Candidates About

 

Rick Arrata

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

·          Business and Technology Project/Program Management, Portfolio Management, Communications Management, Risk Management,

Applications Support, Agile Expert, Scrum Master

·          Experienced business, finance, audit, accounting professional with global responsibilities in risk management, operations, capital markets, derivatives, foreign exchange, policy, financial statements, regulatory compliance, Dodd-Frank, AML, accounting, audit, internal controls, SOX, COSO, COBIT, BASEL, CCAR, private equity, hedge funds, fixed income, equity, liquidity, data governance, financial systems.

·          Solid audit and accounting background in various areas including SEC reporting; accounting in capital markets, disclosures, Qs, Ks.

·          Experienced PMO/Six Sigma-trained project and risk manager with extensive background in accounting, audit, controllership, policy,

business process re-engineering, project management, systems conversions, PMO chair.

·          Develop best practices, new process and system implementations, including FX, currency, credit cards, and financial services systems.

·          Communicate at multiple levels, including executive and steering committees, with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.

·          Manage multiple, complex assignments simultaneously, adapt quickly to changes in businesses. Business process reengineering.

·          International business experience, including being an expatriate and traveling worldwide for business development and driving solutions.

·          Enterprise Risk Management, Financial Planning & Analysis, Reporting & Consolidations, large scale transformation projects

 

EXPERIENCE

Senior Manager, Charlotte, NC 2015-Present

IBM, Global Business Services

·          Project/Program management, Business advisory, business reengineering, technology sourcing and solutions, including Oracle, Hyperion, SAP, PeopleSoft, Salesforce.

·          Managed large scale technology/business transformative projects to enhance current state and develop future state, including data integration and ETL projects

·          Implemented Hyperion/Oracle Systems as new technology solutions

·          Project manager over process enhancements, workflow management, data governance, architecture, and roadmap development

·          Developed Hyperion Applications for enterprise forecasting and planning related processes.

·          Developed new business by selling new projects within existing client.

·          Managed Data Management, Data Governance, Data Quality Management.

·          Managed conceptual design, system requirements, business requirements, CAT testing, developing successful client relationships, client status meetings, deployment of all phases, issue resolution, client training, SDLC documentation,

·          Service areas/ERP systems including but not limited to regulatory, external and internal reporting, cost and profit management, financial management, forecasting, financial modeling. Oracle Financials, SAP, PeopleSoft, CCAR, Hyperion Planning, Forecasting, AML, HFM, consolidations and reporting.

 

Senior Consultant, Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting GroupCarlisle & Gallagher Consulting GroupCarlisle & Gallagher Consulting GroupCharlotte, NC 2013-2015

Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group

·          Led SDLC projects from a Waterfall and Agile methodology. Responsible for maintaining budget and resource allocations within strict guidelines. Tracked all project deliverables to ensure on-time delivery and completion of all PMO required reporting. Worked with outside vendor to manage delivery of design deliverables. Collaborated with sponsors and business units throughout ensuring open, just-in-time communication of requirements, issues and risks. Scrum master.

·          Led projects to enhance pubic and secure websites from planning through implementation. Responsible for maintaining budget and resource allocations within strict guidelines. Tracked all project deliverables to ensure on-time delivery and completion of all PMO required reporting. Worked with outside vendor to manage delivery of design deliverables. Collaborated with sponsors and business units throughout ensuring open, just-in-time communication of requirements, issues and risks.

·          Led compliance review for CCAR to determine adequacy of capital reserves and automated reporting to regulatory agencies.

·          Led projects to onboard clients to new IT platform. Managed issue resolution and brought client from a red to green status by resolving significant issues. Headed daily Scrum meetings and published daily and weekly project statuses to senior management.

·          Managed data repair team, issues, resolution, reporting to senior level management weekly. Authored manual on managing data repairs.

 

Senior Project Manager at Wells Fargo and Bank of America 2011-2013

BANK OF AMERICA, Charlotte, NC 2011-2013

·          Lead PMO managing financial systems from a risk perspective, pertaining to risk and regulation. Meeting regulatory requirements of Basel, CCAR, liquidity and capital, SEC reporting, with a focus on capturing more comprehensively the risks the bank is exposed to, creating a more risk sensitive framework, strengthening risk management, governance, and transparency. Scrum master.

·          Led data governance initiatives in subject matter expert areas by implementing industry frameworks, DAMA, DMBOK, COBIT, and BASEL II. Operationalized department and developed all business content, including policies, processes, practices, strategy recommendations.

