Having gained the opportunity to study further, in the field of Information Technology, combined with deep international financial experience, established the foundation to rapidly develop diversity in Finance Business Processes spanning 12-years after moving to Canada.
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| ENGAGEMENTS ON A SWEAT EQUITY DEVELOPMENT BASIS (PART-TIME) | |
 | Develop all financial feasibility, and market analysis, and engage with stakeholders. Acting as the VP of Finance and CFO. Develop Accounting processes and Financial Reporting. Attending to ongoing bookkeeping, developing internal financial controls, invoice logging and processing, annual financial statements, reconciliations, valuations (pre- and post-money), all corporate finance and Canadian Securities Law requirements, executing all subscription agreements and maintaining director and shareholder register Instrumental in deploying a unique "Sweat Equity" model to measure and account for contributions by all key players leveraging IFRS reporting principles. (2020 to present) |
 | Canadian ProsperUnity Corridor Develop all project finance modelling, financial feasibility, market analysis, and capacity analysis, Acting as the VP of Finance and CFO. Develop Accounting processes and Financial Reporting. Deploying a unique "Sweat Equity" model to measure and account for contributions by all key players leveraging IFRS principles. Attending to all corporate finance and Canadian Securities Law requirements, maintaining director and shareholder register and attending to annual return filings. (2021 to present) |
 | Canada Bit2H2 Corporation (formerly known as Canadian Prosperity Pipelines Corporation from 2019 until 2021 when the name changed) Develop all project finance modelling, financial feasibility, market analysis, capacity analysis, and engaging with stakeholders. Acting as the VP of Finance and CFO. Develop Accounting processes and Financial Reporting. Attending to all corporate finance and Canadian Securities Law requirements, maintaining director and shareholder register and attending to annual return filings. Instrumental in deploying a unique "Sweat Equity" model to measure and account for contributions by all key players leveraging IFRS principles. (2019 to present) |
| INCOME GENERATING ENGAGEMENTS | |
 | Eden Valley Poultry processing and manufacturing for largest grocery outlets in Atlantic Canada. Performed work as a Senior Financial Analyst on complex financial reporting, financial modeling, operational optics, variance analysis, KPI's, board reporting. Prepare Daily-, Weekly-, Monthly- and Quarterly Reporting Packages. Detailed Gross Profit Margin analysis by SKU, developed Power BI operational optics and historic data base information. Engineered automated method to combine and consolidate critical production weight-data, reading and extracting one single kg-data element from multiple daily production reports in .txt format into Excel Power Query. This information leveraged to determine eviscerated yield over long-term, medium-term, and weekly for production reporting purposes. Further leveraging Advanced Excel to scrub consolidated daily results by multiple reading (AI-like) routines to exclude anomalies in daily results (iow, strip-out outliers. Rendering (waste from refined cutting) is a key metric to control within the meat processing environment. I developed full-end-to-end process maps that reflect on the specific points of Rendering origination. I developed automated reconciliation methods using Power Query and aligned same with the process flow. Two flows developed that tracks the logical aspects and reconciling with production data. I leverage my experience in mapping and quantifying process flow and process improvement(s) as it relates to complex financial reporting. |
 | Diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI, a not-for-profit entity and part of the Anglican Church of Canada Acting Controller supporting the Executive Director. Working closely with a small team of accountants and analysts. Instrumental in identifying solutions supporting the year-end audit for the financial year-end 2021 concerning managing adjusting entries supporting financial close. Performed a detailed 2022 budget review due to the current year and the next year's budget(s) needing to reflect financial numbers more in line with financial reporting years prior to Covid-19. This required expanding and improving the financial and reporting dimensions in Microsoft Great Plains 2018. Also developing tracking tools leveraging advanced Excel skills to manage Parish financial reporting for CRA CEWS benefits as the program runs down, and the critical information required from the annual Parochial returns from, ~106 Parishes, that form the basis for the development of the 2023 budgets. Identifying root cause(s) amid flagged weak controls over financial reporting. Over time the ERP system of truth, for accounting purposes and record-to-report, steps out of alignment with GAAP Accounting Standards, Part III of the CPA handbook, combined with Fund Accounting principles. I identified that to improve the alignment, the financial reporting dimensions need to be improved, expanded on-, or changed in conformity with Accounting Standards Part III. A non-complex fix, rather a time-consuming and meticulous approach in resolving same. (2022 to 2022) |
