Amy Lester
Chief Financial Officer at PURIS- Claim this Profile
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English Native or bilingual proficiency
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Bio
Deb Luu
It was fantastic to work with a great leader and mentor like Amy at SuperValu. Under her guidance, our Sales Audit team was able to implement multiple process improvements that allowed us to get to the root cause of our reconciliation issues quickly and efficiently. I grew professionally and was well prepared for my next position at SuperValu. She cared about her team members and always managed us with respect. Any employee would be fortunate to have Amy as a manager. I was one of those employees!
Allen Koosmann
It was a pleasure working with Amy at SunOpta for over three years. Her energy and drive is contagious! As a Director of Finance at SunOpta she was a tone setter and key in many ways to the success of the team. As a leader, she always challenged us to improve processes, take on new responsibilities and grow our knowledge of the Company and industry. As SunOpta is a small public company it requires employees to be versatile. Amy was always willing to roll up her sleeves and get into the detailed daily work but at the same time was also able to manage larger projects. Most importantly, she supported her team and was a big factor in why work was fun. I highly recommend Amy and personally would not hesitate to work with her again in the future.
Deb Luu
It was fantastic to work with a great leader and mentor like Amy at SuperValu. Under her guidance, our Sales Audit team was able to implement multiple process improvements that allowed us to get to the root cause of our reconciliation issues quickly and efficiently. I grew professionally and was well prepared for my next position at SuperValu. She cared about her team members and always managed us with respect. Any employee would be fortunate to have Amy as a manager. I was one of those employees!
Allen Koosmann
It was a pleasure working with Amy at SunOpta for over three years. Her energy and drive is contagious! As a Director of Finance at SunOpta she was a tone setter and key in many ways to the success of the team. As a leader, she always challenged us to improve processes, take on new responsibilities and grow our knowledge of the Company and industry. As SunOpta is a small public company it requires employees to be versatile. Amy was always willing to roll up her sleeves and get into the detailed daily work but at the same time was also able to manage larger projects. Most importantly, she supported her team and was a big factor in why work was fun. I highly recommend Amy and personally would not hesitate to work with her again in the future.
Deb Luu
It was fantastic to work with a great leader and mentor like Amy at SuperValu. Under her guidance, our Sales Audit team was able to implement multiple process improvements that allowed us to get to the root cause of our reconciliation issues quickly and efficiently. I grew professionally and was well prepared for my next position at SuperValu. She cared about her team members and always managed us with respect. Any employee would be fortunate to have Amy as a manager. I was one of those employees!
Allen Koosmann
It was a pleasure working with Amy at SunOpta for over three years. Her energy and drive is contagious! As a Director of Finance at SunOpta she was a tone setter and key in many ways to the success of the team. As a leader, she always challenged us to improve processes, take on new responsibilities and grow our knowledge of the Company and industry. As SunOpta is a small public company it requires employees to be versatile. Amy was always willing to roll up her sleeves and get into the detailed daily work but at the same time was also able to manage larger projects. Most importantly, she supported her team and was a big factor in why work was fun. I highly recommend Amy and personally would not hesitate to work with her again in the future.
Deb Luu
It was fantastic to work with a great leader and mentor like Amy at SuperValu. Under her guidance, our Sales Audit team was able to implement multiple process improvements that allowed us to get to the root cause of our reconciliation issues quickly and efficiently. I grew professionally and was well prepared for my next position at SuperValu. She cared about her team members and always managed us with respect. Any employee would be fortunate to have Amy as a manager. I was one of those employees!
Allen Koosmann
It was a pleasure working with Amy at SunOpta for over three years. Her energy and drive is contagious! As a Director of Finance at SunOpta she was a tone setter and key in many ways to the success of the team. As a leader, she always challenged us to improve processes, take on new responsibilities and grow our knowledge of the Company and industry. As SunOpta is a small public company it requires employees to be versatile. Amy was always willing to roll up her sleeves and get into the detailed daily work but at the same time was also able to manage larger projects. Most importantly, she supported her team and was a big factor in why work was fun. I highly recommend Amy and personally would not hesitate to work with her again in the future.
Credentials
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Certified Internal Auditor
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Certified Management Accountant
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Experience
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PURIS
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United States
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Food & Beverages
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1 - 100 Employee
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Chief Financial Officer
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Dec 2019 - Present
- Managed current cash flow and forecasted anticipated cash requirements and sources of funding to maintain and expand the business. - Ensured bank covenants were met monthly. - Partnered with key executives to develop reports to track and analyze facility spend. - Developed financial models to evaluate costs and pricing for new and existing products. - Managed current cash flow and forecasted anticipated cash requirements and sources of funding to maintain and expand the business. - Ensured bank covenants were met monthly. - Partnered with key executives to develop reports to track and analyze facility spend. - Developed financial models to evaluate costs and pricing for new and existing products.
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SunOpta
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United States
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Food and Beverage Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Director, Central Accounting & Compliance
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2017 - 2019
- Oversee Centralized Accounting team responsible for revenue, pre-paid expenses, pricing, brokerage, CIP, fixed assets, leases, intangibles, and payroll transactions as well as the related SOX controls. - Develop Financial policies and procedures for use across the organization. - Serve on multiple steering committees and advise project teams on various initiatives including the systems and procedures needed to support the development of new business lines and process improvement… Show more - Oversee Centralized Accounting team responsible for revenue, pre-paid expenses, pricing, brokerage, CIP, fixed assets, leases, intangibles, and payroll transactions as well as the related SOX controls. - Develop Financial policies and procedures for use across the organization. - Serve on multiple steering committees and advise project teams on various initiatives including the systems and procedures needed to support the development of new business lines and process improvement initiatives - Partner with key executives to analyze department spend, budgeting and forecasting.
