Sharing skills & experience I bring to my Mentoring and Coaching Business. Companies I worked with during corporate career, responsibilities & achievements.
Harvey Norman – Director/Franchisee Kitchen Renovations
With Gerry Harvey in HN Renovations Showroom
- Responsible for marketing, sales, finance, HR, IT and operations functions
- Mentored team of 12 highly experienced and talented salespeople.
- Specified and implemented a new customised kitchen bill-of-materials and project costing system which provided accurate project profitability statistics, and ease of use for sales team. Achieved 20% increase in profit margins in following 12 months.
Caesarstone – General Manager, Queensland
- Established State Operations for this National Company, at that time part of the Harvey Norman Group.
- Set up State warehouse/showroom, implemented Operational and Financial Systems, recruited a high-quality sales-team, provided mentoring and sales training and as a result, achieved profitability within 12 months.
- Personally established close business relationships with the owners or management of all our key customers.
- By January 2007 sales, on a population basis, Queensland was equal to Sydney and Melbourne, which had been operating for 5 and 3 1/2 years respectively, before we opened in Queensland.
Australian Kitchen Industries (AKI) – Managing Director
- Led management buy-in to Nobby Kitchens, renamed AKI, in October 1997 with private equity provider Hambro Grantham Private Equity.
- Recruited and led a dynamic highly motivated sales team
- During 6 years as CEO, grew AKI from a company with annual turnover $10m and loss of ($2m) in NSW to become the largest kitchen company in Australia, with $65m turnover, EBIT of over $4 million, and operations in 3 States (NSW, SA and Queensland).
- Acquired two successful kitchen companies in other States as part of strategy to achieve faster geographic growth and securing quality facilities and people in those States.
Optus Communications – Finance Director
- Director of both Optus Communications and Optus Vision.
- During my tenure, Optus achieved its maiden profit (At the EBIT level).
- Member of team overseeing acquisition of Optus Vision, originally a joint-venture, and integration into the Optus Communications business.
- Negotiated and completed the sale of the company’s 25% stake in its service provider “One Tel”, which resolved contentious service-provider issues for the company.
- Successfully secured $2.6bn loan facility from syndicate of 18 banks at exceptionally low interest rates, saving over $2 million in annual interest costs.
Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) – Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer
- ACP was largest magazine company in Australia. Achieved EBIT of $125 million in 1994 / 1995. I was responsible for all financial functions, computer services, magazine production and distribution.
- Renegotiated company’s paper procurement and printing contracts providing major competitive advantage and increased profitability.
- Successfully negotiated with major supermarket chains to carry a significantly increased range of ACP magazines.
- Part of the Consolidated Press (Holding Company) team that negotiated with institutional shareholders to gain approval for the merger of ACP and Channel Nine to form PBL.
Qantas Group – Chief Financial Officer
- Presented financial performance results and provided in-depth analysis, insights and recommendations to the monthly Board meetings.
- Established fuel-price research and analysis team and received approval from main board and finance committee to make forward purchases of one third of QANTAS’s aviation fuel requirements at fixed price $28/barrel. As fuel prices increased from $21/barrel to over $75/barrel, over next 5 years, made multi-million-dollar savings in fuel costs.
- Played key role in profit turnaround from loss ($300 million) in 1990/91 to EBIT of $156 million in 1991/92, by focussing resources on profitable routes, improved margins and load factors (i.e. seats filled), and staff reductions of over 2000 people.
- Active member of the board of Air New Zealand (On behalf of QANTAS – 25% Shareholder at that time), and 5 Qantas subsidiaries, including Thomas Cook and Qantas Superannuation.
- Member of small executive team that oversaw the acquisition and integration of Australian Airlines operations into Qantas. The team was able to achieve a successful integration which resulted in multi-million $ savings.
- Restructured And streamlined all divisions of finance organisation, including FP&A, accounting, taxation, insurance and major treasury function.
Sunbeam Victa
Sunbeam Victa was a manufacturing company with three divisions, all of which were market leaders in their industries in Australia and New Zealand. Annual turnover was A$180m.
Finance Director
- Appointed Finance Director when Australian Company was acquired from US Parent by local venture capital group.
- Improved EBIT from $0.7 million to $16 million, in first 2 years.
- Rationalised product ranges and implemented price structure reflecting market leadership position.
- “Total Quality Control” and “Value added management” implemented, warranty returns reduced by 40% in the first 12 months. Installed integrated manufacturing and accounting system (MRP2)
Chief Executive
Appointed CEO when previous CEO retired due to ill-health. Due to adverse industry and business conditions, re-negotiated facilities with bankers and implemented aggressive cost cutting measures as part of that process.
Conclusion
If you believe I might be able to assist you to take your business and life to the next level, and you would like to learn more, please book a free 30 minute strategy consultation with me on my calendar below:
We can do this, preferably on Skype or Zoom Meetings where we can be face to face, or by phone if that suits you better. I look forward to meeting you:
https://meetme.so/DavidAmerMeetingCalendar
Or just call me for an initial chat. My mobile number is 0418 277 137
Thanks for your consideration.
