Controller Resume Example

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Controller Resume Sample

Patricia Williams
patricia@williams.com
•
(617) 555-0842
•
linkedin.com/in/patricia-williams-cpa
Controller
Controller with 12+ years leading finance operations for $100M+ companies. CPA with expertise in financial leadership, strategic planning, SEC reporting, and team development. Led 15-person finance team, implemented SOX compliance program achieving clean audits, and reduced operational costs by $2M through process optimization. Skilled in M&A integration, board presentations, capital raising support, and building scalable financial systems. Strong partner to executive team on strategic initiatives and business growth.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Controller
Apr 2019 – Present
TechScale Inc (B2B SaaS)
  • Financial Leadership: Lead 15-person finance department for $100M revenue company, supporting 200% revenue growth, reducing operational costs by $2M, and building team from 5 to 15 people
  • Strategic Partnership: Partner with C-suite and board on strategic initiatives including M&A (3 acquisitions, $50M), capital raising ($30M Series C), and strategic planning, presenting monthly to board
  • Systems & Compliance: Led SAP implementation, established SOX compliance program achieving audit readiness in 9 months, and reduced month-end close from 12 to 5 days while maintaining zero material weaknesses
  • Treasury & Risk: Manage treasury operations across 5 entities and 3 currencies, negotiated $25M credit facility with 50bps rate reduction, and implemented enterprise risk management framework
Assistant Controller
Sep 2016 – Mar 2019
MidMarket Solutions LLC
  • Accounting Operations: Managed day-to-day accounting operations for $50M revenue company including general ledger, close process, and financial reporting, completing monthly close within 7 business days
  • Audit & Controls: Led annual external audit process and SOX compliance testing for 50+ controls, achieving clean audit opinion with no material weaknesses for 3 consecutive years
  • Team Development: Built and managed 8-person accounting team, implementing training programs and career development plans that reduced turnover from 40% to 10%
Accounting Manager
Jan 2013 – Aug 2016
Growth Industries Corp
  • Team Leadership: Led 5-person accounting team managing full-cycle accounting for $25M revenue manufacturing company, including GL, AP/AR, payroll, and month-end close
  • Process Improvement: Implemented NetSuite ERP system replacing QuickBooks, reducing close time from 15 to 8 days and improving reporting capabilities
  • Financial Reporting: Prepared monthly financial statements, variance analysis, and management reports for executive team, contributing to strategic decision-making
SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
Financial Leadership and Strategy | Team Building and Development | Board and Investor Relations | SEC Reporting and GAAP | SOX Compliance and Internal Controls | M&A Due Diligence and Integration | Treasury and Cash Management | ERP Implementation (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) | Process Automation and Optimization | Strategic Planning and Analysis | External Audit Management | Capital Raising and Banking
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Jun 2012
State Board of Accountancy
SAP Financial Accounting Certification
Nov 2020
SAP
Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Mar 2015
Institute of Management Accountants
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
2010-2012
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Boston, Massachusetts
  • Finance
  • Accounting

Tools to build your Controller resume

Copy and adapt these proven examples to create a resume that stands out.

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Resume Headlines

Use these attention-grabbing headlines to make a strong first impression.

Controller | CPA | Leading Finance Operations for $100M+ Companies
Strategic Controller | M&A Integration | SOX Compliance | Team Builder
Controller | CPA | Reducing Costs $2M | Supporting 200% Revenue Growth
Finance Leader | Controller | Board Presentations | SEC Reporting
Controller | Building Scalable Finance Teams | ERP Implementation Expert
CPA Controller | M&A | Strategic Planning | Financial Systems
Controller | SOX Compliance | Treasury Management | 15-Person Team

💡 Tip: Choose a headline that reflects your unique value proposition and matches the job requirements.

⚡

Power Bullet Points

Adapt these achievement-focused bullets to showcase your impact.

Financial Leadership & Team Development

• Lead 15-person finance department including accounting (8), FP&A (4), and treasury (3) teams for $100M revenue B2B SaaS company, reducing turnover from 35% to 8% through structured career paths
• Built finance team from 5 to 15 people supporting 200% revenue growth over 4 years, hiring and developing high-performing team capable of supporting $250M+ scale
• Implemented performance management system including quarterly reviews, professional development plans, and mentorship program, improving team engagement scores from 6.2 to 8.9
• Serve as key business partner to C-suite and board, presenting monthly financial reviews, strategic initiatives, and risk assessments

Strategic Planning & Business Partnership

• Partner with CEO and CFO on strategic initiatives including M&A evaluation, market expansion, and capital allocation, contributing to 3 successful acquisitions totaling $50M
• Lead annual strategic planning process including 5-year financial model, capital requirements analysis, and scenario planning for executive team and board
• Supported $30M Series C funding round by preparing financial due diligence materials, investor presentations, and post-close reporting requirements
• Developed unit economics model and KPI framework for subscription business, enabling data-driven decisions on pricing, retention, and customer acquisition

Financial Systems & Process Excellence

• Led NetSuite to SAP migration for $100M company, implementing financial modules across 5 entities in 3 countries, completing project on-time and under budget
• Reduced month-end close from 12 to 5 business days by implementing BlackLine reconciliation software, standardizing processes, and automating 70% of manual journal entries
• Implemented integrated planning system (Adaptive Insights) connecting FP&A, workforce planning, and sales forecasting, improving forecast accuracy from 75% to 92%
• Saved $2M annually through process automation ($800K), vendor consolidation ($600K), lease renegotiations ($400K), and improved cash management ($200K)

