Paula Dempsey

Torrid is a ~$1.1B specialty apparel retailer focused on plus-size women's fashion, operating 600+ stores across the U.S. ▸ Restructured balance sheet through equity offering execution and ABL facility renegotiation, materially strengthening liquidity and financial flexibility in a challenging retail environment. ▸ Drove 20% reduction in operating costs while preserving service levels, improving free cash flow and working capital efficiency. ▸ Led real estate portfolio rationalization and capital redeployment initiative, serving as a primary driver of ongoing EBITDA margin improvement. ▸ Elevated investor relations and board engagement quality — enhanced earnings communication cadence, improved forecast transparency, and deepened long-term strategy alignment with key shareholders. ▸ Implemented enterprise-wide data-driven FP&A and risk framework, sharpening scenario planning rigor and organizational resilience.

Promoted to CFO within 5 months. Led capital allocation strategy, balance sheet optimization, and investor communications in preparation for broader CFO transition.

▸ Spearheaded IPO readiness and capital markets strategy — led S-1 filing process and Analyst Day preparation, positioning the company for public markets. ▸ Architected and supported $1.5B financing and recapitalization, building complex capital structure models to optimize shareholder returns. ▸ Modernized treasury and FP&A infrastructure, deploying advanced analytics tools that significantly improved forecasting accuracy and executive decision-making. ▸ Developed and mentored a 20+ person finance organization, scaling team capabilities and financial discipline ahead of anticipated growth.

Built treasury and FP&A foundations supporting eventual IPO process; drove forecasting rigor, capital allocation discipline, and long-range planning across the enterprise.

PriceSmart is a $3.2B international membership warehouse retailer operating across Latin America and the Caribbean. ▸ Led commercial finance and IR strategy across a $3.2B international platform — overseeing financial operations for 40+ clubs across 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. ▸ Partnered on international expansion and capital deployment strategy, directing financial planning for omnichannel, merchandising, logistics, and technology investments. ▸ Advanced business analytics and reporting systems, delivering a 35% improvement in operational efficiency and accelerating data-driven decision-making. ▸ Supported quarterly earnings releases and investor communications, strengthening analyst and shareholder confidence and transparency.

Rapidly promoted to VP Commercial Finance & IR role within 5 months based on demonstrated impact in financial strategy and capital allocation.

▸ Led FP&A strategy for a public retailer, shaping long-range financial plans aligned with growth, capital deployment, and shareholder return expectations. ▸ Guided board-level strategic discussions through scenario modeling on store openings, pricing, and promotional investments — directly influencing capital allocation decisions. ▸ Partnered with C-suite and cross-functional leaders to translate financial insights into actionable decisions on merchandising, store operations, and expansion.

Built deep finance foundations across global, capital-intensive industries — progressing through FP&A, treasury, operations finance, credit risk, and corporate finance roles. Key capabilities developed: cash flow modeling, currency hedging, contract negotiation, pricing strategy, and compliance governance.