University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Michigan State University

President at Signal Group LLC

I was recruited for this role in which the founder and I complement each other’s leadership styles. I was hired to stabilize and lead operations and drove the integration of EOS.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

◆ Partnered with founder to create the business strategy for planned growth within the next three years.

◆ Instrumental in creating the business plan for the launch of a new product line and expansion of ecommerce business.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Operations | Client Services | Purchasing | EOS | P&L Oversight | Accounting | Human Resources | Logistics | IT | Sales

Signal Group LLC

President

I was recruited to lead the integration of SAP and EOS. I oversaw all functions except sales. While I started in operations, as things stabilized, I handed operations off and moved into the CFO role.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

◆ During this time, the company was working hard on improving the structure and standards for ISO 13485 and ISO 9000 because they are a supplier to the medical device industry. I rewrote the quality manual from front to back and hired someone to oversee all projects related to quality.

◆ Reshaped the executive team and worked with them in establishing the company’s growth objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Quality | SAP | EOS | Process Mapping | Supplier Quality Audits | ISO 13485 | ISO 9000 | Process Improvement | Procedures

Dynamic Technology Solutions

Chief Financial Officer

I oversee the Operations department that includes the Client Services, Technical Services, Logistics and Quality Management departments.  I work collaboratively across departments to develop and implement internal controls and systems that bring greater organizational stability while enhancing accountability and efficiency.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership ► Strategic Planning ► Business Planning ► Operational and Production Planning ► Growth and Capacity Planning ► Quality Management Systems ► Internal Controls ► Process Development ► Process Improvement ►Lean Operations

Vice President of Operations

Hired to right the ship after company failed to meet projections, sustained a $9 million loss and 75% of the comments in an external audit were material weaknesses. 

RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership ► Strategic Planning ► Financial Analysis ► Financial Planning ► Business Planning ► Financial Modeling ►Treasury ► Internal Controls ► Process Development ► Process Improvement ►Lean

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Improved external audit reducing material weakness comments from 12 to 1 in 18 month period.

★ The finance department was in chaos and there was no order. I successfully created order out of chaos by implementing key policies and procedures and developing a financial system. When I joined the company they had missed their forecast significantly and lost $(9) million. I orchestrated a major turnaround leading to a $20 million dollar gain and $8 million profit in 2015.

★ Partnered with executive team to turn around operations by establishing previously non-existent controls and policies.

★ Restructured financial reporting and pricing for North America.

★ Identified and rectified a revenue negative sales quoting process that did not require high level approval of quotes. Digging deep, I was able to identify the deficiencies in the process and develop a system that ensured positive margins, better informed the C-suite to make strategic pricing decisions, and empowered the sales team with data and ranges with which to negotiate.

MINTH Group Ltd.

Vice President Finance North America

Started a consulting firm and consulted with clients in the following sectors: retail, non-profit, automotive, healthcare and education. I reviewed and improved processes and enhanced operations. This was a great experience in that it exposed me to new challenges in the non-profit sector and exercised my versatility as an operationally focused finance executive.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Plans ► Business Models ► Investor Packages ► Budgets ► Strategic Planning ► Internal Controls ► Shared Service Agreements ► Lean ► Policies and Procedures

KMB Advisors, LLC.

President & CEO

Recruited by former colleague at Ford to assist with the development and launch of an automotive trade association to act as a unified voice promoting, sustaining and driving growth of the automotive industry in Michigan. While this had nothing to do with finance, the opportunity again allowed me to demonstrate my flexibility and other strengths in building organizations.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Governance Structure ► Talent Acquisition ► Board Recruitment

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ I was able to recruit 6 Tier 1 CEOs to the advisory board within 60 days, establish the governance structure and launch the association by January 2012.

