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John Cross is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience in auditing, financial management, and accounting. He has held various leadership positions in non-profit organizations, small businesses, and large residential developers, providing guidance and coaching to teams and staff. Cross has a strong educational background in accounting, holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Credentials

  • Canadian Securities Course (CSC)
    Canadian Securities Institute (CSI)
    Jan, 2009
    - May, 2026
  • Chartered Professional Accountant
    Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario)
    Jan, 1979
    - May, 2026

Experience

    • Interim Controller
      • Jul 2020 - Nov 2020
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada

      Contract position with registered charity providing affordable housing to qualified partner families and the operation of several retail stores selling donated lightly used building materials and home decor products.Responsible for processing funding requests under government provided financing for three affordable housing projects in the greater Toronto region.Assisted in the training of newly hired Director of Finance for the NPO.

    • Chief Financial Officer
      • Jul 2019 - Jun 2020
      • Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

      Directed the financial affairs of a registered charity engaged in the provision of affordable housing to qualified partner families and the operation of 3 retail stores selling donated lightly used building materials and home decor products.Brought preparation of year-end audited financial statements entirely in-house.Responsible for regulatory filings.

  • Queenscorp Group
    • Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
    • Financial Controller
      • Jan 2013 - Mar 2018
      • Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

      Responsible for the financial management of a small residential & commercial developer.Provided guidance & coaching to 2 direct reports - 1 project accountant & 1 bookkeeper.Reviewed all purchase & sale agreements & supporting documentation generated by in-house sales staff for compliance with operating forecasts & regulatory requirements.Led project to upgrade ERP system from small business oriented software package (Sage 50) to fully integrated version designed for the construction & real estate industry (Sage 300 CRE).Refocused cash management function by prioritizing time frames in which to pay various suppliers so as to reduce the incidence of lien claims & improve supplier relations.Developed forecasting models for active projects integrating new construction activity with operating components in response to change in development philosophy from turn-key selling to portfolio building.Designed & implemented daily cash monitoring & reporting.Managed corporate reorganization to transition from stand-alone single purpose incorporated entities to a flow-through structure using limited partnerships facilitating flexibility in the matching of revenues & expenses.Streamlined capital funding requisitioning by consolidating disaggregated data capture into single entity reporting improving accuracy & clarity & reducing funding turn-around by up to 2 weeks resulting in improved timing of trade payables settlement.Brought annual financial statement preparation in house resulting in approximately 35% savings year-over-year.

  • Georgian Homes
    • Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
    • Controller
      • Nov 2009 - Jan 2013
      • Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

      Chief Financial Officer for a mid-sized residential, commercial & industrial developer.Provided guidance & coaching to 5 direct reports - 3 bookkeepers, 1 project accountant & 1 accounting manager.Redesigned cash reporting from ad hoc basis to daily regimen improving precision & timeliness of data.Created reporting system for loan draws in easily understandable format for lenders & their consultants that improved funding turn-around.Realigned manpower to eliminate redundancies & improve cash flow.

  • Queenscorp Group
    • Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
    • Financial Controller
      • May 2006 - Jan 2009
      • Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

      See details above in first experience narrative.

  • Ballantry Homes
    • Markham, Ontario, Canada
    • Controller
      • Nov 2005 - Apr 2006
      • Markham, Ontario, Canada

      Chief Financial Officer for mid-sized residential developer.Provided guidance & coaching to 6-person accounting department staff.Designed & implemented accounting system for new commercial income producing property, the company's first such investment.Managed separation of the customer service department from the remainder of the company establishing it as a stand-alone entity with the appropriate accounting & control systems so that it could operate as a profit centre.

  • Prime 50
    • Markham & Durham Region
    • General Manager
      • Jan 2005 - Oct 2005
      • Markham & Durham Region

      Start-up concern marketing HR program concentrating on the over 50 worker.Responsible for the delivery of the program within a specified territory.

    • Controller
      • Mar 2004 - Dec 2004
      • Toronto

      Managed the finance department of the Canadian franchisee of Kingsdown Mattresses.Provided guidance & coaching to a 4-person accounting department staff.

  • PenEquity Management Corporation
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Vice President of Finance
      • Mar 1999 - Apr 2003
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada

      Chief Financial Officer for a private portfolio manager specializing in entertainment themed commercial centres on behalf of multi-employer pension funds.Provided guidance & coaching to a 10-person finance department staff.Closed $120 million in permanent financing for 6 retail properties facilitating the retirement of existing construction debt & providing additional capital for further development.

  • Tribute Communities
    • Pickering, Ontario, Canada
    • Vice President of Finance
      • Mar 1987 - Mar 1999
      • Pickering, Ontario, Canada

      Chief Financial Officer for a large residential property developer.Provided guidance & coaching to a 10-person financial department staff.

    • Project Accountant/Corporate Controller/Director, Corporate Development
      • Mar 1981 - Mar 1987
      • Toronto

      Managed corporate accounting department of large condominium developer.Provided guidance & coaching to a 20-person accounting department staff.Primary provider of financial information for company's prospectus for its initial public offering.Responsible for all securities regulatory filings.

    • Senior Staff Accountant
      • Aug 1975 - Mar 1981
      • Toronto

      Supervisor of in-filed staff for large public accounting firm.

Education

  • 1971 - 1975
    University of Toronto
    Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Accounting

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