Work History

MEDICAL, INC. - Jacksonville, FL 1997 - 2008
VP of Compliance & Tax (2000 - 2008)
$2 billion market-leading national distributor of medical products, pharmaceuticals, and Medicare billing services.
Promoted to develop and manage an entity-wide corporate compliance program supporting the wholesale distribution of drugs, medical devices, and diagnostic equipment to office-based physicians and elder care facilities, as well as Medicare billing for nursing home residents. Managed five directors with staff in compliance and tax departments. Accountable for strategic planning and execution including P&L management of regulatory affairs and integrating compliance requirements across operations. Charter member of Executive Management Team.
Selected Achievements
  • $146.4 million in sales of private-label consumables protected by simplifying communication processes between regulatory bodies/key decision makers that improved product quality, eliminating nearly all FDA detention of shipments through U.S. Customs.
  • 21.7% segment sales growth preserved by reestablishing collaborative partnerships with an industry association and its members critical to obtaining immediate information and industry response to new regulations.
  • 11% growth in net sales of medical disposables achieved by collaborating with VP of Marketing to implement a new compliant marketing program that enables customers to participate in exclusive promotions.
  • Built and managed a corporate compliance program from the ground up, including implementing risk-mitigation plans that positioned firm for regulatory/ethical compliance vital to meeting SOX and NASDAQ requirements.
  • Facilitated achievement of 100% of strategic plan targets for increasing buy-side margins by identifying need and partnering with VP of Procurement to gain approval for in-house expert attorney in processing contracts.
  • $2 million in grant payments negotiated and secured by petitioning the County to annex an HQ location into a target growth zone - achieving the firm's guaranteed employee growth and average wage.
  • Preserved nearly $290 million in sales by ensuring migration of 85% of historical drug purchases from distributors to drug manufacturers, maintaining compliance with new regulations while vigorously promoting corporate interests in opposing them.
  • 27.4% revenue growth maintained for the company's private-label medical devices by establishing a product feedback call center staffed with nurses and other clinicians.
VP of Tax (1997 - 2000)
Selected to establish and lead operations for three divisions supporting the correct invoicing of sales tax on 145,000 products serving 250,000+ customers across 150 jurisdictions. Oversaw on average 20 concurrent state sales tax audits with focus on reducing audit assessments. Developed automated systems to ensure timely and accurate monthly reporting of sales tax collections averaging $6+ million. Successfully completed risk assessment of existing unclaimed property. Initiated a new process supporting annual reporting. Led transition of property tax reporting from an outsourced to in-house operation.
Selected Achievements
  • 85% reduction in audit expenses with $1 million saved in one state alone achieved by partnering with IT to implement system solutions to correctly invoice customers for sales taxes across 50 states/100 local jurisdictions.
  • 65% cut in tax assessments from proposed $2.5 million to $875,000 garnered by assessing and prioritizing tax issues by state based on firm's revenue sources, reestablishing compliance for collection and timely remittance for all 150+ jurisdictions.
  • $100,000 saved annually in fees by transitioning the preparation of personal property tax returns from a national CPA firm to an in-house operation.
  • Eliminated 100% of state penalties by leading the completion of multi-state Unclaimed Property Voluntary Disclosure for physician division and newly acquired elder care division.
  • Averted legal interruptions in doing business while supporting two mergers per quarter over three years by bringing annual report filings up to date to meet Secretary of State requirements for doing business in states.
BANK, INC. - Jacksonville, FL 1990 - 1997
Sales Tax Manager (1994 - 1997)
One of the top 25 financial institutions in the U.S. with $48.6 billion in assets and 10,000+ employees.
Managed sales tax functions to ensure compliance for all holding companies as well as banks, securities, and mortgage companies. Supervised and trained five direct reports in preparing monthly consolidated sales tax and use tax returns and managing state audits. Oversaw 100+ multi-state sales tax returns for leased vehicles on a monthly basis. Supervised up to five concurrent state audits. Researched and obtained refunds of overpaid tax and obtained state incentives.
Selected Achievements
  • $12 million in bottom-line cash refunds captured by identifying and capitalizing on a large income opportunity to secure sales tax refunds related to bad debt on vehicle loans.
  • Generated $2 million in cash refunds by discovering that a bank's downtown location was in a statutory enterprise zone and working with an external consultant to obtain sales tax refunds on a contingency basis.
  • Enabled expansion of bank's national footprint by establishing effective partnerships with various departments critical to positioning the firm to acquire nationwide vehicle leasing corporation.
  • $250,000 in annual, timely filing discounts secured by launching a software solution (Vertex) to improve accuracy and processing times for state sales tax reporting processes.
Previous Positions
Financial Analyst (1992 - 1994) / Senior Accounting Clerk (1990 - 1992)