Ariel J

Experienced FP&A specialist with 8+ years of experience in consulting, retail and Education.

Avenues – The World School (New York, USA)                                           Mar, 2019 - Present                                                                                                

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A – China Region

Independently manage all FP&A functions for the China region while remotely operating from overseas, overseeing 4 business units comprising 600 students and 200 employees.

• Demonstrated exceptional financial modeling skills by revamping models for budgeting, forecasting, revenue projection, staffing and scenario analysis, resulting in 30%+ in efficiency
• Established robust relationships with global and local teams, bridging complex local regulations for global stakeholders and earning recognition from 3 global executives and 5 campus leadership
• Oversaw a 10-member offshore outsourced accounting team, guiding them in streamlining the monthly close process during the absence of the China controller, leading to a 40%+ in efficiency and 30%+ in accuracy 
• Lead semi-annual budget process by partnering with 10+ department heads to align financial goals, consolidate budget submissions, and create board presentations for top management's decision-making
• Facilitate monthly close process with multiple accounting teams to ensure all necessary entries are recorded
• Generate monthly management reporting packages to include actuals, forecasts, and variance analysis; perform in-depth variance analysis to uncover insights behind the discrepancy, leading to a 10%+ in cost efficiency 
• Manage weekly cash flow forecast and analysis to optimize liquidity and support CFO with decision-making
• Develop and enhance financial reporting and procedures, aligning them with China’s regulatory requirements while customizing them to suit our company's unique needs, ensuring consistency and accuracy
• Developed and enhanced financial reporting and procedures, aligning them with China’s regulatory requirements while customizing them to suit our company's unique needs, ensuring consistency and accuracy

Makerbot Industry (New York, USA)                                                 Sep 2017 – Feb, 2019                                                                                                

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A 

As the sole FP&A analyst, I report directly to the CFO, overseeing FP&A operations for 4 regions.

• Owned the annual budgets, monthly forecasts and variance analysis for all subsidiaries across 4 continents  
• Improved business profitability of 5% by providing timely P&L analysis, calling out areas of improvements 
• Streamlined global budget submissions and compiled global financial reports for review by the CFO and the parent company (Stratasys), enhancing financial transparency and reporting efficiency

Sears Canada, (Toronto, Canada)                                                      Jan 2017 – Sep 2017

Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A

• Managed weekly, monthly forecasting process including forecasting, budgeting and month-end 
• Enhanced business profitability by delivering timely P&L analysis, pinpointing areas for improvement, and offering strategic solutions to support CFO decision-making

Accenture, (Toronto, Canada)                                            Dec 2014– Mar 2016

Financial Analyst

• Provided financial and project management support for 5 multi-million dollar clients across North America, responsibilities including financial analysis, pricing, budgeting, forecasting, accruals and variance analysis
• Managed the financial aspects of projects, including tracking project costs, revenue, and profitability, ensuring that projects are within budget and profitable

EDUCATION

University of Toronto                                                                                                     Jun, 2014                      

• Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction (Session GPA 3.7/4.0)                          Specialist in Finance