John S. Brana
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Finance & Accounting Management … Budgeting … Information Systems … Regulatory Reporting … Profitability Management … Staff Training & Development … Incentive Program Development
A fast-track, highly motivated executive with a successful background in financial services, legal, and consumer banking. Proven ability to improve operations, impact business growth, and maximize profits in financial management, cost reductions, internal controls, and productivity/efficiency improvements. Skilled in project management, business planning, systems technology design and implementation, and staff development/leadership.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
JOHN S. BRANA - DISTINCTIVE JEWELRY, San Francisco,
California
10/2004 – Present
Founder/Owner
Owner and Chief Designer of www.johnsbrana.com, an online retailer/wholesaler specializing in custom handcrafted precious metal and gemstone jewelry.
• Performed all business startup activities: business planning,
capital formation, incorporation, hiring, and market research.
• Responsible for web site development and maintenance, search
engine optimization, copy writing, marketing initiatives.
• Negotiate vendor relations, customer relations, order
fulfillment, fabrication, and jewelry production.
• Manage payroll, government reporting, cash flow management,
annual budgeting, and sales forecasting.
CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC., San Francisco, California
8/1997
– 1/2004
Vice President - Finance 3/2000 – 1/2004
Director - Finance 7/1999 – 2/2000
Senior Financial Consultant 1/1999 – 6/1999
Financial Consultant 8/1997 – 12/1998
Accountable for strategic planning, development, and leadership of the entire finance and technology functions as well as day-to-day operations of the Corporate Oversight division (Compliance, Corporate Counsel, Risk Management, Government Affairs, Corporate Secretary, Strategic Planning). Recruited, developed, and managed a team of 11 (4 direct, 7 indirect) finance and technology professionals, project managers, and support staff.
• Directed the Monthly Accrual and Close processes, Annual Plan, and
subsequent Quarterly Reforecasts of the Corporate Oversight group’s $64 million
expense budget.
• Directed corporate RFP funding process of critical Regulatory and technology
initiatives within SOP (97-2, 98-1, 98-9) guidelines: Email Archival, Patriot
Act, Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX 404), InSight Surveillance System, Document Management
System, India Offshoring Initiative (WIPRO).
• Managed key technology projects and vendor negotiations - Instrumental in
leveraging technology across three Oversight Areas saving $500,000 in database
development costs while vastly improving management reporting capabilities.
• Managed and negotiated 100 Outside Counsel relationships to ensure rate
reduction achievements of 10% or $1.6 million annually.
• Negotiated and achieved consensus among 11 enterprises regarding fiscal
controls of problematic internal legal billing for Office of Corporate Counsel.
• Designed, implemented, and maintained Component Profitability Analysis model
to evaluate ROI of in-house legal department.
• Managed reporting requirements relating to litigation/arbitration claims: SEC,
NYSE, Management Committee, Audit Committee, E&O Insurance.
• Performed a wide variety of analyses, benchmarking, and special projects for
various executives relating to legal costs, project expenses, budget variances,
and staffing metrics.
• Managed disaster recovery procedures and offsite storage solutions for
divisional Business Resumption plan to ensure business continuity and network
connectivity to clients within 24 hours of disaster.
• Compiled quarterly Headquarters Bonus Program and Executive and Key
Contributor Option Grants for Corporate Oversight.
• Provided Human Resource management function for 350 Oversight employees.
• Managed finances of Company’s Political Action Committee (“PAC”).
• Initiated creative strategies to maintain work product quality while staff
decreases from 20 to 11 employees.
BRONSON, BRONSON & McKINNON, LLP, San Francisco, California
12/1993 - 8/1997
Senior Financial Analyst 7/1995 – 8/1997
Financial Analyst 12/1993 – 6/1995
• Planned, organized, and coordinated the development and approval of the
firm’s $54 million revenue and expense budget.
• Developed and implemented Practice Group Profitability model to assess
contribution margin of individual attorneys and practice groups at the request
of the Managing Partner, CEO, and CFO.
• Designed executive and management profit and loss reporting systems and
tailored financial and operating reporting systems to meet departmental, branch
office, and practice group requirements.
• Analyzed and reported expense variances for various departments and offices
quarterly.
• Implemented automated Merit Planning system company-wide reducing Human
Resource staff by 50%.
• Directed annual Associate Bonus and Staff Incentive Bonus plans.
• Evaluated various external legal practices for potential Merger/Acquisition
candidates.
• Analyzed and implemented cost recovery systems for on-line legal research,
photocopy, and telephones increasing recoverables by 45%.
• Compiled annual law firm peer surveys such as Price Waterhouse.
• Designed and implemented various Access database applications for end-users.
• Performed a wide variety of analyses and special projects.
UNION BANK, San Francisco, California
5/1992 – 11/1993
Financial Planning Analyst
• Provided financial analysis/planning of customer and marketing information
relative to the performance of branches, products, customers, competitors and
geographic areas for Community Banking division.
• Coordinated, compiled, forecasted, and reviewed $7 billion capital and $600
million operating budgets.
• Prepared and presented quarterly budget variance, staffing, expense, and ROE
reports to executives.
• Designed and compiled branch manager incentive program for 206 retail
branches.
• Evaluated potential Merger/Acquisition candidates.
• Developed advanced PC applications and modeling using Lotus 1,2,3 (3.1 and
Macros).
• Trained and supervised Market Research analyst and summer interns.
TRW INFORMATION SERVICES, Corte Madera, California
2/1992 –
4/1992
Financial Analyst
• Responsibilities included: Financial planning, budgeting, reporting and
analysis, asset management, and facilities management.
• Selected computer software and developed financial reports to specified
formats using Lotus 1,2,3 (3.1 and Macros), SQL, DB2, and QMF.
• Acted as regional liaison for payroll, accounts payable, purchasing, accounts
receivable/collections, and commissions.
OLDE DISCOUNT STOCKBROKERAGE CORPORATION, Detroit, Michigan
6/1986 – 11/1988
Operations Analyst
• Analyzed and researched accounts in order to approve daily cash
disbursements averaging $1.5 million.
• Effectively communicated with branch stockbrokers and other departments:
legals, dividends, margins, accounts receivable.
• Trained and supervised accounts payable clerks.
• Supervised cash disbursements of 120 branch offices.
• Personal efficiency and problem solving contributed to reducing workforce from
5 to 3.
EDUCATION / PROFESSIONAL LICENSES
MBA - Finance/International Economics, The University of Michigan,
1990
Honors: Dean’s List, School of Management
BA - Economics, The University of Michigan, 1986
Honors: Dean’s List, College of Arts and Sciences
Series 7, Series 63 (California), National Association of Securities Dealers
COMPUTER SKILLS
Windows (98, NT, XP); Access/Excel/Word/PowerPoint (98, 2000); PeopleSoft (6.0); Hyperion Pillar (4.0) LawPack (6.3); iManage Desksite (6.0); Infomaker (8.0); PowerBuilder (9.0); Ariba; TeamSite; SQL; DB2; QMF; Casewise; Elite; Brio; Visio; Frontpage 2003; QuickBooks Premier - Retail 2005.