GARY CLAYTON, CPA
412 Lockwood Avenue, Hamilton, Ohio 45011
SENIOR FINANCE EXECUTIVE
Start-Up, Established & Emerging Public & Private Businesses
Solid financial management career working with diverse product and service corporations to create top-flight organizations. Demonstrated record of success in partnering finance with core operations to drive bottom-line financial, profit and revenue performance. Outstanding information systems background with innate ability to optimize tech-nology to streamline processes and improve organizational efficiency. Excellent team building, leadership, communications and customer relationship management skills. CPA, CDP, CSP and MCSE (in progress) plus numerous other awards.
- Finance, Audit, Accounting & Administration
- Strategic Planning & Business Leadership
- Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures
- Budgeting, Forecasting & Internal Controls
- Cost Reduction & Process Improvement
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- MIS/IT Administration & Hardware Conversions
- Software Development & Package Conversions
- Financial & Operational Automation Mergers
- Cash Flow, Asset & Investment Management
- Board, Investor & Customer Relations
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
| THE RESORT AT GLACIER, St. Mary, MT (www.glcpark.com) ($75,000) | 2002 to Present |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| Privately held hospitality firm providing hospitality management services for the numerous enterprises of a family trust situated on several thousand acres at the East entrance to Glacier National Park since 1932. Businesses include:
Lodging
4 lodges, 13 cabins, and 6 cottages: 129 luxury rooms with 25 room types ranging in price from $110 to $325. Annual revenues (5 peak months): over $2 million per year (System: FidelioXpress by MICROS Systems, Inc.).
Dining
7 F&B outlets: (1) a gourmet restaurant, (2) a traditional restaurant/cafe, (3) an ice cream parlor, (4) a coffee house featuring specialty coffee drinks, (5) a fudge shop, (6) a pizza parlor/cafe with a full bar, and (7) a luxury lounge. Annual revenues (5 peak months): over $2 million per year (System: Restaurant LyNX by SeQL Corporation).
Shopping
6 retail outlets: (1) a high-end gift shop, (2) a T-shirt and summer accessories shop, (3) a high-end sporting goods shop, (4) the only full grocery store in the Glacier area, (5) a full-service garage and (6) a self-service gas station. Annual revenues (5 peak months): over $2 million per year (System: MAS 200 by Best Software, Inc.)
Employee Housing and Meals
All employees are provided housing and meals at moderate rates during the term of their employment at the resort. Over 300 employees are hired each year (from USA and over 10 foreign countries) to maintain a staffing maximum of 225 full-time employees during the season from June through September. A few locals are recruited from the nearby Blackfoot Indian Reservation and daily transportation is provided from the nearest town thirty miles away. Between the foreign visitors and the foreign employees, it is truly an international experience working at the resort. The foreign visitors create foreign currency accounting requirements. The foreign employees create payroll check cashing requirements and wire transfers to foreign countries for bonuses paid after season. In addition to the special payroll accounting requirements for taxes for these employees, all employees have charge privileges in all the outlets that must be tracked and deducted for their paychecks each payroll period as well as payroll advances.
Chief Financial Officer
Recruited to this entrepreneurial organization during a period of rapid growth, diversification, and transition. Given full autonomy for finance and accounting encompassing strategic and capital planning, budgeting, P&L analysis, cash management, investments, tax/audit, banking, insurance, contracts, and profit sharing plan.
- Financial Reporting & Internal Controls. Introduced risk management, asset protection programs, and new reporting procedures. Created detailed outline of cost structures and cash flow requirements utilized in complex negotiations and critical relationships with strategic partners, guests/customers, auditors, bankers and investment/insurance agents.
- Cash Management & Internal Controls. Introduced new reporting and balancing procedures. Replaced manual cash balancing forms with spreadsheets offering automatic balancing and standardization. Introduced manual procedures to insure outlets balanced with front desk. Monitored shifts to insure compliance. Current management dictates that the accounting department balances each cashier's shift rather than the cashier. Cash drops are made into a central counting office after each shift and are audited each morning. During season, over 20 drops a day were audited and banks were prepared for the next day for each cashier. Additional change funds were ordered for peak periods. Average daily cash counting was over $70,000 and cash on hand for ATM deposits and payroll averaged $75,000.
- Team Building & Leadership. Turn-over of accounting staff is 100% each year as the summer operations are reduced from a high of over 200 employees to a core staff of 10 in the home office in Sun Valley, Idaho and 5 at the property in St. Mary, Montana. Each new season requires recruiting and training a new accounting staff for the new season. Trained all key core staff to handle the accounting function. Posting was once a year after the end of season. Assigned core staff accounting responsibilities and directed the posting effort. Introduced new systems and procedures to insure daily postings and the keeping of all records on a current basis. Introduced new systems to document and support general ledger balance sheet accounts especially the guest ledger, other AR, and guest deposits.
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| MEGEN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC., Cincinnati, OH (www.megenconstruction.com) ($65,000) | 2001 to 2002 |
| (Privately held construction firm specializing in construction management services for large projects and GC services) |
| Chief Financial Officer / Chief Administrative Officer |
- Strategic Planning & Emerging Business Management. Devised an emerging business scenario outlining strategies to eliminate unnecessary costs, restructure the corporation, and drive corporate development initiatives. Developed strategic partnerships to restore the confidence of owners and justified the need of capital investment to support expansion efforts via automation equipment and remodeling existing facilities/formalizing plans for building addition.
- Technology Implementation. Selected, purchased, and installed a fully-automated financial management reporting system (Computer Construction Software) and organization-wide voice, data, and networking communications system which dramatically improved the availability, accuracy, and timeliness of key financial, operating, and customer information to and from all divisions.
