Professional Resume Template for
Chief Financial Officer
Valerie T. Sterling
Chicago, IL
(312) 555-0143
valerie.sterling@finance-exec.com
linkedin.com/in/valerie-sterling | valeriesterling.com
Professional Summary
Finance-focused executive with 6 years of leadership directing capital allocation, corporate treasury, and financial planning & analysis (FP&A) for high-growth firms. Successfully managed venture capital and debt fundraising rounds totaling $42M, negotiated commercial credit facilities reducing cost of capital by 1.8%, and overhauled internal accounting controls to shorten monthly close cycles from 12 to 4 business days. Skilled in building complex predictive modeling frameworks, executing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) due diligence, and partnering with executive teams to maximize operational margin. Proficient in NetSuite ERP, Anaplan, and treasury management platforms.
Work Experience
Chief Financial Officer — Clearpath Financial Group
Chicago, IL | October 2023 – Present
- Directed financial operations and strategic capital allocation for a $45M financial services firm, scaling annual revenue by 28% over 24 months through pricing optimization and customer acquisition modeling.
- Led a cross-functional team of 11 finance professionals to execute a Series B funding round, securing $30M in venture capital at a 15% lower dilution rate than initial institutional projections.
- Renegotiated credit lines and treasury services with 3 major banking partners, reducing interest expense by $340,000 annually and increasing available cash buffer by 25% to support cash-flow requirements.
- Migrated accounting operations from legacy software to NetSuite ERP, reducing financial reporting errors by 44% and billing discrepancies by 32% across 14 operating entities over 6 months.
Director of Finance — Luminate Wealth Management
New York, NY | June 2020 – September 2023
- Managed all FP&A, budgeting, and tax compliance functions, reducing operating expenses by 14% ($1.2M) through department-level cost-control audits and vendor contract renegotiations.
- Structured and implemented a new cash flow forecasting model, improving liquidity projection accuracy from 74% to 96% over a 12-month period for a portfolio of 4 sub-entities.
- Prepared monthly and quarterly financial packages for the Board of Directors, decreasing preparation time by 35% using automated data pipelines and dashboard reporting.
- Supervised audit preparations for 3 consecutive clean annual audits, resolving 18 historical control deficiencies and mitigating tax exposure by $180,000 through tax credit maximization.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance
Northwestern University · Evanston, IL · 2020
Skills
Capital allocation, Corporate treasury, FP&A, Series B fundraising, NetSuite ERP, Anaplan, Cash flow forecasting, SEC reporting, Tax compliance, SQL, Treasury management, Board communications, Cost-control audits, Risk management
Projects
ERP System Modernization
Role: Executive Sponsor
Tools: NetSuite, Microsoft Power BI, Jira
Led the migration of financial reporting systems for a $45M enterprise, reducing consolidation timeline from 15 to 5 days and improving data sync reliability by 99%.
Series B Funding Round
Role: Lead Financial Negotiator
Tools: Anaplan, Microsoft Excel, DocuSign
Compiled and presented financial models to 14 venture capital firms, culminating in a $30M funding round that extended runway by 24 months.
Certifications
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (2021)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) (2023)
Additional information
- Languages: English (Native), French (Professional)
- Professional Affiliations: Member of Financial Executives International (FEI) (2021-present)
- Availability: 4 weeks notice for executive transition
Job Market Insights
Market data and opportunities for
Chief Financial Officer
Job Market Insights
$210,000
-
$320,000
Avg:
$265,000
Growth Outlook:
The demand for Chief Financial Officers is expected to remain stable, driven by the ongoing need for strategic capital management, corporate governance, and complex financial analysis in a volatile economic environment. As financial technology and automated reporting tools handle routine transactional accounting, CFOs are increasingly valued for strategic forecasting, risk mitigation, and fundraising capabilities. Employment of top executives is projected to grow by 4% from 2024 to 2034.
4% growth over 10 years
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Chief Financial Officer
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