Maria Athena Real, CPA
Controller at HCI, LLC- Claim this Profile
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Topline Score
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Bio
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Martin Yuhas
I worked with Athena on a variety of business processes and projects. She is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, analytical and results oriented. Athena would be an asset to any organization.
![](https://topline.com/assets/anonymous-img-9f49529a77f944bfe705d654103d093fb9bd60ae580a6244ed866352480baec0.png)
Martin Yuhas
I worked with Athena on a variety of business processes and projects. She is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, analytical and results oriented. Athena would be an asset to any organization.
![](https://topline.com/assets/anonymous-img-9f49529a77f944bfe705d654103d093fb9bd60ae580a6244ed866352480baec0.png)
Martin Yuhas
I worked with Athena on a variety of business processes and projects. She is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, analytical and results oriented. Athena would be an asset to any organization.
![](https://topline.com/assets/anonymous-img-9f49529a77f944bfe705d654103d093fb9bd60ae580a6244ed866352480baec0.png)
Martin Yuhas
I worked with Athena on a variety of business processes and projects. She is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, analytical and results oriented. Athena would be an asset to any organization.
![](https://topline.com/assets/review-image-e9f67a44f9f6b1204c8a15ab271f410a1378b83eafbaf9575ee40b82e42f038d.png)
Credentials
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Certified Public Accountant
California Board of AccountancyMay, 2019- Oct, 2024 -
Real Estate Broker
California Bureau of Real EstateJul, 2004- Oct, 2024
Experience
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HCI, LLC
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Telecommunications
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1 - 100 Employee
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Controller
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2020 - Present
• Manage all accounting operations including Billing, A/P, A/R, GL, and Revenue Recognition • Execute all month-end and year-end close processes and related activities • Prepare the company’s annual budget consistent with the company’s goals and strategic plans • Ensure audits are performed as per the annual audit plan • Manage accounting staff and clerks with dynamic leadership, fostering a trusting and enjoyable environment • Manage and comply with local, state, and federal government reporting requirements and tax filings • Provide financial updates and reports • Develop, implement, and maintain financial controls, guidelines, accounting procedures and policies • Own budgeting process, annual review and analysis and tracking monthly/quarterly actuals vs. budget • Develop profitability reports for jobs and calculate month-end unbilled amounts based on percentage of completion accounting • Develop ad-hoc reporting denoting trends and providing financial insights, as necessary • Refine and upgrade the ERP system • Manage and monitor all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP standards and regulatory requirements as well as the requirements of private contributions, loans, and government contracts • Maintain internal control safeguards for the receipt of revenue, costs and both team and organizational budgets and actual expenditures • Implement consistent accounting policies, practices, and procedures across all programs, upholding federal, state, and local legal standards by remaining knowledgeable about existing, new, and future legislation • Manage payroll and related payroll transactions • Organize, maintain, manage, and update fixed assets ledger • Prepare monthly and quarterly board meeting packages as needed • Develop and calculate KPIs and dashboards for reporting operating and financial metrics • Develop and maintain cashflow forecasting model
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Niagara Bottling
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United States
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Food and Beverage Services
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100 - 200 Employee
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Group Controller
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2020 - 2020
$3 Billion Private beverage bottling company • Manage one global Chart of Accounts, accuracy and integrity of GL, Cash Management, and Oracle EBS and Financial Consolidation reporting tool operational and accounting function • Ensure accounting records are prepared and maintained in accordance with US GAAP, industry-related accounting principles and practices, company’s accounting policies, chart of accounts, and sub-ledgers • Manage the banking needs of numerous wholly owned and variable interest entities • Manage and set foreign currency (FX) rates between USD and multiple currencies • Lead, administrator, and main contact for Accounts Reconciliation Cloud Services (ARCS), reconciliations; allocations, eliminations, translation adjustments, system rule changes, troubleshooting • Ensure all US Parent entity counterparties' reconciliations balance and match that of the US Parent/International Holding Company/other counterpart(ies) • Advise handling and recording of non-routine transactions • Support clean, accurate and timely account reconciliations, monthly, quarterly and year-end close, periodic financial statements and analysis, audit schedules and supporting documentation • Collaborate with management to develop schedules, procedures, and systems to enable timely accumulations, adjustment, and reporting of financial data • Support internal project to have process narrative documented and key preventive and detective controls in place for major financial statement cycles • Assist in development and implementation of new procedures and features to enhance the workflow of the department • Support process improvement initiatives for development, enhancement, upgrade and maintenance of accounting systems • Respond to accounting inquiries from other managers • Resolve escalated issues • Work with each direct report to establish goals and objectives for each year, monitor, and advise on the progress to enhance the professional development of staff; provide training
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American States Utility Services, Inc.