·          Project manager lead on global systems implementation projects in retail, investments, credit cards. Successfully managed projects migrating SAP modules over the entire Chart of Accounts from three reporting dimensions to eleven dimensions through process mapping, including Accounts Payable, Liabilities, Revenue, Treasury, capital markets, foreign exchange. Enabled the company to report in a granular, analytical, strategic format.

·          Extensive experience in accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting. Regulatory compliance, AML, SOX, Dodd-Frank.

·          Responsible for managing the conception, planning, development and support of internal audits.

·          Analyzed global LOBs. Developed trends, patterns to analyze these businesses strategically and get them to a “Nirvana” state.  

 

WELLS FARGO, Charlotte, NC 2012-2013

·          Led data governance initiatives in subject matter expert areas by implementing industry frameworks, DAMA, DMBOK, COBIT, and BASEL II. Operationalized department and developed all business content, including policies, processes, practices, strategy recommendations.

·          Successfully managed projects to move several trading and accounting systems platforms from legacy Wachovia to Wells Fargo platforms for retail, investments, credit cards.  As a project manager, I re-engineered the business processes to ensure the accounting was accurate. Projects in interest rate swaps, forward contracts, options products and systems of capital markets, foreign exchange.  

·          Led projects to implement the new forward convention for derivative trading which is the current convention used in the industry. This brought the company current with its competitors. Project manager lead to work with foreign subsidiaries and offices and train them on new systems, accounting methods, and business processes. Scrum master.

·          Responsible for managing the conception, planning, development, and support of internal audits and SOX reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

AVEDA Corp, Charlotte, NC 2008-2011

Principal

·          Managed “Nirvana” project. This project brought company to a “nirvana” state by developing new business processes over scheduling, buying, cost management, vendor selection, hiring, marketing and advertising. Managed daily operational and accounting functions in a more efficient manner which reduced overall operating costs by more than 25%.

·          Managed a project to developed growth strategies through enhanced online, eCommerce advertising.

·          Managed projects to develop human resources functions which resulted in annual growth of 15% per year.

·          Managed internal audits and issue resolutions. Project manager over the negotiation, purchasing, credit contracts to reduce costs by 33%. 

 

BLACKROCK, INC., New York, NY 2005-2008

Vice President, Finance and Operations

·          Managed PeopleSoft to Oracle Financials with HFM project. Managed over 30 team members in various workstreams.

·          Managed all aspects of corporate finance and operations over treasury, hedging, AUM, investments, pricing, revenue, trading operations, portfolio and account management and real estate, capital markets, foreign exchange. Created new finance department. Developed, trained, manage worldwide department. P&L, Market Risk analysis, middle, back office, front office support.

·          Capital Markets experience in fixed income, equity, FX, Forwards, Options, Swaps, liquidity, private equity, alternatives (REIT).

·          Developed accounting policy model. Research, develop, and implement optimal accounting and reporting policies in a rapidly changing regulatory environment (FAS 115, FAS 123R, FAS 130, FAS 140, FAS 141, FAS 142,FAS 133, FAS 155, FAS 156, FAS 157, FAS 159, FAS 167, FIN 46, FIN 48, SOP 03-3, IFRS, AS2/5, ISDA Master Agreements, FCPA, AML, Sarb-Ox 404/302, 91 BB in distressed assets, 451B CMBS Portfolio, managed entire SAS 70 process).

·          Preparation of financial statements for the firm’s many investment companies, financial statement disclosures, special projects S1, S4, IPO. Developed new methods to reduce the number of misstatements in the financials. Developed new consolidation process.  Filed regulatory documents 15c3-1 and 15c3-3.

·          Solid accounting background in various areas including SEC reporting; accounting in capital markets, fixed income, equity, loan origination, modification, default, bankruptcies, impairments, disclosures, filing Qs, Ks.

·          Created SOX department, developed all Risk Control Matrices and operational risk assessments and developed all reporting tools and methods for reporting to Audit Committee, managed audits.

·          Implemented Oracle platforms under the BASEL and other regulatory and compliance measures to address risk.

·          Reviewed credit risk of clients, wholesale and retail.   

·          Managed data warehousing and business intelligence (BI) projects.

·          Extensive experience in accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.

 

PUBLICIS SA, New York, NY 2003-2005
Director, Internal Audit & Business Improvement
Created new internal audit/consulting department and overall Sarb-Ox strategy to bring company in compliance with legislation. Developed audit/consulting standards, best practices, internal control questionnaires. Managed $4M budget. Hired, trained, managed global team of 35. Reported to Audit Committee. Traveled 90%, internationally.