- Financial Reporting & Internal Controls. Introduced risk management, asset protection programs, and new reporting procedures. Created detailed outline of cost structures and cash flow requirements utilized in complex negotiations and critical relationships with strategic partners, client/customers, auditors, bankers and investment/insurance agents.
- Team Building & Leadership. Introduced a series of employee development, performance management and reward programs to recruit and retain high caliber candidates throughout the organization. Redesigned compensation structures and drove forward quality, production, and productivity improvements.
CARUSO, INC., Cincinnati, OH (www.carusofoods.com) ($60,000)
(Privately held food processing, packaging & distribution company with transportation & software development divisions)
| 1997 to 2001 |
Chief Financial Officer / Chief Administrative Officer
Recruited by the CEO to provide decisive strategic, operational and financial leadership to this diversified corporation with five divisions and 150+ employees in multiple states. Challenged to create a formalized finance and accounting operation, install new information systems and create a bottom-line driven business operation. Partnered with owners, President and department heads to assess all operations from purchasing to production and from sales to multichannel distribution, to effect a complete organizational restructuring. Managed all external communications, MIS/IT and financial reporting.
- Strategic Planning & Emerging Business Management. Devised an emerging business scenario outlining strategies to eliminate unnecessary costs, restructure the corporation and drive corporate development initiatives. Developed strategic partnerships to expand market penetration, led presentations to restore the confidence of owners and bankers, and justified the need of capital investment to support expansion efforts via new facilities and automation equipment.
- Technology Implementation. Selected, purchased and installed a fully-automated financial management reporting system and organization-wide voice, data and networking communications system which dramatically improved the availability, accuracy and timeliness of key financial, operating and customer information to and from all divisions. Introduced e-commerce and electronic banking applications and ensured compliance with Y2K.
- Financial Reporting & Internal Controls. Introduced risk management, asset protection programs and new reporting procedures. Created detailed outline of cost structures and cash flow requirements utilized in complex negotiations and critical relationships with suppliers, customers, auditors, bankers and investors.
- Business Process Reengineering. Relocated corporate offices, warehouse equipment and personnel to new facilities in 30 days. Upgraded the entire finance and accounting team, designed new policies/procedures, and provided decisive financial leadership.
- Team Building & Leadership. Introduced a series of employee development, performance management and reward programs to recruit and retain high caliber candidates throughout the organization. Redesigned compensation structures and drove forward quality, production and productivity improvements.
RIVERBIRCH CORPORATION, Memphis, TN ($50,000-$75,000)
(High-growth privately-held regional corporation with 10+ businesses in construction, leasing, service and retail segments)
| 1989 to 1997 |
Chief Financial Officer / Chief Administrative Officer
Recruited to this entrepreneurial organization during a period of rapid growth, diversification and transition. Given full autonomy for finance, accounting, IS and administration activities encompassing strategic and capital planning, budgeting, P&L analysis, cash management, investments, tax/audit, banking, insurance, contracts and human resources. Ensured the financial stability and available cash flow to support market expansion contributing to solid growth in sales. Played a key role in five start-ups, three divestitures and multiple business expansion activities.
- Finance & Business Leadership. Positioned finance as a proactive business partner, maximizing revenues and profits from 10+ business ventures. Consolidated reporting, enhanced the quality of financial data available and trained owner on how to effectively utilize information in planning, forecasting, sales and corporate development.
- Technology Innovation. Implemented new systems, internal controls and computer automation to effectively manage job costing, change orders and financial reporting. Identified key areas of excess expenditures and new revenue streams.
- Capital & Asset Management. Identified areas to leverage corporate financial management resources and cash flow through tax avoidance, diversified investments, equipment leasing and subcontracting.
- Business Relationship Management. Worked with customers, IRS, state auditors and others to improve transfer of financial information. Improved communications with clients, increasing revenues and reducing collections by 15%+.
SCB, INC., Memphis, TN (www.scb.com) ($37,500-$50,000)
(National management consulting firm specializing in IT for Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies and utilities)
| 1983 to 1989 |
MIS Consultant / IT Project Leader / IT Recruiter / Systems Analyst
Led a group of five programmers designing 250 ADSO dialogs, 250 COBOL programs and 36 interfaces for a multi-million dollar six-year technology system project on behalf of Memphis Light, Gas & Water. Scope of responsibility encompassed the entire project cycle from initial planning, budgeting and resource allocation to customer needs assessment to hardware, software and systems development and final deployment.
- Financial Systems Design. Conducted all phases of the systems development life cycle to modernize and upgrade all general ledger, budgeting and cash management functions. Identified opportunities to provide client with value added systems and services. Completed project on time, within budget and to client's specifications.
HOLIDAY INNS, INC., Memphis, TN (www.basshotels.com) ($10,400-$30,000)
(International hospitality conglomerate with major chains of hotels/resorts & restaurants plus related supply/support firms)
| 1970 to 1983 |
MIS Consulting Group Manager / MIS Consultant / Systems Analyst /EDP Audit Supervisor
Corporate Audit Supervisor / Chief Fraud Investigator / Corporate Auditor / Resort Controller
Fast-track promotion through numerous increasingly responsible assignments across Holiday Inns' 2,000+ domestic and international operations. Demonstrated expertise in the investigation, identification and resolution of key operating, financial and business management issues negatively impacting performance and profitability. Designed comprehensive accounting, audit and finance manuals, and upgraded information systems. Authored and published "White Collar Crime," a comprehensive manual utilized as a hotel and restaurant industry guideline by major hospitality chains/small businesses.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
- BS - Accounting & Data Processing, WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY - 1970
- Certified Public Accountant - 1979
- Certified Data Processor - 1987
- Certified Systems Professional - 1987
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer - In Progress
MICROSOFT WORD