Ximena Salazar Hanna
glendale
Summary
Performance-driven Vice President with 15+ years of experience aligning systems with business requirements, policies, and regulatory requirements, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and financial initiatives. Passionate about applying excellent organization and communication skills to manage and lead teams. Results-oriented individual well-versed in interfacing and consulting on business processes to drive results based on sound overall business judgment. Technical proficiency in SAP, BW, TM1, HFM, BPC, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Cognos, Blackline, Salesforce and other internal financial software.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
VP, Finance (Crunchyroll, LLC)
Sony Pictures Entertainment
12.2020 - Current
- Global management of Finance operations across multiple offices in North America, EMEA, LATAM and Asia, reporting to CFO directly and various C Suite level executives indirectly
- Lead and Prepare management presentations for internal and external stakeholders
- Lead medium and long-range plans (MRP and LRP) to define market growth and investment
- Lead annual budgets and monthly forecast, as well as variance analysis, for P&L, Cash Flow and selected Balance Sheet accounts
- Drive development of management reporting and company metrics (ARPU, LTV, SAC, Churn, etc.)
- Perform ROI evaluations for Subscription, Content, E-commerce, Digital and Other business lines
- Perform cost analysis across multiple service providers to drive contract negotiations and cost saving initiatives working in cross-collaboration with Shared Services, Legal, Technology, Marketing and Operations
- Perform subscription modeling including funnel metrics, billing, and revenue recognition, as well as overseeing modeling for all revenue channels with focus on growth, P&L impact (including related overhead) and future performance
- Heavy Cashflow modeling as well as Capex and Opex spend analysis
- Perform financial review of content licensing and digital distribution agreements, providing corresponding accounting treatment guidance as well forecasting and metrics
- Focusing on content Revenue and Expenses, Ultimates and title by title-by-title performance
- Work with Engineering teams to abstract financial data, build financial data marts and models
- Contribute with Strategy teams on M&A transactions, evaluating investments and monitoring investment performance post-acquisition
- Finance Transformation: Successful implementation of reporting and process improvements for the Finance and Accounting organizations to reduce manual work, improve financial results and enhance actual and forecast models
- Streamlining information flow and simplifying reporting requirements to obtain achievable results
- Leveraged technology to automate workflows and streamline processes, resulting in increased productivity and cost savings across the organization.
- Cultivated strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, vendors, regulators, and community leaders to promote collaboration and long-term success.
- Led cross-functional teams for the successful completion of major projects, resulting in increased efficiency and client satisfaction.
- Negotiated high-value contracts that maximized profitability while mitigating risks for the organization.
Senior Director – Finance and Accounting
Live Nation
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Strategically led a team that analyzed/reviewed financial reports, implemented robust financial strategies, and consolidated reporting efforts related to finance and accounting processes
- Managed team of15 direct and indirect reports in Finance and Accounting departments
- Review M&A transactions and new business deals and lead onboarding processes, including accounting treatment, forecasting and deal compliance
- Establish event budgets and determine potential risks to the organization
- Proactively mitigate risk and re-allocate resources for on-time delivery of key project milestones
- Deliver annual financial and capital budgets, monthly forecasts with focus on key metrics, risks and opportunities, and areas for operational improvements partnering with business unit presidents, general managers and other key business leaders to help achieve growth goals (focusing on revenue, AOI, gross margin, fixed and variable analysis)
- Establish, track, monitor and report financial KPIs, enhancing and developing financial models for all lines of business (Clubs, Events, Sponsorship, Music and Media, Streaming and Merchandise)
- Guide and direct event settlements
- Recommended strategies that reduced risk and other associated costs as well as standardizing controls that ensure lower PY adjustments, more accurate forecast and reporting
- Implemented Salesforce system for concerts to streamline settlement process and deal making initiatives
- Improved reporting by creating various performance dashboards, integrating BPC to create budgets, forecasts and monitor metrics and by creating ad hoc and smart modeling reporting
- Collaborate with multiple divisions to ensure faster budgets, day of show (DOS) settlements and negotiated cost reduction and deals to ensure better terms
- Implemented add on budget and planning system and re-designed reporting structure and workflow to allow for better data management and analysis as well as alignment with corporate systems
- Execute cost-benefit and other forecasting initiatives across the organization
- Maximized and improved profitability by actively monitoring costs throughout operations and improved debt repayment reducing interest due by accurately monitoring cash flow and re-aligning timing of cash inflows/outflows
- Guide and direct Accounting and consolidated reporting (P&L, B/S, Roll forwards, VP related control approvals, transactional accounting, payroll, fixed/variable cost, Capex spend among others)
- Manage tax related transactions for domestic and international line of businesses
- Field and schedule internal and external audit requests/requirements
- Significantly reduced the number of nonconformances discovered during prior year audits and stablished a stronger compliance process
