Gary Chin

Advisory and Fractional CFO services for small and medium organizations navigating growth and change, optimizing operations, improving financial clarity, align profitability with purpose.

Entered a challenging former founder-led ESOP manufacturing environment poised for transformation—a recently appointed CEO, a newly restructured board, and a legacy operation that lacked structured systems or standardized best practices. Challenged to champion transformative strategic initiatives in intensive collaboration with cross-functional departments while remaining grounded in a strong sense of “why.” Lead a dynamic team of 5. Report to the CEO and board of directors. ■ Created a vision board within 2 months that pinpointed 11 crucial initiatives to strategically correct inherited foundational issues and set the stage for sustainable growth. ■ Initiated weekly Accounting team meetings and 1:1s to build trust, foster open communication, introduce accountability & empowerment. Navigated complex professional relationships with long-time company veterans, adeptly managing communication & transforming resisters into advocates to foster a collaborative environment and drive change. ■ Spearheaded the completion of Phase 1 (current process mapping) and Phase 2 (future) of the inventory process transformation initiative within 5 weeks by separating the initiative into 3 manageable phases and brought in external expertise. ■ Led the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable automation initiatives —sourcing best-in-class technology to provide better visibility, build in control, and embed best practices to proactively manage the 2 largest cash in and outflow categories within the company leading to a projected 40% faster turnover on AR & 30% savings on AP in 1st year. ■ Developed an updated strategic vision board in collaboration with the CEO for year 2 to build on the solidified foundation achieved in year 1. Among many other strategic initiatives included, FP&A initiatives, transforming the Accounting department into a profit-driven division and realize the “Visibility, Actionable Insights, Accountabilities, and Profitability” (VAAP) vision.

𝟒𝐱 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 | 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 | 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 Quick service restaurant chain/franchisor founder-led with 350+ locations in 33 states offering high-quality sushi and fusion items. Led a 400% increase in sales over 20-year tenure, navigated complex transitions, streamlined operations, and drove financial improvements that led to sustained growth and profitability for the company over the long term and positioned the company for continued success through strategic financial management Promoted into an evolved and expanded role that included financial oversight, decision-making, and approval of financial requests across the growing company. Collaborated cross-functionally to enhance operational efficiency. Oversaw both the Accounting and Legal departments (9 people) and strategically originated and partnered with external consultants for HR, IT, and legal counsel. ■ Achieved a 3% improvement in profit margin (up from 8%) by identifying and establishing 3 profit divisions to maximize business synergies and work across departments to leverage the foundations built as controller. ■ Renegotiated with Top 3 suppliers (80% of purchase) to extend credit terms from 30 days to 45/60 days. ■ Built the HR department from scratch, including developing the employee handbook. Automated the payroll system to enhance visibility and control of payroll spending while maintaining 100% compliance with zero lawsuits/claims within role tenure. ■ Optimized operations and expanded the scope of the company’s technological infrastructure, effectively managing the team to adapt to the company’s growth and technological advancements. ■ Mitigated $6M in revenue risk by optimizing supply chain vendors to handle the expanded volume and geographic coverage. Validated suppliers with an eye toward diversification and leveraging across locations.

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐝 & 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 | 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫 Initially joined the company when it was driven by a founders’ mentality, lacked structured accounting practices, and the prevailing culture posed additional challenges to accounting accuracy and transparency—particularly with 120 locations across 20 states. Stabilized operations at a critical juncture when one of the founders exited the company. Led and developed a team of 5. ■ Attained compliance with US GAAP and 20+ state regulatory requirements after gaining hard-won consensus from operations to build forward-thinking integrated accounting processes, procedures, and controls based on best practices. ■ Orchestrated a transformative shift within 9 months, transitioning the company to a franchise model without legal ramifications, setting up an efficient accounting department from scratch, and aligning operations to effectively operate as a franchise. The transformation enhanced operational efficiency and became the platform for introducing 3 profit divisions as CFO. ■ Cut franchisee and vendor order timeline from 2 days to minutes by pioneering an online ordering system—a change that also improved food cost compliance 300% and heightened review and authorization procedures for pricing, quality, and markups.

Guided the ground-up development of these two startups within demanding, highly competitive industries ■ Formulated strategic plan for both and sourced and negotiated pricing with suppliers.

Oversaw a $1B portfolio across 15 minority investments in high-impact, strategic industries. ■ Led frequent travel to engage directly with portfolio companies, oversee operational management and driving strategic investment initiatives ■ This hands-on approach allowed me to enhance performance, ensure alignment with growth objectives, and capitalize on opportunities for value creation

■ Advanced through multiple promotions to Audit Manager ■ Oversaw complex audits for private and public companies, ensuring compliance and financial accuracy across diverse industries, including China. ■ Managed audits for numerous M&A transactions, conducting thorough due diligence to uncover risks and opportunities. ■ Successfully led the audit process for three IPOs, guiding companies through financial reporting and regulatory requirements for public listing.

Rank Top 8 Global MBA program per Financial Times for last 3 years ranking