Danny London

Experience

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  Peat Marwick Thorne and predecessors

  Jun 1984 - Jun 1990

  Audit Manager

  Progressively responsible duties from staff accountant through audit manager including field supervision of up to ten personnel for primarily large clients such as Nabisco, Wang Canada, Campbell Resources and Crothers. Other clients included leasing companies, law firms (Cassels Brock & Blackwell during partner split), public utilities, not-for-profit organizations, mid-size manufacturing companies and small financial service companies. Client responsibilities included multi-level consolidations, equity reporting, commodities, public company disclosures in both Canada and the United States, special industry reporting practices, efficiency assessments and benchmarking, financing and tax advice. Other responsibilities included UFE Finalist Training Coordinator and Toronto Region Senior Accountants Program instructor. Show less

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  Kerbel Public Relations

  Jul 1990 - Jul 1995

  Controller

  Controller of a mid-size marketing and public relations professional service agency responsible for all financial aspects of the business including financial statement and tax return preparation, budgeting, variance analysis, cash flow management, design and implementation of an employee profit sharing plan, design of a three-year career map/professional development training program for all staff in conjunction with a project and annual performance review process, provision of advice and counsel to owner/managers.Facilitated succession planning by spin-off of production division to daughter. Show less

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  Maxxcomm

  Jan 1996 - Jan 2000

  VP - Finance

  Maxxcomm, MDC’s Marketing Communications Division, included 15 professional service firms spanning advertising, consulting, media, public research, public and investor relations with annual equivalent gross billings of $600.0 million.Vice President for several mid-size Canadian-owned professional service agencies with responsibility for restructuring operations to support improved profitability; growth strategies to support 20% per year Public Parent Company objective; design and implementation of financial policies, procedures and internal controls to support Public Parent Company reporting; mergers and acquisitions’ assessment/investigation/negotiation and integration; training of accounting department staff; management information system design and implementation; reporting of monthly results to Public Parent Company and variance analysis; design of corporate reporting package; provision of advice and counsel to owner/managers.Engaged as senior strategic Finance Consultant by Public Parent Company to evaluate acquisitions; strategize regarding IPO potential; assessment/recruitment/training of accounting staff at all 15 Canadian subsidiaries; assessment of accounting systems; design and implementation of financial policies, procedures and internal controls; design and implementation of corporate reporting package and bench-marking key success indicators.Achievements included:• Veritas Communications Inc. – financial turnaround from loss to profitable operation within 6 months; negotiation of minority shareholder agreement for management;• LBJ Advertising – negotiated removal/share purchase from former 24.95% shareholder and simultaneous acquisition of FRB Advertising ($1.2 million overnight gain);• News Canada – $700K acquisition and financial turnaround to $2.2 million annual revenue;• Integrated Healthcare Communications Inc. - acquisition and financial turnaround;• Savage Sloan Design – financial turnaround and merger with Bryan Mills & Associates. Show less

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  Edelman Public Relations

  Oct 2000 - Jun 2006

  Senior Vice President - Finance & Administration

  Edelman is the largest privately-held public relations professional service agency in the world. Objective upon hiring was financial turnaround of operations including finance/accounting department and IT system following disastrous Y2K system implementation and nervous breakdown of predecessor. Responsibilities included profitability of Canadian operation with annual equivalent gross billings of $65.0 million; design and implementation of financial policies, procedures and internal controls; development of strategic annual business plans and performance measurement benchmarks; oversight of finance department restructuring and turnaround; direct interaction with owner/managers; computer system conversion; negotiation of legal agreements including clients, suppliers, facilities, employees and shareholders; recruitment and training of finance, IT and human resources staff; monthly reporting of financial results to Global CFO in Chicago and Canadian President & CEO with variance analysis. Work closely with divisional practice leaders to strategize, develop and implement annual business plans, staffing recommendations and profitability improvement initiatives and all corporate tax planning and reporting. Show less

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  Karabus Management Inc.

  Oct 2007 - Feb 2010

  Director of Firm Operations

  Privately-held $16.0 million retail management consulting organization with entities in Canada and USA structured for tax minimization purposes utilizing Limited Partnership and family trusts. Objective upon hiring was to provide strategic advice and counsel regarding accounting department personnel and systems; implement operational improvements to enhance enterprise valuation; and assist negotiation of business sale.Improved operating margins leading to sale of business to PriceWaterhouse Coopers Canada at 150% of target sale price; negotiated and oversaw office relocation; led finance/accounting & IT staff; and managed integration of operation with PwC including system conversion. Show less

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  SAI Global

  Feb 2010 - Apr 2018

  Head of Global Finance, Assurance Division (promoted July 2017) responsible for all global finance operations (33 corporate entities, all wholly-owned subsidiaries of SAI Global Pty. Limited, formerly an Australian public company (ASX) acquired by Private Equity December 2016.SAI Global’s Assurance business is a $400 million multi-divisional operation including certification, training and consulting services. Objective upon hiring as VP – Finance, Assurance Americas Division was to transform the former not-for-profit QMI (Quality Management Institute) division of the Canadian Standards Association into a profitable subsidiary of the Australian public parent company. • Increased EBITDA from 3.2% to 27.4% with no increase in Finance headcount;• Implemented new accounting software;• Negotiated, conducted due diligence, closed and integrated elf-financed acquisitions of certification and training business in US; Customer referral arrangement in Canada; and acquisition of a Mexican certification business as well as the C$100K divestiture of a non-profitable line of business in Canada. • Designed, developed and implemented on-line document management, time & expense application; and• Reduced monthly reporting timeline from 7 days to 4 days.Previously, upon restructure of global operations from divisional to regional focus, promoted to Regional Director of Finance, Americas with full responsibility for all Americas’ operations including software as a service and publications divisions in addition to previous responsibilities.• Reduced monthly reporting timeline from 4 days to 3 days;• Increased accuracy of both monthly financial reporting and forecasting;• Increased net free operating cash flow from negative to in excess of $25M/annum. Show less

  • Global Head of Finance, Assurance

    Jul 2017 - Apr 2018

  • Regional Director of Finance, Americas

    Jul 2015 - Jun 2017

  • V.P. - Finance & IT, Assurance Americas

    Feb 2010 - Jun 2015