Jack Tjards

Experience

• 

  KPMG

  Sept 1988 - Aug 1991

  Senior Auditor

  Auditing lead for both publicly traded and privately held manufacturing, insurance, financial services, and not-for-profit companies. Generated comprehensive financial statements and process improvement recommendations upon completion of audits.

• 

  Metz Baking Company

  Aug 1991 - Apr 1995

  Plant Controller

  Accountable for accounting, financial planning and analysis, reporting, cash management, inventory management, fixed asset management, and payroll processing for plant. Oversaw all local plant financial aspects, including manufacturing unit cost and profitability calculations.

• 

  IKON Office Solutions

  May 1995 - Jun 1997

  Division Controller

  Oversaw accounting, financial planning and analysis, reporting, cash management, payroll processing, and inventory management for Smith Copy Systems Division. Evaluated and advised local President on acquisition targets and assimilated two acquisitions into operating environment.

• 

  CNA Insurance

  Sept 1997 - Aug 2011

  Directed a staff of 150. Managed a budget of over $11M.* Launched new processing center in Denver, CO, hiring 50 employees across four functional areas in the first year.* Improved transaction turnaround time by 15% for supported business units through improved training and performance management of front-line personnel.* Reduced expenses 10% annually through increased managerial span of control, technology automation deployments, and improved employee performance while achieving enhanced outcomes.* Developed and promoted 15% of managed staff through targeted skill set enhancement opportunities.* Drove annual employee survey satisfaction rate to nearly 80% across eight primary focus areas. Show less Oversaw planning, forecasting, accounting, and reporting aspects for GRM claim runoff division while leading 12 professionals. * Built, maintained, and executed monthly analysis package for senior staff for $4B claim runoff programs.* Centralized all general ledger accounting in Chicago over 12 months from 5 decentralized locations, increasing accuracy and efficiency.* Partnered closely with department leaders on operational and financial reviews of their areas, driving 6% annual expense savings.* Developed, maintained, and generated quarterly ROE anlaysis for eight runoff programs. Leveraged analysis to redeploy $700M of capital between legal entities.* Coordinated analysis of 25 runoff programs for potential sale, a precursor to CNA's 2010 divestiture of asbestos liabilities.* Served as runoff business lead for project merging ten legal entities together, saving company $3M annually in reporting and compliance costs.* Dissoved CNA UniSource runoff business unit in 2006, barring future liability claims from being raised by clients and tax authorities. Show less Coordinated all aspects of personal lines divestiture to Allstate. Acted as Chief Operating Officer of CNA UniSource.* Coordinated matrixed resources across IT, legal, compliance, tax, actuarial, and finance to meet divestiture obligations timely and without penalty including the sale of five legal entities to Allstate.* Invoiced $15M-$20M CNA support provided by all matrixed functions to Allstate monthly / annually.* Developed comprehensive three-year exit strategy for UniSource coveraing all financial, operational, legal, tax, and technological aspects of business.* Reduced UniSource staffing levels systematically from 125 to three part-time resources as runoff of business unit concluded; no substantial liabilities incurred.* Completed all accounting and financial planning and analysis for $20M personal lines and $3M UniSource business units. Show less Oversaw accounting, financial planning and analysis, monthly / annual billing, and cash management associated with CNA's sale of personal lines business to Allstate. Supported 5 other divestitures made by CNA.* Managed monthly / annual billing and settlement of $100M of support services and claim settlement payments with Allstate.* Completed ongoing monthly sale transaction accounting included GAAP and STAT financial statement disclosures.* Contributed to both pre- and post-sale project management / leadership of transitional services, fixed asset transfers, and technology licensing transfers for CNA divesitures.1997 - 2000 - Responsible for cost accounting team of 3, ensuring complete and accurate expense accounting monthly. Coordinated CNA's $15B annual planning and budgeting process, including development of quarterly forecasting tool. Show less Responsible for cost accounting / planning team of three professionals.* Ensured accurate and complete monthly expense accounting across all CNA business units including company accruals for payroll and benefits related expenses.* Developed new monthly, quarterly, and YTD on-line expense reports, eliminating manual compilation and distribution of reports across the enterprise.* Coordinated company-wide $15B annual planning and budgeting process, including development of quarterly forecasting tool used to update each business unit projection.* Computed and submitted $2M annual Federal Government contract indirect cost allocation covering 30 separate support functions. Show less

  • AVP, Processing Operations

    Oct 2009 - Aug 2011

  • AVP, Finance

    Feb 2006 - Sept 2009

  • Director, Runoff Operations

    Apr 2003 - Jan 2006

  • Accounting Manager, Runoff Operations

    Apr 2000 - Mar 2003

  • Accounting Manager, Cost Accounting / Planning

    Sept 1997 - Mar 2000
• 

  DLC

  Jan 2012 - now

  Finance, Accounting, & Project Consultant

  DLC is a consulting firm providing senior level finance and accounting services ranging from project based work to interim role fulfillment. Clients range in size from Fortune 50 companies to privately held start up companies.Concentrations include Project Management, Financial Planning & Analysis, Accounting, Controllership, Modeling, Systems Implementation, M&A Due Diligence Support, Post Merger Integration, and Process Improvements & Efficiencies.Client Engagements:- Project Manager @ a global retail and wholesale pharmacy company responsible for:* Led team conducting a comprehensive review of all global intercompany transactions* Calculated monthly, quarterly, and annual statistics regarding the types of transactions recorded* Developed an initial global intercompany policy detailing appropriate guidelines and limits to be followed by all business divisions including transfer pricing, budgeting, materiality, invoicing, and settlement* Recommended process and procedure changes to eliminate, simplify, consolidate, and / or automate transactions making period end balancing more effective and efficient- Due Diligence Specialist @ a diversified water company responsible for:* Planning / executing all due diligence aspects on an acquisition target* Restated 3 years of cash based historical financial records under GAAP accounting rules* Identified / eliminated one-time income / expenditure items to determine true "run rate"* Built / implemented a project based forecasting tool for acquisition target- FP&A Director @ an international CPG company responsible for:* Monthly financial / operational forecasting / reporting for Senior Staff* Monthly advertising and trade program accounting / analysis* National account contract pricing decisions / renewals / profitability Show less