 | ORB Toys is a toy company with operations in Canada, USA and Internationally Managing a small team of accounting coordinators, and the financial controller. One huge task was to assist the controller to resolve huge challenges around bank reconciliation(s) and how they should be performed leveraging Oracle NetSuite. Bank reconciliations are your "friend in finance" as it quickly fleshes out where transactions may have been incorrectly posted. Bank reconciliations serve as a "guiding light" to correct prior mistakes. Staying on top of them was problematic given the challenges around Covid19. I worked directly and closely with the CEO and Senior management concerning the organization's asset-based lending facilities and did not avoid the difficult task to fire people that did not pull their weight. I took on the role of Director of Finance to support implementing and executing turnaround strategies following Covid-19. Streamlined financial reporting in Oracle NetSuite. Improved audit trails and well-crafted data analytics to provide insights into changes in Gross Profit margins, and inventory valuations. I developed and maintained data models leveraging advanced skills in Excel to support the daily reporting to funders. Develop and maintained rolling cash flow forecast 12 weeks out based on "current position" and update same weekly for funder reporting. Instrumental in developing AR collection reporting, data tracking and visibility. Modified ageing to be able to view data on aging by week and map that to the date of actual payment occurrence to evaluate the true length of collection cycles. Each company's AR has a distinct collection-DNA pattern. It's the stuff that international credit rating agencies work with to determine the timing of payment and probability of default more accurately. That enhanced visibility also included leveraging the full scope of Oracle NetSuite to expand on quality reporting for daily visibility and tracking in a "near-realtime" fashion - (so powerful, sadly people don't know the limits because of a general lack of owning self-education that Googling and YouTube can provide answers to on the fly). The core challenge, negatively impacting an already challenging business operating cycle, is the EDI interfacing between Oracle NetSuite and different client EDI portals, SPS Commerce, for invoice acceptance and matching with electronically submitted client orders, in the United States and in Canada (~ 70 to ~100 large clients) that was broken to the core. I solved the blockages that led to circa $1.6m of invoices that never made it across from NetSuite over into client EDI portals. I cleaned up the NetSuite client-side interfacing (SPS Commerce) by working on each unique blockage problem one by one, as each group of problems was different. Due to low and weak EDI knowledge continuance, stemming from staff turnover, during Covid-19, prior to me getting involved, the end-to-end invoicing and invoice-delivery processes were broken beyond repair. It had a huge negative impact on AR aging and doubtful debts. I re-developed them and took ownership of the task at hand personally doing the entire invoicing cycle on a daily basis and pushing it out correctly by grouping clients into using the same EDI push-delivery sub-method (emphasis added) into client EDI invoicing environments - something that falls to the responsibility normally of an Accounts Receivable Clerk - that in itself is testimony reflecting on my personal commitment and dedication to get the organization into an improved state. Without a dedicated "nursing" engagement approach, which very few truly may appreciate (as they don't know any better), the negative impact on working capital is immense and the longer it prevails the more it costs the organization in lost cash flow and rising borrowing costs when your EDI end-to-end is broken. I have had little prior EDI experience. However, putting my mind to matter, combined with superior advanced Excel skills and previous ERP finance transformation projects undertaken successfully, I mastered the problems in a short space of time and managed the meticulous step-by-step approach to get the different issues resolved. This is your typical "I need a plumber to do the crappy job, to make the blockage go away and we can have a free flow again"; or a cardiologist who during a difficult procedure has to use Nitro to ensure blood flow is not compromised - sorry to say, but not many get this. Many see finance as only debits and credits. Sadly they are so wrong. Finance is about accounting, data, systems and people. There are no shortcuts in finance if you want to avoid disastrous meltdowns, and yet the non-finance crowd is typically quick to dictate. A Controller, CFO, and Director of Finance worth their salt will have the data analytical capabilities to look at the numbers, patterns and trends in the 3rd dimension behind the accounting numbers. That's why I am glad my career took the course it did, diversity combined with the ability to scale and leverage resourcefulness in solving problems. No financial problem can be solved without deep unpacking of the true causes. That's me, combined with my love for finance and data analytics. That is why I performed well in this role. Ever seen what happens when a financial professional tells an engineer what to do, or tells a pilot how to fly an aeroplane? I am sure it will not end well. The same applies to finance, those that are not educated in finance and operational finance (yes bankers must butt out too), just keep to yourself, stay quiet and stay out of my kitchen, is my motto. Will you dare to go into the kitchen of a fine restaurant and tell the head Chef how to cook? I don't think so. It's problematic that those not in finance and operational finance like to tell finance what to do, especially here in North America. (2021 to 2022) |