Accounting Director
Live Nation
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Collaboratively led a team of20 that included Managers, Senior Accountants, Staff Accountants, and shared services
- Provide ad-hoc and regular key business analysis and financial information to market presidents, and key departments to facilitate effective business decisions
- Collaborate with VP to manage budget and forecasting process monthly and annually
- Establish, implement, and enforce financial and reporting policies and standards in compliance with GAAP and FASB, Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC
- Oversee internal controls to ensure timely, accurate and reliable financial statement and reporting, and to ensure that policies and procedures meet other organization objectives and needs
- Manage External and Internal Audit requests
- Monthly close and reporting of consolidated results and timely management month end close
- Manage AOI, P&L and B/S analysis, including show by show, per cap, profitability, and projections
- Manage Payroll (permanent and seasonal)
- Capital expenditure analysis and reporting, including analysis of large purchases to determine if work can be capitalized according to Company policy; analysis and maintenance of cost/benefit analysis, project costs incurred, and tracking against approved budgets
Senior Manager – Corporate Accounting
DreamWorks Animation LLC
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Spearheaded corporate accounting operations and functions that included P&L, balance sheet, intercompany transactions, and other accounting processes
- Manage corporate accounting functions, including P&L, Balance Sheet, Intercompany transactions, Restructuring accounting and employee bonuses
- Oversee the preparation of domestic and international consolidated financial statements, supporting bridging accounting results to underlying operational drivers, supporting month end close and perform analytical review and present results to Executive team
- Partner with SEC and Financial Reporting teams to research and analyze accounting treatment of significant and/or unusual transactions
- Responsible for monthly/quarterly financial close activities, including review of journal entries, reconciliations, cash flow, P&L and Balance Sheet analysis
- Manage compliance with internal control policies including identification and remediation of deficiencies
- Partner with operating units to drive continuous improvement in the reporting process
- Manage process improvements, data automation and workflow streamline
- These efforts resulted in cost savings, processing time reductions and efficient reporting in the General Ledger, Accounts Receivable and Fixed Assets areas
- Responsible for internal and external audits
- Provide internal and external audit requests in connection with annual audit and quarterly reviews
- Lead financial system conversion of related financial reporting packages from Oracle to HFM
- Manage post-acquisition processes between DreamWorks Animation and NBCU
Accounting Manager
AT&T/DirecTV
01.2010 - 01.2016
- Collaboratively built and led a talented team of accounting/financial professionals
- Supported the analysis of financial data that drove financial modeling and planning activities
- Analyze and summarize financial data while designing and maintaining financial models and databases
- Perform a wide range of ad-hoc analyses and research related to revenue streams, including performance trending, gross margin, and forecasting
- Lead the implementation of process improvement methodologies to strengthen performance
- Work with various departments to build scalable processes and drive best practices
- Responsible for monthly financial close activities, including journal entries and account reconciliations review
- Review monthly variance analysis (actual/forecast/plan) / close package and present financial results to senior management
- Review different revenue streams, expenses, bad debt and A/R, for Pay Per View, VOD, EST, Subscriptions, Sports, Ad sales and Royalties to determine accounting treatment in accordance with GAAP
- Review agreements and determine accounting treatment
- Work with Senior Director to evaluate, recommend and implement new financial accounting policies, procedures, and controls
- Responsible for internal and external audits
- Lead financial system conversion and process automation by managing design, testing and implementation (BW, TM1, SAP and internal systems)
- Manage post-acquisition processes, system and data integration between AT&T and DIRECTV
Finance Manager, Participations
Warner Bros. Entertainment
01.2007 - 01.2010
Senior Financial Analyst, Consumer Products
The Walt Disney Company
01.2006 - 01.2007
Education
Master of Science - Accounting and Financial Management
Keller Graduate School of Management
Los Angeles, CaliforniaBachelor of Science - Accounting
California State University
Los Angeles, CaliforniaChief Financial Officer Program - Executive Education
Columbia Business School
New York, NYSkills
- Financial Planning and Strategy
- Forecasting and Budgeting
- Financial Reporting and GAAP/IFRS/SOX Compliance
- Controllership
- System Design and new ERP Implementations
- Accounting/Finance Transformation
- Contract Analysis
- Team leadership
- Critical thinking
Timeline
VP, Finance (Crunchyroll, LLC)
Sony Pictures Entertainment
12.2020 - Current
Senior Director – Finance and Accounting
Live Nation
01.2018 - 01.2020
Accounting Director
Live Nation
01.2017 - 01.2018
Senior Manager – Corporate Accounting
DreamWorks Animation LLC
01.2016 - 01.2017
Accounting Manager
AT&T/DirecTV
01.2010 - 01.2016
Finance Manager, Participations
Warner Bros. Entertainment
01.2007 - 01.2010
Senior Financial Analyst, Consumer Products
The Walt Disney Company
01.2006 - 01.2007
Bachelor of Science - Accounting
California State University
Master of Science - Accounting and Financial Management
Keller Graduate School of Management
Chief Financial Officer Program - Executive Education
Columbia Business School
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