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United States
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Utilities
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1 - 100 Employee
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General Accounting Supervisor
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2016 - 2020
$100 Million segment ($75M Construction) of $500 Million consolidated wholly-owned subsidiary of AWR • Implementation of Adaptive Insights Budgeting, Planning and Forecasting application • Supervises/guides/directs/reviews staff daily activities • Manages policy and procedure updates, training and implementation, in compliance with US GAAP, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and applicable Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) • Resident technical expert on accounting for long-term construction projects, pursuant to ASC 605-20 Revenue Recognition-Services, ASC 605-35 Revenue Recognition-Construction Type and Production-Type Contracts • Works with Corporate Accounting, internal and external auditors on SEC10Q/K filed, Redetermination Price, and other U.S. Government Contract Proposals • Assists in the preparation of financial schedules supporting price redetermination and new contract proposals • Supports development of annual budget and monthly and long-range earnings forecasts • Reviews, analyzes and communicates business unit and consolidated financial and operational trends, month, quarter and year-to-date variance to budget and prior year, and forecasted variance to budget. • Oversees, coordinates with staff and reviews the development of overhead rates, ERP updates, and forward pricing rate proposal developments • Maintains and communicates changes to new capital project proposal adder sheet templates for subsidiaries. • Collaborates with Project Cost Accounting Supervisor on the capital work in progress review, capital documentation, and ensures inventory, construction and reporting activities are in compliance • Oversees maintenance of company and GovCon chart of accounts • Oversees review of, directs, and/or performs the monthly, quarterly and annual G/L activities, balances, reconciliations, regulatory filings, corporate and internal reporting • Identifies and develops process improvements, standardization of accounting and reporting
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Concentrus, Inc.
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United States
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IT Services and IT Consulting
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1 - 100 Employee
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Accounting Manager
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2013 - 2016
$10 Million segment of $200 M Privately-held professional services company of a family of companies ($200 Million total) • Managed and developed Accounting department staff of up to 12; performed team member evaluations • Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls in accordance with GAAP [including but not limited to ASC 605-45 Revenue Recognition, FAS 086 Software Costs] and best practices • Managed and developed stakeholder relationships and department Net Promoter Score • Collaborated with Project Managers and maintained a leadership role in iBE.Net [billing], AVID [AP automation] and B2B [POS] technology implementations • Managed, prepared, reviewed, analyzed and reported multi-company financial statements [Vincent Huang & Assoc., Inc. (VHA Corp), Concentrus, Inc. and Eureka], period and year-end close and year-end tax work papers for CPA • Managed Accounting projects and analyzed billing of project-based Accounting, IT and HR professional services in accordance with contracts/agreements; identified new departmental revenue sources and cost savings • Analyze client billings including (IT) software development job costing (material, labor and overhead allocation) and standard cost analysis, application of software capitalization policy and construction in progress (work in progress), percentage of completion and cost of sales analysis in compliance with cost-plus contract, progress billing and completed contract methods. • Developed and managed department budget and analyzed budget-to-actual variances; P&L trend analysis • Balance sheet analysis [inventory, fixed assets, shareholder transactions, deferred revenue, bonus, commission accrual, etc.]
