About

I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1990, where I worked in the legal and banking professions…most recently as vice president of finance for The Charles Schwab Corporation. After my father’s death in 2003, I re-evaluated my priorities and resolved to rekindle my childhood passion for artisan crafts. The philosophy that has guided my life and work ever since is: "Do what you love and explore what you are passionate about." For retail locations that carry my jewelry, check out John S. Brana – Retail Locator or you can purchase selected jewelry directly through my shopping cart at Shop – John S. Brana – Handcrafted Fine Jewelry

My Prior Professional Experience

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

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.