 | Silvera for Seniors is a non-for-profit institution providing affordable senior living. The portfolio includes managing a portfolio of dedicated housing units for the elderly. My role, as a specialist in transformation, was to support the CFO and Financial Controller with the organization's cutover to YARDI. I resolved all cutover problems and hiccups working closely with YARDI consultants and the Silvera finance team. Managed the 2019 Financial Year-end audit with external auditors interfacing with the CFO and Financial Controller. Resolved problematic collections which led to a new project, led by me, of implementing billing and collection automation within YARDI. We configured a separate YARDI module. The project reduced FTE from 1.74 over month-end to 0.42 over month-end. Improved financial reporting by developing designated interfacing between YARDI and leveraging advanced Excel skills to be able to push out of YARDI month-end reporting and quarterly reporting compliant with GAAP. Previously both the CFO and Financial Controller would spend ~2-days each, FTE, on period-end reporting. My accounting-reporting-data-solution, custom built for their needs, afford Silvera to complete reporting within an ~1-hour FTE - massive productivity saving for the organization from 4-FTE to 0.125 FTE (2020 to 2020) |
 | Developed and deployed much-needed financial management visibility to improve the collection of Accounts Receivable and improving the payment of Accounts Payable over a very short time span. Improved the O-t-C and P-t-P cycles for improved working capital management, and successfully negotiated improved funding terms with large and major suppliers and banks on funding facilities to better support working capital in alignment with a challenging business cycle. Led the successful implementation of a new ERP System (EPICOR BisTrack and MS Dynamics GP 2016). Developed tracking of- and visibility of Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable as part of Disaster Recovery efforts amid a major system crash and complete system melt-down during late 2018. Instrumental in developing an innovative approach to Work-In-Progress measurements and its impact on the business cycle for improved cash flow and working capital management. Implemented, for the first time, in the company’s, approx. 10-year history, much-needed improved Budgeting in accordance with International Best Practices, used by International Credit Rating Agencies, within Project- and Structured Finance markets supporting Construction and Infrastructure Finance. (2018 to 2019) |
 | Developing BI and Management Dashboards of Key financial data that updates daily based on transaction postings and management reporting updates (2017 to 2018) |
  | Managing a portfolio of Business Coaching clients through recovery and business process improvements around financial intelligence and working capital as part of a joint initiative by The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and The Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Alberta to assist businesses recovering from the Fort McMurray 2016 wild-fires, which date is marked as the biggest natural disaster in Canada when some 80,000 people had to vacate their homes, their businesses and the town of Fort McMurray (2016 to 2018) |
  | Managing a post-merger integration project for AltaLink on a sub-contracting arrangement following the acquisition of AltaLink by Berkshire Hathaway in the USA. AltaLink is Alberta’s largest regulated electricity transmission company providing the essential link that connects homes, farms, businesses and industries to the electricity generated across Alberta with assets of $9,1 billion and annual revenue of $977 million The project focused on developing p[roject management corporate governance and change gear effects supporting a team of SAP Analysts working on SAP-ECC/BPC process improvements and SAP Intercompany Billing functionality. The objective is to ensure that post-merger integration, AltaLink’s business and system processes are easily scalable (2016 to 2017). |
 | Successfully develop and establish a personal services business leveraging small business development experience in developing and implementing business processes. Responsible for web development, brand development, developing automated online integrated scheduling systems, data automated analytics for reporting and financial analysis; and graphic designs (2015 to 2020) |
 | Developing, mapping and documenting Gas Accounting processes, procedures and risk model for Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership a TSE-listed company with assets of $1,4 billion and Revenue of $480 million, regarding the deployment of a new business model and expanded services offering (2014 to 2015) |
 | Providing business process improvement services to the Transmission & Distribution division of SNC Lavalin Group Inc. a TSE-listed company with assets of $9,6 billion and revenue of $7.5 billion concerning automating its Holdback Model Process and its Budget & Forecast Consolidation Process by reducing the time to run these end-to-end processes from a level of 75% of FTE to a level of 30% FTE. (2014 to 2014); |
| Providing business transformation services to the Transmission & Distribution division of SNC Lavalin Group Inc. a TSE-listed company with assets of $9,6 billion and revenue of $7.5 billion concerning process improvements regarding its “P2P” and “OTC” business cycles with a strong focus on developing, implementing and deploying a range of workflow automation tools that bring people, data and processes together to optimize end-to-end SNC T&D -client objectives. The unique tools developed, cater for business efficiency improvements, exceeding 32%, and improving data quality (2013 to 2014); |
