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Laura Matthews

Laura Matthews

Lyndhurst, NJ, US

 

About 

Controller/Accountant in floorcovering/home furnishings industry for premier retailer

Freelance writer/editor

MBA

Passed 4 parts of CPA exam

QuickBooks certified

Employment 

Einstein Moomjy, Inc., Pine Brook, NJ, US, Controller

 Perform timely and accurate month-end, quarterly, and annual financial closings. Prepare and review financial statements, general ledger activity, journal entries, and accruals for $25+ million annual revenue private corporation.
 Produce and evaluate detailed internal management reports to influence marketing and purchasing decisions and budgets.
 Establish and maintain internal controls. Perform interim internal reviews reducing accounting firm fees by 30%. Manage external financial and tax audits.
 Consistently meet deadlines for 60+ employee biweekly payroll, monthly sales commissions, and quarterly bonuses. Evaluate, propose, and administer benefits plans. Consolidate multiple payrolls reducing ADP processing and delivery costs by 25%.
 Execute initiative to establish purchasing controls and expand consigned goods operation reducing inventory levels by 20%.
 Evaluate insurance needs and proposals. Research office equipment acquisitions and analyze lease or buy options.
 Supervise biyearly physical inventory taking, reconciling, and reporting for diverse 15,000 SKU product line of carpet, handwoven and machine-made rugs, furniture, and accessories.

Jan 2004 - Jan 2012
 

Einstein Moomjy, Inc., Pine Brook, NJ, US, Accounting Manager

 Manage and supervise full cycle of accounting operations for 10 member office staff.
 Prepare monthly and quarterly NJ and NY sales and commercial rent tax returns and annual 1099 tax forms.
 Manage information systems, data/voice telecom network and all peripherals, applications, and security at corporate center and 5 remote sites. Troubleshoot and resolve LAN and WAN network issues.
 Research and prepare needs analysis and collaborate with programmers to design and implement $300K custom retail application resulting in a 30% office staff reduction. Negotiate purchases and contracts yielding a 50% cut in system maintenance costs.
 Research, propose, and install new auto-attendant telecom system reducing telecom maintenance and staffing costs by 15%. Investigate and implement technologies and calling plans lowering costs for local and long distance by 25%, WAN networking by 10%, wireless by 30%, and Internet by 35%.
 Manage the introduction of new furniture and hardwood flooring product lines to the system facilitating $3+ million sales increase.
 Train staff in all computer applications and accounting procedures. Write all operational user documentation for computer system.

Jan 1998 - Dec 2003
 

Einstein Moomjy, Inc., Pine Brook, NJ, US, Information Technology Project Manager/Systems Analyst

Led multi-phase systems redesign and upgrade in order to reduce costs, streamline processes, and support business expansion.
Key contributions include:
 Supervise and implement conversion to computerized retail system yielding 25% office staff reduction.
 Trained staff; identified and resolved change management issues.
 Design and implement bar code labeling and automation of physical inventory procedures lowering costs by 50%.
 Design and implement system to manage consigned goods improving efficiency and eliminating duplicate payments.
 Establish procedures and reports to improve A/R turnover and to identify and address problem collectibles

Jan 1986 - Dec 1996
 

Einstein Moomjy, Inc., Pine Brook, NJ, US, New York Corporate Division Accounting Manager

 Managed Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Sales and Cost analyses, collections, sales taxes, sales commissions, bank reconciliations, General Ledger journals, and financial reporting for $7 million annual revenue corporate division.

Jan 1983 - Dec 1985
 

Education 

William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, US, Masters, MBA-Accounting Concentration

MBA general studies in Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, Economics, IT, Law
Additional concentration in Accounting - Audit, Regulation (Tax&Law), Financial, Managerial, International

Jan 2007 - May 2010
 

Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, US, Bachelors, English Literature

Major - English Lit
Minors - History & Philosophy

Sep 1977 - May 1984
 

Awards 

Graduate School Awards, Award

2010 Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society
Cotsakos School of Business 2009-2010 Dean’s Graduate Award
William Paterson University Outstanding MBA Graduate with a Concentration in Accounting Award
Cotsakos School of Business Excellence in MBA (Accounting Award)

2010
 

Skills