J. Neil Stewart

VALUE PROPOSITION

Skilled and client-focused finance leader with strong consulting, business development and financial analysis skillsets seeks a strategic role at a leading firm looking to grow.  Can leverage complex financial modeling, deal structuring, and client management skillsets learned within leading professional services firms into a leadership role.  Extensive experience in financial planning and analysis, operations, strategy, new business integration and client service will immediately add value to any high performing team.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Deloitte Services LP, Detroit, MI                                 2015 – Present

Deloitte Services is a US member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) delivering services in audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax globally. DTT has over 220,000 professionals and 2017 revenues of $39 billion.

Senior Manager – Finance

Responsible for financial operations in collaboration with the Operations Partner, COO and Tax Controller.  Overall responsibility for operations and providing forward-looking financials and detailed P&L management to firm Partners to enable key business decisions.  Includes monthly financial closing, client management, proactive reporting, forecasting and annual planning. Developed expertise in SAP HANA, Essbase and Tableau.

Key Accomplishments:

• Taking ownership: Acted as the trusted business adviser for tax service lines responsible for revenue of $1 billion through a significant economic downturn and an unpopular organizational change.
• Technical competence: Consistently provided unusually complex financial modeling involving staff utilization, run rate volatility and scenario analysis to understand the intimate details of the P&L.
• Innovation: Developed a method to avoid balance sheet debt by creating a “mousetrap” for leaders trying to game the system.
• Organizational acumen: Stepped into a highly fragmented and disconnected organization and built a highly efficient and engaged, matrixed finance organization that included accounting, talent, operations and technology.
• Aligning with leadership: Adeptly balanced the interest of both senior business line leadership and finance leadership on a regular basis.  Includes conveying difficult messages about financial performance, providing resolution on competing perspectives and adding invaluable business intelligence to make informed decisions.
• Results-oriented: Achieved 10% higher margins via a coordinated expense reduction strategy and improved receivables management.

ICF International (Nasdaq: ICFI), Washington, D.C.                   2010 – 2015

ICF is a management consulting firm that delivers professional services and technology solutions in energy, social programs and defense to both government and commercial clients.  ICF had 2017 revenue of more than $1.3 billion.

Senior Manager – Finance & Accounting, Business Development

Responsible for business development, financial modeling and financial operations for the Midwest utility portfolio’s energy efficiency programs.  Accountable for managing multi-million annual budgets, decision support, due diligence, financial statement analysis, business performance, pricing, analysis of profit and loss, client management, and contract relationship management.  Promoted two levels within first three years.  Developed expertise in CostPoint.

Key Accomplishments:

• Risk management: Quantified and analyzed risk on all new business proposals and gained division leadership approval for all new and repeat business in becoming the go-to finance lead for the regional team.
• Executive engagement: Prepared one-pagers and concise decks summarizing projected revenue and profitability for SVPs, EVPs, CFO and COO to facilitate key decisions.
• Technical competence: Key team member for building, reviewing and socializing all financial models and cash flow projections for new proposals to quantify business, marketplace and financial risk.
• Technical reporting: Direct responsibility for monthly financial forecasting and communicating all Midwest portfolio performance to senior division level leadership and communication of P&L to operational, IT and marketing leadership.
• Team building: Key participant in developing the strategy for and implementing the rollout of a financial program management tool in collaboration with IT to provide division’s first web based financial reporting dashboard.
• Leadership: Led the effort to build the financial planning and analysis infrastructure for the Midwest business.  This model was replicated across every other region in the domestic business.
• Entrepreneurial: Responsible for business development that secured new contracts for 2013-2015 valued at more than $32 million dollars representing a 45% increase over 2012.
• Multi-tasking: Hired more than 20 staff, leased and built out new Midwest office and worked as a startup consultant on several new projects.

Corporate FACTS, Detroit, MI                                               2008-2009

Corporate FACTS is a small consultancy that specializes in financial analysis, strategy and business planning.

Business Consultant – Responsible for financial and strategic analysis for non-profit and city government clients.

Key Accomplishments:  Developed an investment strategy to stabilize a struggling real estate portfolio.  Collaborated with state, city and financial intermediaries to identify funding sources, sell services and to develop creative revenue generating strategies.  Sales and consulting acumen led to a capital infusion of more than $45 million in debt and equity.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK), Charlotte, NC                2002-2007

Duke operates as an energy company in the US and Latin America through three segments: Regulated Utilities, International Energy, and Commercial Power.

Director – Operations, Business Development

Responsible for strategy development and revenue growth of the commercial telecommunications business. Managed a $50 million operating and capital budget and led a team of 150+ employees in various technology functions including security, telecommunications, server operations and business continuity. Reported directly to CIO.

Key Accomplishments:

• Developed an acquisition strategy for the business focused on growth markets in the southern and southeast U.S.  Provided a comprehensive dashboard demonstrating target regions ripe for expansion of the fiber network.
• Led the effort to build a competency for using a government-subsidized program (E-Rate) that provided fiber optic communications to schools.
• Created a more streamlined operation through workforce reduction, removal of inefficiency and process improvement.  These efforts reduced the budget by 10% and increased availability and reliability by 20%.
• Won the confidence of executives and leaders and received promotion to Director.
• Selected by executives as one of the company’s top 25 future leaders and took a lead role in a major cost-saving initiative.  Joined gas operations and partnered with external consultants to reduce costs, improve processes and remove inefficiency.  Resulted in a 17% savings on $67 million budget.
• Collaborated with the CFO to develop the 5-year strategic and financial plan.  This work was crucial in gaining Wall Street support regarding company’s future stock price growth.

Honeywell – UOP, Chicago, IL                                                 1992-2000

Honeywell-UOP is the worldwide leader in delivering technology and consulting services to the global oil and gas industry.

Global Refinery Consultant – Provided consulting services, technology solutions, project management and process improvement to oil & gas industry.  Acted as the lead consultant and chief liaison between company leaders and refinery clients.

Key Accomplishments:

• Increased capacity, reduced capital costs, and earned 10% higher revenues for the refiner than previous designs by optimizing operational flow schemes. Revenues to the client estimated to be $9 million annually.
• Led team of consultants in a $20 million gasoline production startup for a Japanese refiner.  Negotiated terms of legal contract with senior-level management to guarantee refinery revenues and royalty payments in excess of $2 million.  Revenues to the client were estimated to be $8 million annually.

EDUCATION

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

• Kellogg School of Management, MBA, Finance, Analytics
• McCormick School of Engineering, BS, Chemical Engineering

OTHER INTERESTS

• Owner, MODEL Financial & Consulting Services, LLC
• Volunteer, Deloitte Cornerstone Career Partnership
• Youth basketball and football coach
• Global consulting experience in the Far East (China, Japan), Central & South America (Chile, Mexico, Panama), the Middle East (Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) and Western Europe (Great Britain, Italy, Spain)