 | Providing data analysis-, systems & process- and database statistical support services, which includes analyzing translation table, data dictionaries, sources of data and data repositories, to Alberta Health Services an Alberta provincial crown corporation with assets of $9,8 billion and annual revenue $10,9 billion with a main focus on consolidating various source data, understanding statistical data pathways, identifying processes thereto, providing analytical and support services to the project management team, with activities including database documentation, data flow diagrams, combining business rules with statistical business processes, mapping processes, providing assistance with managing work plans, data analysis, documentation and regular reporting to the Director – Activity & Costing (2012 to 2013); |
  | Developed and implemented centralized email and electronic data synchronization platform-system for NB LawCentre an immigration and family law practice (2012 to 2013);Providing Health care cost and Value-for-Money analytical services and modeling outcomes in support of developing business cases pursuant to strategic direction with regards to key public performance measures to Alberta Health Services an Alberta provincial crown corporation with assets of $9,8 billion and annual revenue $10,9 billion (2012 to 2012) |
 | Providing financial analysis-, systems & process- and database general ledger support services to Alberta Health Services an Alberta provincial crown corporation with assets of $9,8 billion and annual revenue $10,9 billion with a main focus on managing a GL-Financial-Allocations data project, identifying processes thereto, providing assistance to the 2011- and 2012 annual governmental financial reporting process involving data validation and data transmission processes, data flow mapping, managing business processes, mapping processes, providing assistance with managing work plans, data analysis, documentation and regular reporting to the GL-Manager (2011 to 2012); |
  | Providing financial systems and database analytical reporting services to ENMAX Energy Corporation a public gas and energy utility company with assets of $3,8 billion and annual revenue $2,4 billion with a main focus on payroll-to-ledger interface, data flow & business process mapping and cost allocation steps; regular reporting to the Manager: Corporate Accounting (2011 to 2011) |
  | Providing IFRS conversion support services to ENMAX Energy Corporation a public gas and energy utility company (IFRS conversion assets $3,8 billion and annual revenue $2,4 billion) with a main focus on employee benefits, lease accounting, provisions and taxation; regular reporting to the Vice President – Financial Reporting. The project further required a handle on planned IFRS changes given that the corporation’s year-end and IFRS adoption time frame. (2011 to 2011); |
 | Advised Platinum Communications, a technology and rural internet and network services company, listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange, on its GAAP-to-IFRS conversion project and managing the conversion processes (IFRS conversion assets $7 million and annual revenue $5,5 million), which included detailed analysis & reporting on many a variety of IFRS aspects, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (2011 to 2012); |
 | Advised Winalta Inc., an oil and gas services company, listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange on its GAAP to-IFRS conversion project (IFRS conversion assets $111 million and annual revenue $43, 3 million), which included detailed analysis on many a variety of IFRS aspects and providing business process support concerning the conversion process further being complicated by restructuring linked to CCAA and a change in fiscal year-end. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (2011 to 2011).; |
 | Advised Olympia Financial Group Inc, a financial services group listed on TSX-Venture on its GAAP-to-IFRS conversion project (IFRS conversion assets $18 million and annual revenue $28,5 million), documenting and managing all business processes concerned therewith, which included detailed analysis and reporting on many a variety of IFRS aspects,. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (2009 to 2010); |
 | Developed the basis of the enterprise risk management framework for Olympia Financial Group Inc, a financial services group listed on TSX-Venture with assets $18 million and annual revenue $28,5 million, which included assessing operational business- and IT processes, data flow and responsibilities in order to identify the impact of risks on the business. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (2010 to 2010); |
 | Compiled the Federal Charter Letter Patent application to OSFI for Olympia Financial Group Inc, a financial services group listed on TSX-Venture, driven by diverse analytical processes, data gathering from existing systems, statistical analysis and extensive risk capital- and financial modeling Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (2009 to 2010) |
Eugene Van Den Berg
Eugene is an accomplished Analyst, Accountant, Controller, CFO, and Corporate Finance expert with many years of diverse finance and accounting experience across different industries and with different companies, including non-for-profits. He is a knowledge- and information worker with a passion to solve complex financial management problems and financial reporting processes. Eugene is passionate about finance and economics. He enjoys blogging about interesting economic aspects of current times. He also enjoys following how politics interjects with finance, economy and statistics. Future academic ambition includes enrolling for a PhD in Economics (for the fun of it!).