Audit, Compliance & Controls

• Established SOX compliance program for pre-IPO company including control design, documentation, and testing of 100+ controls across 15 processes, achieving audit readiness in 9 months
• Manage Big 4 audit relationship for annual financial statement audit and quarterly reviews, achieving clean opinion with zero material weaknesses for 5 consecutive years
• Designed and implemented internal controls framework including segregation of duties, approval hierarchies, and automated controls, reducing control deficiencies by 90%
• Oversee SEC reporting compliance for public company including 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K filings, and Sarbanes-Oxley certifications, maintaining 100% on-time filing record

M&A, Treasury & Risk Management

• Led financial due diligence and integration for 3 acquisitions totaling $50M, identifying $8M in synergies and completing integrations within 6 months
• Manage treasury operations including cash flow forecasting, debt compliance, foreign currency hedging, and banking relationships across 5 entities and 3 currencies
• Negotiated $25M credit facility with bank consortium, securing favorable terms including 50bps rate reduction and flexible covenants
• Implemented enterprise risk management framework assessing financial, operational, and compliance risks, presenting quarterly risk reports to audit committee

💡 Tip: Replace generic terms with specific metrics, technologies, and outcomes from your experience.

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Resume Writing Tips for Controllers

1

Lead with Strategic Impact

Controllers are strategic executives, not senior accountants. Start with business partnership, strategic initiatives, and organizational impact. Use phrases like "Partner with CEO/CFO," "Support board decision-making," "Enable 200% growth." Show you drive business strategy, not just accounting accuracy.

2

Highlight Scalability and Growth

Show you can scale finance operations. Document revenue growth supported ($50M → $150M), team growth (5 → 15 people), system implementations (NetSuite → SAP), and process improvements (12 → 5 day close). Controllers must demonstrate they can handle increasing complexity.

3

Emphasize M&A and Capital Markets Experience

Controllers are often involved in M&A, fundraising, and capital structure. Highlight phrases like "Led financial due diligence for 3 acquisitions," "Supported $30M Series C round," "Manage banking relationships," "Negotiate credit facilities." This shows executive-level financial leadership.

4

Show Board and Investor Engagement

At this level, board and investor interaction is expected. Use language like "Present to board of directors," "Prepare quarterly board packages," "Support investor due diligence," "Lead audit committee discussions." This demonstrates executive communication skills.

5

Balance Compliance with Business Value

Controllers must excel at both compliance (SOX, GAAP, audits) and business value (strategy, growth, efficiency). Show both sides: "Achieved clean audit with zero findings" AND "Reduced costs by $2M through process optimization." Be a strategic partner, not just a compliance officer.

🎯

Essential Skills & Keywords

Include these skills to optimize your resume for ATS systems and recruiter searches.

Executive Leadership

Financial Leadership and Strategy Team Building and Development Board and Investor Relations Strategic Planning and Analysis Cross-Functional Partnership Change Management

Technical Accounting & Reporting

GAAP and Financial Reporting SEC Reporting (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K) Technical Accounting (ASC 606, 842) Consolidations and Intercompany Month-End and Quarter-End Close Management Reporting

Audit, Compliance & Controls

SOX Compliance and Implementation External Audit Management Internal Controls (COSO Framework) Control Design and Testing Risk Management Regulatory Compliance

Financial Systems & Operations

ERP Implementation (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) Financial Systems Architecture Process Automation (BlackLine, FloQast) System Integration Month-End Close Optimization FP&A Tools (Adaptive, Anaplan)

Strategic Finance

M&A Due Diligence and Integration Capital Raising and Investor Relations Treasury and Cash Management Banking Relationships Financial Modeling Business Partnering

💡 Tip: Naturally integrate 8-12 of these keywords throughout your resume, especially in your summary and experience sections.

Why this resume works

Role-Specific Strengths

  • Financial leadership at scale: Successfully leads 15-person finance team for $100M+ company, demonstrating ability to build and manage departmental operations
  • Strategic business partnership: Partners with executive team and board on strategic initiatives, M&A, and capital raising, showing business acumen beyond accounting
  • Systems and scalability: Built scalable financial systems supporting 200% revenue growth, reduced costs by $2M, and led successful ERP implementations
  • Compliance and risk management: Established SOX compliance program, managed SEC reporting requirements, and achieved clean audits with zero material weaknesses

✓ ATS-Friendly Elements

  • Executive keywords: "financial leadership," "strategic planning," "board presentations," "M&A integration," "capital raising"
  • Technical expertise: "SEC reporting," "SOX compliance," "GAAP," "financial systems," "internal controls," "treasury management"
  • CPA credential and relevant certifications
  • Clear progression: Staff Accountant → Accounting Manager → Assistant Controller → Controller
  • Large-scale metrics: $100M+ revenue, 15-person team, $2M cost reduction, 200% growth support
  • Software and systems: NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Workday, BlackLine

✓ Human-Readable Design

  • Executive-level metrics: department size (15 people), revenue scale ($100M+), cost savings ($2M), growth support (200%)
  • Balance of financial leadership, strategic partnership, and operational excellence
  • Shows full career progression from staff accountant through controller
  • Concrete examples of M&A, board engagement, and strategic initiatives
  • Demonstrates both technical accounting expertise and executive business skills
  • Summary emphasizes leadership impact, strategic contribution, and scalability

💡 Key Takeaways

  • At controller level, emphasize strategic partnership with executive team and board, not just accounting operations
  • Highlight scalability: supporting revenue growth, building teams, implementing enterprise systems
  • Show breadth: M&A experience, capital raising support, treasury management, risk oversight
  • Quantify impact: cost reductions, process improvements, team growth, audit results
  • Demonstrate compliance leadership: SOX, internal controls, SEC reporting (if public company)

📈 Career Progression in Accounting

See how Accounting roles evolve across career stages, from transaction processing to financial leadership.

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