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Controller, Eastern Region
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2015 - Mar 2017
Eastern Regional Controller - Redesigned SunOpta’s control environment and reduced control count by 40% which saved audit fees and reduced the time and effort spent on control testing by both business and internal audit departments. - Oversaw all aspects of accounting and financial reporting for 11 production facilities. - Developed financial policies and procedures.
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Controller, Raw Material Sourcing and Supply
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2014 - 2015
- Partnered with sales, production, and divisional leadership to determine the division's annual budget and quarterly forecasts. - Supervised the Cost Accounting Team and proved leadership related to cost modeling, understanding changes in average costs, implication of production changes on product costs and driving reduction of close dated products. - Analyzed operating results and key performance indicators, provided recommendations regarding operational improvements to drive enhanced… Show more - Partnered with sales, production, and divisional leadership to determine the division's annual budget and quarterly forecasts. - Supervised the Cost Accounting Team and proved leadership related to cost modeling, understanding changes in average costs, implication of production changes on product costs and driving reduction of close dated products. - Analyzed operating results and key performance indicators, provided recommendations regarding operational improvements to drive enhanced profitability and growth.
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UnitedHealth Group
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Hospitals and Health Care
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700 & Above Employee
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Associate Director, Internal Audit and Advises Professional Practices
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2012 - 2013
- Led UnitedHealth Group's internal control over financial reporting activities including planning, testing, issue identification and issue remediation. - Partnered with key business executives, internal audit and external audit contacts to resolve conflicts and improve processes. - Built a professional practices team to efficiently handle the operational needs of the Internal Audit Department including audit methodology, reporting, risk assessment, training and scheduling.
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Associate Director, Internal Audit and Advisory Services
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2011 - 2012
- Sought out senior management to gain business knowledge and ensure the team was ell informed of key business developments and priorities. - Executed audits within agreed upon budgets and time frames. - Delivered Clear and concise audit reports that identified root causes and practical solutions.
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SUPERVALU
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United States
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Wholesale
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700 & Above Employee
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Manager, Internal Audit
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2010 - 2011
- Consulted with key business leaders to identify and mitigate risks to the company’s operations. - Determined audit project scope, executed work and report accordingly. - Coordinated external audit direct assistance resulting in an audit fee reduction of $300,000.
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Manager, Financial Controls
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2007 - 2010
- Redefined SUPERVALU's Sarbanes-Oxley scoping philosophy and reduced testing efforts by 20%. - Developed a statistical sampling approach for Vendor monies Certification program. - Partnered with department heads to consolidate process and evaluate control environments.
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Manager, Cash and Sales Audit
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2005 - 2007
Financial Controls Manager 2007-2010 Minneapolis, MN Redefined SUPERVALU’s Sarbanes-Oxley scoping philosophy and reduced testing efforts by 20%. Developed a statistical sampling approach for Vendor Monies Certification program. Partnered with department heads to consolidate processes and evaluate control environments. Cash & Sales Audit Manager 2005-2007 Minneapolis, MN - Implemented multiple process improvements in the Sales Audit Department, allowing me to… Show more Financial Controls Manager 2007-2010 Minneapolis, MN Redefined SUPERVALU’s Sarbanes-Oxley scoping philosophy and reduced testing efforts by 20%. Developed a statistical sampling approach for Vendor Monies Certification program. Partnered with department heads to consolidate processes and evaluate control environments. Cash & Sales Audit Manager 2005-2007 Minneapolis, MN - Implemented multiple process improvements in the Sales Audit Department, allowing me to assume additional leadership responsibilities for the Cash Audit Department. - Rolled out cash account reconciliation software and increased productivity by 20% in 6 months. - Reduced store cash shortages 50% by resolving root causes and identifying control weaknesses.
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Cargill
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United States
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Food and Beverage Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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District Accounting Manager I
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2001 - 2005
- Supervised 6 employees responsible for paying 175,000 invoices annually. - Led initiatives resulting in an increase from 12 to 26 key performance metrics met within one year. - Increased Visa Card usage by 13,200 invoices per year resulting in annual savings of $66,000. - Collaborated with the Purchasing Department to identify opportunities to renegotiate contracts resulting in annual savings of $1,000,000.
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District Accounting Manager
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1999 - 2001
- Responsible for capital property projects with a total annual budget of $3.7 million. - Review of product formulation to minimize product expenses. - Finance expert for 3 regions with a total of 16 plant locations. - P&L statement closed monthly within 3 days.
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Packaging Analyst
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1997 - 1999
- Maintained cost standards and analyzed variances for 3 facilities. - Established system to track and reduce packaging material losses. - Completed quarterly pricing and futures transactions for McDonalds for the division.
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Packaging Analyst
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1996 - 1997
- Reduced potential accounts receivable write-offs by 80%. - Established freight procedures to manage costs and understand customer profitability. - Planned and executed the transition of the Chicago packaging business to Sidney, OH.
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assistant Accounting Manager
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1993 - 1996
- Assisted in supervising all accounting and general office functions. - Organized the facility annual inventory cut-off to determine actual shrink. - Led security committee and developed policies and procedures used throughout the business unit.
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Education
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University of Dayton
Master of Business Administration (MBA), 3.7 -
1989 - 1993
University of Minnesota Duluth
Bachelor's degree, Accounting -
1989 - 1993
University of Minnesota Duluth
Bachelor's degree, Human Resources Management and Services
Community