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Controller
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2011 - 2013
$10 Million Privately-held restaurant, commercial and residential rental real estate investment and management company • Accomplishments within first 90 days of employment: prepared and published 5 periods of financial packages, balance sheet reconciliations, cash flow and budget/forecast reports, unsecured property and sales tax returns, developed and implemented cost analysis and pricing tool, performed system analysis including recommendations and trained employees on essential accounting concepts improving accuracy and productivity • Period and year-end close; financial analysis and reporting; year-end tax work papers for CPA; review draft returns • Identify revenue sources and cost savings potential • Develop and implement new and streamline existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices in accordance with GAAP • Accounting team and office management, training and development; develop and maintain business relationships • Lease and CAM analysis, reconciliation, reporting and billing; loan refinancing; insurance management
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Specialty Restaurants Corporation
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United States
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Assistant Controller
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2009 - 2011
$80 Million Privately-held multi-state restaurant, real estate development and aviation company * Supported Chief Financial Officer * Raised the caliber of 9-member accounting team by 56% and improved month-end closing from 6 to 4 days * Managed accurate and timely preparation and comprehensive analysis of periodic financial statements * Improved accuracy of budgeting process by inserting algorithms to automatically update values as related variables changed i.e. rent expenses based on lease agreements, credit card fees based on credit card sales to total revenue, etc. * Prepared ad hoc reports and automated manual processes * Check signer; and, performed internal control testing of payment supporting documentation * Handled complex reconciliations and analysis and GAAP interpretation and application * Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices and in accordance with GAAP * Reviewed and prepared year-end tax work papers, assisted with year-end tax preparation * Key contributor and member of the 5-member Senior Management team leading the systems migration/upgrade/implementation to Epicor 9 [Integrated Enterprise Solution, G/L, A/P, A/R, Sales Order/Billing, Project Accounting/Job Cost, Project Management, Contracts, Fixed Assets, Data Warehouse/Cube], MICROS 3700 [POS], Payroll and Human Resources
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Systems Paving, Inc
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Construction
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1 - 100 Employee
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Accounting Manager
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2006 - 2009
$70 Million Privately-held multi-state hardscape landscaping company * Managed accurate and timely preparation and comprehensive analysis of periodic Financial Statements for branches in various states; in CA * Reduced month-end closing with automation of journal entries, account reconciliations, analysis and job costing * Performed year-end closing; prepared year-end financial statements and audit schedules * Processed payroll for various states; * Ensured accuracy and timeliness of governmental compliance with process and schedule automation * Raised caliber and efficiency of accounting team through in-depth training, documented procedures and tools * Improved inter-departmental and vendor relations through timely, clear and informative communications * Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices and in accordance with GAAP
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Real Financial, Inc
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United States
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Real Estate
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Real Estate Broker
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Aug 2003 - Jan 2006
I started a real estate company representing buyers in real estate purchase transactions and originating mortgage loans. This allowed me to work from home and bond with my new child. I started a real estate company representing buyers in real estate purchase transactions and originating mortgage loans. This allowed me to work from home and bond with my new child.
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Battaglia Associates, Inc
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United States
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Construction
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1 - 100 Employee
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Accounting Supervisor
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2006 - 2006
Privately-held Real Estate, Property Development and Management Firm * Managed day-to-day accounting and month-end closing * Trained, mentored and supervised accounting team * Improved month-end closing with automation of journal entries, account reconciliations and analysis * Handled accurate and timely preparation and comprehensive analysis of periodic financial statements * Performed year-end closing * Prepared audit schedules and consulted with external auditors and CPA * Administered compliance and inter-departmental, vendor and external communications * Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices and in accordance with GAAP
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The Peterson Group, Inc
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Investment Management
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1 - 100 Employee
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Controller
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2002 - 2003
* Managed day-to-day accounting function, month-end closing, compliance and contract negotiation * Administered day-to-day human resources function including benefits, 401(k) plan, federal and state compliance * Supervised day-to-day office manager function including facility, safety, security, equipment, supplies * Handled accurate and timely preparation and comprehensive analysis of periodic financial statements * Analyzed and approved final year-end financial statements and tax returns * Prepared budget variance analysis, reconciliations and audit schedules * Processed semi-monthly payroll * Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting and human resources policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices and in accordance with GAAP * Coordinated tax and financial planning with CPA; developed annual budget and forecast; recommended strategy and financing, including vendor and banking negotiations
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Financial Statement Services, Inc
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United States
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Printing Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Assistant Controller
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1998 - 2002
Printing and Mailing Services * Trained, mentored and supervised (11) accounting team members * Managed month-end closing; analyzed actual to budget variances and trends * Handled accurate and timely preparation and comprehensive analysis of periodic financial statements * Analyzed and approved final draft of year-end financial statements * Prepared audit schedules and consulted with external auditors, CPA, Federal, State and Local agencies * Developed and implemented new and streamlined existing accounting policies, procedures and internal controls utilizing best practices and in accordance with GAAP
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Education
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Champlain College
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) -
Orange Coast College, Coastline Community College, El Camino College
Accounting, Real Estate -
Saint Louis College
Bachelor of Science in Business, Major in Accounting
Community
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