www.linkedin.com/in/joe-smith-2a9044a/

 

Operations and Financial Executive — COO / CFO

Executive-Level Operations / Finance / Legal Leader Leveraging Multi-Industry Expertise to Drive Operational Excellence

 

Senior executive, COO and CFO, with vast experience driving operational, financial, and legal excellence in a wide array of industries and organizations, including specialty construction, not-for-profit, architecture, and Big-4 consulting. Managed assets up to $3B; P&L / budget oversight up to $400M; leads cross-functional teams up to 300.

Leading-edge thinker, innovator, and change agent driving organizational direction and mission in changing markets. Results-focused problem solver who goes outside box to implement innovative solutions to production bottlenecks and process inefficiencies. History of turning around and transforming underperforming organizations.

Entrepreneur with C-level experience across all functions, business sizes, and market environments. Expert in organizational development, operational efficiency, staffing, benefits, and HR systems, marketing, financial management, accounting, legal compliance, and risk management. Excels at human capital development and leadership.

Selected Successes:

• Consistently maintained expenditure within budgets over long leadership career for organizations from $10M to $400M, with results always within 3% of projections.


• Restructured and transformed 2 companies from near bankruptcy to profitability by rationalizing staffing, slashing spending, streamlining processes, expanding markets, and accelerating collections.


• Developed and implemented investment policies for over $500M in investments, re-defining investment model to reduce risk, reducing administrative costs, and clarifying sector manager roles, targets, and accountability.


• Created equitable, revenue-based taxation system aligned with current economic realities to dramatically increase funds to areas in need and significantly upgrade their operations.


• Led successful resolution of major legal crisis, overseeing legal response and crisis management activities in response to 200 civil and criminal cases without resorting to bankruptcy.


• Raised $1M to pay private school tuition for 3,000 underprivileged children, leveraging corporate and vendor relationships and organizing successful community fundraising events.

Selected Successes:

Operations Management · Strategic Planning · P&L · Financial Management · Startups · Turnarounds · Restructuring

Change Management · Business Law · Risk Management · HR · Talent Development · Team Leadership · Investments

Debt Restructuring · Customer Relations · Facilities Management · Management Information Systems · Consulting

 

Professional History                                                                                                                                         

 

Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel 2018–March 2020

Professional HVAC/R Services, Inc. Tampa, FL

Recruited to direct all financial and legal functions for growing company specializing in green / low-energy commercial refrigeration systems for retail clients.

• Built brand recognition and impact by redesigning website and implementing new social media strategy.


• Negotiated new supply chain partnerships with Chinese vendors to reduce product costs and improve margin.

 

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer 2014–2018

SCG Fields, LLC Cleveland, OH

Brought in by board to turn around specialty construction company serving 18 eastern states from bankruptcy back to profitability after extended period of annual losses. Implemented formal costing and accounting systems, restructured workforce, expanded market reach and services, and ended financial dependence on 1 key client.

• Transformed company finances from 7 continuous years of losses to ongoing profitability starting in first year.


• Expanded market geography to enable year-round construction services, greatly improving revenue and cash flow.


• Cut staff by 35% to eliminate underperforming personnel and restructured staffing model for more efficient employee allocation, productivity, and cost control while accommodating expanded work calendar and market geography.


• Ended company's dependence on single large client that had dictated low prices and restricted revenues.

 

Chief Financial Officer 2011–2014

MW Mielke Cleveland, OH

Hired to implement new growth strategy for regional MEP construction services company, and restructure accounting functions. Oversaw all accounting and legal issues. Managed $20M in revenues and up to 90 employees.

• Expanded market and drove account capture to increase revenues by 10% year-over-year during tenure; boosted margins by 10% year-over-year through job costing controls to focus on job profitability.


• Reorganized staff priorities to concentrate on billing and collections and significantly improve cash flows.

 

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer 2009–2011

Meleca Architecture Columbus, OH

Interim C-level leadership of architectural client, leveraging CPA expertise to transform company operations and boost revenues and margins. Managed staff of up to 40 and $15M in revenues.

• Implemented company's first effective accounting and financial control systems and resolved legal problems.


• Raised revenues by 20% by expanding existing client relationships while cutting costs by 35% in each of 2 first years.

 

Adjunct Professor 2005–2006

Ohio Dominican University Columbus, OH

Taught accounting and law courses to MBA students.

 

Earlier Roles                                                                                                                                                       

Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel, Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland & Diocese of Columbus, OH. Led 8-county diocese through sexual abuse crisis, managing media relations, risk mitigation, compensation negotiations, as well as all legal matters. Responsible for $300M annual operating budget as well as $30B in capital assets.

Audit Senior, Arthur Young and Company. Provided senior audit services to regional, national, and international clients.

 

Education                                                                                                                                                           

 

Juris Doctor, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, OH

Bachelor of Arts, Accounting, Finance and Marketing, Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH

Admitted to Bar, State of Ohio