Startup company needed to install an enterprise financial reporting system to account for the joint venture’s rapidly expanding operations. Existing staff did not have expertise in enterprise accounting systems that were designed for the commercial real estate industry.

Formed a staff committee to lead a request for proposal to three industry software service providers. Directed committee to present business proposals to automate development, property management, and construction accounting services into one company-wide financial reporting system. Simulated flowcharts of the company’s proposed operations to determine the “best fit” software that balanced the costs of installation against the benefits to the company.

$100,000 reduction to annual external accounting and property management fees achieved by drawing from extensive experience in financial reporting systems and information technology projects to create a highly efficient solution for a startup company.

Gross revenues were expanding at rate of 20% annually, and pricing administrative services required development of the first cost accounting system based on activity-based accounting principles. However, actuaries and sales personnel did not want to accept the use of cost accounting principles to price administrative services.

Championed the development of an interdepartmental team comprised of key stakeholders from the sales, marketing, actuarial, underwriting, and operations departments to develop activity-based categories for direct and indirect cost structures. Models were built and tested by the team to gain universal standards that all management could embrace for pricing administrative services.

Cost accounting became a dominate factor in achieving a $600 million revenue increase and a 40% cut to the company’s operating expense ratio as part of a senior management initiative.

Investment policies statements were outdated, inconsistent, and not in compliance with the state departments of Insurance and Regulatory Affairs. State laws required each individual state’s board of directors to approve the new investment policies, but a majority of the directors lacked investment knowledge or regulatory experience and were resistant to approving investment policy changes.

Corporate counsel and external investment portfolio consultants were commissioned by investment department to provide educational programs to the directors. Surveys were disseminated to the directors to measure risk tolerance and asset allocation preferences. Staff charted these preferences to state insurance regulatory requirements and created new investment policy statements to govern the $400 million investment portfolios.

The combined $400 million investment portfolios achieved top-quartile performance by matching or exceeding the S&P 500 investment returns and Lehman Brothers Intermediate Treasury index returns for five consecutive years.

The advancement of electronic media and publishing software required the replacement of the company’s mechanical inked-based printing systems. Information technology personnel did not support the use of large-scale computing and printing equipment outside of the company’s centralized data operations center or the use of unionized workers to operate the equipment.

Engaged bargaining unit employees to participate in research, selection, preparation of budget approvals, and installation of the new technology. Built unprecedented commitment by union workers to operate advanced computing systems. Recruited Information Technology personnel to participate in the training process and provide linkage of the Docutech system to the company’s LAN-based computing systems and servers.

Company in-sourced 100% of its printed marketing and provider communication materials, reducing turnaround times from several weeks to less than five business days and was awarded a $500,000 capital budget to purchase equipment.

Market demand for commercial real estate properties were setting new record highs due to the growth of 1031 Exchange powerhouses. Company was presented with opportunities to dispose of several retail properties at unprecedented profits. Investors were letting purchase agreements with the stipulation that occupancy rates must be a minimum of 85% and deferred maintenance cost must be less than 5% of the purchase price.

Assembled a capital investment sales team to analyze the company’s investment portfolio and earmark which assets would qualify for a quick sale. Engaged leasing brokers to fortify existing lease terms and push occupancy rates above the investor purchase requirements. Added exclusive land positions to the available for-sale list to deleverage the portfolio where market saturation was identified.

Approximately $15 million of investment sales occurred within three years, generating unprecedented profits. This achievement demonstrates executive leadership and financial modeling skills, as well as sharpened knowledge and insight to assess and capitalize on abnormal market conditions.

Three independent entrepreneurs agreed to form a new commercial real estate holding company to grow their collective investment portfolio assets from $33 million to $250 million within 10 years. Being a startup joint venture, neither entrepreneur had existing legal or operating structures to serve as the umbrella company to drive forward the new strategic business plan.

Researched commercial real estate laws and tax regulations. Provided the guiding principles to create three new LLCs that were designed to partition different investment classes into safe havens based on market focus: commercial, residential, and brokerage/property management. Utilized negotiation skills learned from government contracting, modeled different ownership structures based on the initial capital contributions that each entrepreneur would invest, and tilted ownership percentages more favorably toward individuals with proven expertise in the different market disciplines.

Invested assets grew from $33 million to approximately $125 million in less than four years by being able to negotiate and communicate to gain buy-in from vastly different sources.