·          Developed all Sarb-Ox guidance and conducted training, worldwide. Managed M&A projects/earnouts.

·          Developed audit programs using Whiteboard, risk-based approach. Increased EBIT by $5.3 million.

·          Lead US GAAP, SEC, IFRS, Sarb-Ox expert. Provided operational, technical and strategic guidance.

·          Led the effort to keep the company current on accounting pronouncements. Coordinated SAS 70 reports.

 

SIEMENS CORPORATION, New York/New Jersey 2002-2003
Audit Team Leader   
Developed value-added recommendations. Supervised 18 managers, worldwide. Wrote reports, presented findings. Traveled 85%, internationally.

·          Heavily involved with the implementation of Sarb-Ox.

·          Developed risk assessment methodology which enhanced audit efficiency/effectiveness.

 

VIACOM, INC., New York, NY 2000-2001
Manager, Corporate Audit
Managed financial, operational, fraud, forensic, investigative audits. Managed 20 auditors/managers. Traveled 90%.

·          Developed risk profiles/recommendations and overall risk-based audit cycle (Whiteboard approach).

·          Worked with treasury on projects involving credit and foreign currency risk-based audits.

·          Recognized for saving $500K by performing a management consulting project.

 

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, LLP, New York, NY 1995-2000
Team Manager, Business Assurance Services
Managed, from a risk management perspective, all aspects of operational, treasury, strategic risks and financial audits, as well as, consulting projects for clients with domestic and international operations. Clients included consumer products, media and entertainment, retail, manufacturing, financial services and pharmaceutical companies.

·          SEC, regulatory report requirements, 10Q/K, S4 filings, due diligence (financial advisory), IPO.

·          Managed 6-10 team members per client engagement and 50+ in total.

·          Highly specialized in internal controls, forensic auditing, policies/procedures, systems.

·          Successfully reduced foreign exchange hedging costs by centralizing hedging, capital markets, foreign exchange.

·          Successfully managed consulting projects: SAP implementation projects for clients.

·          Negotiated business contracts to minimize costs for clients. Improved client profiles and reduced costs.

·          Managed treasury functions, including, capital markets, foreign exchange, and derivatives

·          Clients in financial services and other industries; project management.

 

ESTEE LAUDER INTERNATIONAL, INC., New York, NY 1992-1994
Senior Manager, Finance and Administration

Responsible for internal and management financial reporting, treasury functions, audits and special projects, forensic audits, annual budgeting and planning, financial statement analysis, and variance analysis.  Traveled 50%, internationally.

·          Developed/implemented monthly regional/customer level income statements reporting.

·          Managed annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, treasury functions, financial planning, consolidation.

·          Developed new forecasting procedures which increased forecasting accuracy.

·          Managed retail point of sale cost controls and reduced overall credit card fees and costs. Resigned to pursue MBA full time.

 

STERLING DRUG, INC., New York, NY 1989-1991
Financial Analyst/Corporate Auditor

·          Designed/developed uniform sales analysis/reporting/forecasting systems.

·          Authored a financial reporting manual which established a base for a consistent worldwide system.

·          Managed projects such as lease vs. buy, treasury risk, forensic audits, cost savings.

·          Promoted to an expatriate assignment in Europe. Traveled 75%, internationally.

 

EDUCATION

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, STERN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, New York, NY                             
Masters in Business Administration, two degrees in Finance and Marketing
NYU Stern MBA Scholar (Top 10 Graduate), GPA Overall: Magna Cum Laude, GPA in Major: Summa Cum Laude

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, New York, NY
Bachelor of Science, two degrees in Finance and International Business
GPA Overall: Cum Laude, GPA in Major: Summa Cum Laude, Phi Alpha Kappa Finance Honorary Fraternity for Scholarship, NYU Founder’s Day Award For Outstanding Academic Achievement

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (PwC CPA Preparatory Program), Los Angeles, CA
Marshall Graduate School of Business, Leventhal Graduate School of Accounting, Major: Accounting; Summa Cum Laude

 

TECHNOLOGY

Vendor Management, Software Development Lifecycle Management (SDLC), Agile, Waterfall, Oracle, Hyperion, HFM, SAP, PeopleSoft, MS products, MS Project, MS Project Server 2010, SharePoint, OMNI, MVAS, HFM, HPCM, Essbase, Hyperion Planning, SQL, Oracle Smart View, MDM, Data Governance, Hyperion ARM, Informatica, IDQ, ETL

CPA CERTIFICATION

Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Active and Current, Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA)