Ai Melody Cronin
Lincoln
Summary
Strategic Senior Financial Analyst and Finance Manager with 13+ years of global experience in FP&A, operational planning, forecasting, and financial modeling across technology, consulting, and data analytics organizations. Known for uncovering insights in complex data, improving forecasting accuracy, and partnering with executives to drive business decisions. Expert in budgeting processes, scenario modeling, KPI tracking, and developing automated reporting solutions. Thrives in fast-paced, highly visible environments and builds effective cross-functional relationships with Sales, Delivery, HR, and Operations teams.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Finance Manager & Sales Excellence Advisor
Accenture Japan
03.2019 - 12.2023
- Played a pivotal role in streamlining existing reports processes using PowerBI and Qlikview, contributing to improved efficiency and accuracy in financial reporting and analysis.
- Established impactful cross-functional partnerships with industry aligned sales leads, finance leads, Biz Ops, and HR, resulting in a more collaborative and aligned approach to financial planning, validate pipeline, and support resource planning.
- A global professional services company renowned for its expertise in digital transformation.
- Consolidated and analyzed business unit P&Ls; prepared executive-ready decks summarizing revenue, bookings, backlog, utilization, and delivery KPIs.
- Evaluated actuals vs. plan/forecast/prior year and provided insightful commentary to senior leadership, highlighting drivers, risks, and opportunities.
- Played a key role in process improvement initiatives, enabling more scalable and automated reporting across the region.
Regional Finance Business Partner
Experian Japan / Experian Singapore
08.2015 - 09.2018
- Led finance operations as acting Finance Director for Japan, overseeing crucial financial functions and served as the APAC Regional Finance Business Partner for the region.
- Surpassed annual budget targets for two consecutive fiscal years, achieving remarkable year-over-year EBIT growth of +168% in FY18.
- Proactively supported commercial activities and played a key role in successful initiatives, including due diligence for divestment, new company integration, establishment of a new company post-divestment, and IFRS15 migration, while providing offshore support.
- Produced monthly management reporting packages, P&L analysis, and business insights for cross-functional executives.
- Led financial modeling for commercial activities, including pricing, due diligence, post-divestment integration, and new product launches.
- Received two in-country awards, one regional finance award, and a prestigious global award (unique to a single individual in APAC for the fiscal year, marking the first-ever recipient in Japan) – all within the initial 10 months of employment, followed by a promotion to Finance Manager.
- A global information services company specializing in data and analytics, fraud prevention, and risk management.
FP&A & Sr. Account
Reach Local Japan (Now LocaliQ)
09.2014 - 08.2015
- Prepared the annual budget, monthly forecast, various ad-hoc analyses for country management team and US headquarters.
- Assisted in developing and implementing new billing system by working with the outsourced technology vendor. It resulted in streamlining the process and improved efficiency and accuracy of monthly billing.
- A marketing solutions provider dedicated to helping small businesses enhance their online presence and effectively reach local customers.
- Built ad-hoc models for revenue, pricing, and profitability; strengthened data quality by improving BI queries and reporting logic.
- Led process redesigns that simplified reconciliation and reduced monthly close cycle times.
Finance Supervisor
LifeVantage Japan (Treo Solutions International)
10.2011 - 09.2014
- Managed accounts payable, payroll, banking, and worked cross functionally with procurement & IT in the US HQ.
- Assisted in tax and compliance audit, closing (month-end/year-end), and preparations of statutory filing.
- Developed SOPs, streamlined workflows, and led continuous improvement efforts for finance operations.
- Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders on budgeting, expense controls, and inventory management.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - International Studies & Economics
University of Washington
USA05.2011
Skills
- Strategic planning
- Data modeling
- Cross-functional coordination
- Project management
- ERP Systems
- Process Improvement
LANGUAGES
Japanese
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Finance Manager & Sales Excellence Advisor
Accenture Japan
03.2019 - 12.2023
Regional Finance Business Partner
Experian Japan / Experian Singapore
08.2015 - 09.2018
FP&A & Sr. Account
Reach Local Japan (Now LocaliQ)
09.2014 - 08.2015
Finance Supervisor
LifeVantage Japan (Treo Solutions International)
10.2011 - 09.2014
Bachelor of Arts - International Studies & Economics
University of Washington
PASSIONS
Running marathons & triathlons, Financial inclusion and CSR, Traveling
STRENGTHS
- Problem-solving: Good at finding, analyzing and solving complex problems.
- Analytical Thinking: Capable of evaluating complex problems and making well-informed decisions.
- Process Improvement: Implemented new processes and procedures that resulted in reduction in financial reporting time.