Detroit Regional Chamber

Program Director

I was hired into CFO role after it was reinstated by the COO. I was also attractive to them because of my expertise in lean processes. My main mission was to create and implement lean processes organization wide. I also led a team of four and oversaw a finance staff of 30-40.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership ► Strategic Planning ► Accounting ► Billing and Collections ► Tax & Audit ► Financial Analysis ► Relationship Management ► Operations ► Process Improvement

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ I was able to increase the profitability of fixed fee engagements by 100%. After analyzing profit centers, I identified that the fixed fee engagements were losing money. I created a monitoring dashboard to prompt contract updates when margins were getting slim.

★ I also led lateral analyses of all new hires, groups of attorneys looking to join the firm and new staff acquired from mergers to determine their book value and ensure profitability.

Dykema Gossett PLLC

I was hired to recruit and hire the finance team for this group that had $2.1 billion in revenues and included 30 global manufacturing sites. This was a challenge because the office was moving to the Detroit area from Kalamazoo within a year. In addition to staffing the finance department, I hired all staff for FP&A, financial reporting, internal control and pricing. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 
Leadership ► Financial Reporting ► Internal Control ► Strategic Planning ► Recruiting & Hiring

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ I recruited the entire finance team in five months.

★ I was able to orchestrate the purchase of a supplier’s debt and mitigate a manufacturing disruption; the company ended up recouping 33% of the debt purchase costs by selling the purchased equipment. We gained a competitive advantage and better pricing and avoided millions in non-delivery penalties.

★ I also led team in completing a global expansion in the Asia Pacific market through joint venture partnerships.

Dana Incorporated

Senior Director, Product Group Controller, Heavy Vehicle Product Group

I was recruited to lead the global finance team for this product group. The division revenues were $1 billion and included 17 manufacturing sites, engineering technical centers and joint ventures. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 
Leadership ► Financial Reporting ► Internal Control ► Strategic Planning ► Private Equity

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Company was looking to spin off three departments into separate companies. Chassis systems was part of the light vehicle systems business they hoped to sell. I compiled and presented due diligence for potential buyers and private equity groups to review.

★ Conceptualized and executed a strategy separating Chassis Systems into eight segments for valuation, divestiture and liquidation; I completed 80% of the strategy within six months.

ArvinMeritor

Vice President Finance, Chassis Systems

Moved into this role during the throws of the global financial crisis, this was a challenging time for Ford Credit. Many people were turning in their automobiles or not paying their lease payments. I directed a team of three in the management and forecasting of credit loss and credit loss reserves (asset base of $147 billion) using SOX compliance procedures and models. I was also responsible for forecasting residual losses for the operating lease portfolio (asset base of $29 billion). 

RESPONSIBILITIES 
Leadership ► Budgeting ► Forecasting ► Reporting ► Procedures ► Adequacy Studies ► SEC Docs

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ I am proud of how my team and I handled this. I was able to pull together a highly qualified team to respond to market conditions and perform asset valuation analysis of the operating lease portfolio resulting in impairment requiring new procedures and analysis tools to manage the portfolio’s depreciation.

★ Developed credit and residual loss sections for quarterly 10Q and annual 10K SEC filings.

Ford Motor Company

Finance Manager, Risk Analysis - Ford Credit

I led the financial operations of global operating cost of $1.2 billion. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 
Budgeting ► Forecasting ► Reporting

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
★ Directed aggressive operating cost reduction program that reduced operating costs 20% YOY.
★ Spearheaded consolidation of 164 branches that served as loan originators into six North American Business Centers.
★ Reengineered financial reporting process.

Finance Manager, Global Operating Cost - Ford Credit

Finance Manager, Sales Analysis

Manager Leadership Development, Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Manager Human Resources Leadership Development

Various finance management and analytical positions throughout the company; manufacturing, sales and marketing, human resources, information technology, Visteon, Ford Motor Credit.

Manager/Analyst

Various management positions within the company, most recently the Manager for distribution process improvement, implementing time savings bar code technologies within the distrubution function.

Kathleen M. Burgess, M.B.A.