Jennifer is available for hire
Hire JenniferJennifer Whichello
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Seattle, WA, United States
Toptal Member Since
December 26, 2019
Jennifer is an award-winning finance and operations executive with 13 years of experience scaling fast-growing businesses in the retail, eCommerce, and consumer product spaces. She has extensive experience working on turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions, and startups. As a consultant, she enjoys helping her clients build a strong financial and operational foundation to support growth, increase profitability and cash, and raise capital.
Career Highlights
Consultant
Accenture
Education Highlights
Certificate
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree
The George Washington University
Bachelor's Degree
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Case Studies
Industry Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
CFO
2016 - 2019
NSTO
- Planned, directed, and managed merger activities including organization restructure, change management and brand synergy, resulting in increased efficiency with $2 million in savings realized.
- Developed the five-year strategic plan for growth and negotiated expanded debt facilities to support the roadmap. Increased debt facilities by 100% in two years.
- Navigated the business through transformative change and rapid growth (38%), while contributing to bottom-line profitability through strategic cost-cutting, zero-based budgeting, driving inventory efficiency through KPIs and developing an organizational plan to provide the necessary infrastructure and expertise for continued growth. Reduced overall annual expenditures by 10%.
- Led digital transformation projects and enterprise-wide system implementations including ERP (MS Dynamics), warehouse management system (Snapfulfil), point-of-sale (Teamwork Retail) and product lifecycle management (Backbone).
- Created financial projections and other pitch materials for $20-million Series B capital raise.
- Awarded the CFO of the Year 2019 Award from Virginia Business.
Focus areas: CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, eCommerce, Retail & Wholesale, Post-merger Integration, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Excel, Three-statement Modeling, GAAP, Capital Raising, Board Reporting, Warehouse Operations, Distribution, Human Resources (HR), Operations Analytics, CAPEX, Inventory, Zero-based Budgeting, Financials, Financial Systems, Accounting, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
CFO
2016 - 2016
Ledbury
- Directed all financial planning and reporting, capital investment decisions, internal controls, and audit preparation.
- Implemented organizational design plans, compensation structure changes, and HR strategy.
- Implemented best practices across accounting, HR, operations, and sales functions to ensure compliance and operational efficiencies.
- Built and managed the financial model with a detailed cash flow projection by week resulting in increased working capital management and leadership visibility.
- Negotiated terms and rates with vendors and lenders leading to better working capital management and greater discounts.
Focus areas: CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, Operations Analytics, Inventory Management, GAAP, eCommerce, Retail & Wholesale, Microsoft Excel, NetSuite, Capital Raising, Financial Modeling, Three-statement Modeling, Budgeting, Audits, Accounting, Debt Raises, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
VP, Finance and Operations
2012 - 2016
Turnbull & Asser
- Directed the North American operations including retail operations, marketing and PR, buying and merchandising, IT, eCommerce, finance, and human resources.
- Transformed a loss-generating business into a profitable, cash positive organization within the first six months by improving inventory efficiency, increasing gross margin, and growing sales through performance-based incentives and customer acquisition initiatives.
- Launched the eCommerce for the North American market and produced 75% growth in the second year.
- Managed multiple capital projects including SAP implementation, store builds and point-of-sale systems upgrade.
- Directed all inventory procurement from planning to buying, resulting in a 15% increase in blended margins and a 40% improvement in inventory turn rates.
Focus areas: Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, Three-statement Modeling, Operations Analytics, Board Reporting, GAAP, Zero-based Budgeting, eCommerce, Retail & Wholesale, SAP, Inventory Cost Accounting, CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Accounting, Finance Reports, Growth Strategy, Strategy
CFO
2011 - 2012
Nydes-Spurr Group, LLC
- Designed, developed, and managed all financial statements, cash flow projections, financial models and sales projections resulting in better financial management.
- Negotiated contracts and terms with distributors, vendors, lenders, and factoring partners leading to more stable working capital.
- Designated by the board and investors to lead and manage corporate restructuring activities and divestiture.
- Directed the liquidation of all assets, including inventory.
- Actively participated in the capital raise, meeting with prospective investors and presenting the company's strategic plan.
Focus areas: CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, Audits, GAAP, QuickBooks Online, Financial Reporting, Accounting, Zero-based Budgeting, eCommerce, Retail & Wholesale, Inventory Management, Cash Flow, Financials, Divestiture Planning
General Manager
2010 - 2011
Holistic Pet Source
- Provided leadership, instruction, and supervision for all employees including those in human resources, finance, sales, customer service, buying, warehouse, and distribution.
- Implemented inventory management and procurement controls including weekly on-hand and turn analysis, cycle counts, physical inventory procedures, with a result of a decrease to 1% and a 150% improvement in inventory turn.
- Identified product opportunities and negotiated distribution rights with new vendors, leading to increased product offerings by 100%.
- Recruited, developed, and managed the sales team, which generated increased sales of 78% over the prior year.
- Expanded operations from five to nine states resulting in a 35% increase in inventory within 12 months.
Focus areas: CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, QuickBooks Online, Retail & Wholesale, Zero-based Budgeting, Operations Analytics, Inventory Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Human Resources (HR), Strategy, General Management
VP, Finance and Operations
2007 - 2010
Crypto, Inc.
- Led cross-functional operations and finance teams – accounting, HR, IT, warehousing, and distribution.
- Developed and presented all financial statements, cash flow projections, financial models, sales projections, and inventory margin and turn plans.
- Directed all capital investment decisions including real estate leases, store builds, website relaunch, and IT investment.
- Managed the redesign and development of the eCommerce site, Brooklynindustries.com, including, the RFP process, negotiation and procurement, and project management activities.
- Developed and implemented all HR policies and procedures, recruiting activities, and development/training plans for 180 employees across 15 work locations in five states. My efforts resulted in a 186% increase in sales, expansion from seven stores to 16, 55% growth in eCommerce sales, and national brand growth with retail locations on the east and west coasts.
- Awarded Inc 500 List recognition and EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
Focus areas: CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Month-end Processes, Three-statement Modeling, Business Operations, GAAP, Zero-based Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Accounts, Microsoft Dynamics, eCommerce, Retail & Wholesale, Microsoft Excel, Strategy, Inventory Management, Human Resources (HR), Operations Analytics, Accounting, Audits, Debt Capital Markets, CAPEX, Cash Flow, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Consultant
2003 - 2004
Optimos, Inc.
- Actively participated in all systems development life cycle activities—requirements gathering, gap analysis, functional design, and reports.
- Managed the development resources, quality assurance, UAT, and end-user training and support.
- Developed and documented business and accounting processes to improve cash management and funds control.
- Designed custom accounting, reconciliation, and budget status reports using Crystal Reports software.
- Established methods to ensure separation of duties and critical audit controls.
Focus areas: GAAP Compliance, Accounting, PeopleSoft ERP Application, PeopleSoft, Analytics, Management Consulting
Consultant
2001 - 2003
Accenture
- Worked as part of the Accenture Enterprise Resource Planning Group.
- Collaborated with the client to analyze current business processes and accounting operations.
- Proposed solutions to improve internal controls and minimize risk.
- Developed user training materials conducted training and provided on-site post-implementation support.
- Was recognized as an Accenture Asset Management subject-matter expert.
Focus areas: Project Lifecycle, Analysis, PeopleSoft ERP Application, People Management, Management Consulting
Education
2018 - 2018
Certificate in CFO Leadership
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA, USA
2004 - 2006
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Business Administration
The George Washington University - Washington, DC, USA
1998 - 2001
Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Information Systems
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg, VA, USA
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