations and process improvement, leveraging skills in Python and SQL to drive impactful financial strategies and comprehensive reporting.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Financial Analyst II
EPRI
Charlotte, NC
01.2019 - 01.2025
- Produced timely, detailed financial reports, including variance and KPI analysis, for senior executives.
- Managed a $23M budget for the Environment Sector; later managed a $57M budget for programs within the Generation Sector.
- Led ad-hoc reporting, conducted financial review meetings, and generated monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to aid decision making.
- Partnered with management on strategic objectives and facilitated an SAP ERP upgrade for improved automation and faster insights.
- Prepared capital plans, strategic planning documents, and budgets; tracked and communicated actions on variances.
- Monitored benchmark data and provided recurring as well as ad hoc forecasting reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual).
- Electric Power Research Institute, Remote www.epri.com
Senior Financial Analyst
Health Stat Inc.-www.healthstat.com
Charlotte, NC
01.2017 - 01.2019
- Built the financial budget and set targets by preparing accurate, timely reports and executive summaries.
- Assisted with annual operating plans and budgets for revenue, funding, expenses, and capital projects.
- Delivered executive-level financial presentations and streamlined management reporting processes for efficiency.
- Played a key role in moving from QuickBooks to SAP for better analytics and automation.
- Streamlined reporting processes, reducing turnaround time for monthly financial summaries by 30%.
Project Manager Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst
Encore Health Resources Www.encorehealthresources.
Charlotte, NC
01.2013 - 01.2017
- Analyzed financial trends, prepared variance reports, and utilized Salesforce and Excel for reporting.
- Managed accounting activities: invoicing, contract reviews, month-end closing, and annual budgeting.
- Enhanced accuracy through back-testing and variance analysis; participated in executive onboarding and process improvement training.
- Drove organizational growth via forecasting, planning, and implementing process changes.
- Led cross-functional teams to deliver healthcare IT projects on time and within budget.
- Fostered stakeholder engagement through regular communication and status updates, enhancing project transparency.
- Analyzed project performance metrics to inform data-driven decisions and continuous improvement efforts.
- Developed comprehensive project plans with clear timelines, milestones, and budget requirements, ensuring on-time delivery of high-quality results.
Lead Treasury Analyst
Ally Bank
Charlotte
01.2009 - 01.2013
- Oversaw long-term and short-term liquidity forecasts to meet regulatory standards.
- Led teams in financial processing and reporting, enhancing transparency and reporting efficiency.
- Streamlined budget and forecasting operations, reducing turnaround by developing scenario and dashboard reporting.
- Prepared detailed reports on cash management activities, providing insights for senior leadership on strategic initiatives.
Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst
Bank of America
Charlotte
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Set financial goals through precise TCOA forecasting and planning.
- Coordinated updates for all business lines, led monthly budget/forecast review meetings, and created efficient report catalogs.
- Improved performance through cross-training documentation.
- Www.bankofamerica.com
Corporate Investment Banking Projection Analyst
Wells Fargo, Inc.
Charlotte
01.2006 - 01.2007
- Created and analyzed CIB budget projections with Essbase; ensured Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and drove process improvements.
- Www.wellsfargo.com
Financial Planning and Analysis
Wells Fargo, Inc.
Charlotte
01.2002 - 01.2006
- Presented budgets and projections to Federal Reserves and regulators; developed dashboards and streamlined budgeting procedures.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration (Finance Concentration)
Virginia Commonwealth University
01.1995
Skills
- Financial management and modeling creation
- Advanced Financial planning and analysis
- Strategic planning and analysis
- Financial forecasting
- Comprehensive financial reporting
- Executive presentations
- End-to-end forecasting
- Ad hoc reporting
- KPI monitoring and reporting
- Trend and variance analysis
- Month-end, quarter-end, year-end close
- P&L analysis
- 'What-if' scenario reporting
- Growth projections and expense reductions
- Budget management and forecasting
- Capital budgeting
- Cash flow management
- IFRS and GAAP compliance
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Annual operating plan and budgets
- Comparative analysis
- ERP (enterprise resource planning)
- Revenue recognition
- Account reconciliation
- Presentation skills
- Budgeting and planning
Certification
- SQL for Financial Reporting, 01/01/26
- AI Python for Finance, 01/01/26
Awards
Above and Beyond Kudos, Q3 2023, EPRI
Software Proficiencies
- Advanced EXCEL
- ADP
- Planful
- Beta processing systems
- QuickBooks
- Hyperion Essbase
- SharePoint
- SAP
- SAP 4 Hana
- Salesforce
- Oracle
- Insight general ledger
- Python
- SQL
Timeline
Senior Financial Analyst II
EPRI
01.2019 - 01.2025
Senior Financial Analyst
Health Stat Inc.-www.healthstat.com
01.2017 - 01.2019
Project Manager Analyst / Senior Financial Analyst
Encore Health Resources Www.encorehealthresources.
01.2013 - 01.2017
Lead Treasury Analyst
Ally Bank
01.2009 - 01.2013
Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst
Bank of America
01.2007 - 01.2009
Corporate Investment Banking Projection Analyst
Wells Fargo, Inc.
01.2006 - 01.2007
Financial Planning and Analysis
Wells Fargo, Inc.
01.2002 - 01.2006
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration (Finance Concentration)
Virginia Commonwealth University