Lauren Cox

Operations Manager • Project Manager • Business Intelligence Analyst • Greensboro, NC, US

Strategic Planning

Leadership

CPA Certified

Available for hire fromNegotiable

Full-Time Roles

MBA, CPA, MAC, CTP

Executive Vice President and Chief Finance Officer with a passion for advancing the mission of companies doing good in the world. Driving continuous improvement through vision, strategy and responsible stewardship. MBA, MAC, CPA, CTP

Projects

Conversion of Finance System

1) Reporting system migration from Hyperion to SAP module for global Fortune 500 company 2) Reporting system migration from COGNOS to Argos (Ellucian based) 3) Reporting system migration from QuickBooks to various systems as merged companies at two companiesSee More

Created Treasury Management

1) Move investments of $320 million for consideration of ESG factors (UNCG) 2) Created short-term and long-term treasury practices, such as money market sweeps (Catawba College, UNCG, Elon, etc.)See More

Shared Services Centers

Lead North America finance project to offshore and outsource finance team (Syngenta Crop Protection)

Sustainability / ESG

1) Managed operations, finance and people for first school in Southeast United States to be carbon neutral 2) Created ESG investment opportunities over multiple endowments and investment categories 3) Create JEDI practices over past two companies, along with cross-functional teams, as I department of Human Resources reported to myself as VP & CFOSee More

Work History

Vice President for Finance and Administration / CFO

CATAWBA COLLEGE,May 2021 - Present • 3 yrs 6 mosProvided executive leadership and strategic direction while managing departments such as: finance, student accounts, purchasing and procurement, facilities, information technology, human resources, public safety, conferences and events, and capital projects. Advised and counseled the President and other leadership in drafting and achieving institutional strategy and goals. Promoted a culture of continuous improvement and feedback among faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees. ▪ Improved and promoted DEI, designed and implemented equitable pay initiative, and redesigned hiring and onboarding. ▪ Developed, implemented, and socialized a complete annual budget where no comprehensive budgeting previously existed. o Created the college’s first detailed labor and capital project budget and reporting. o Created the first framework for collecting, analyzing, and reporting short-term and long-term resource requirements and other data vital to decision making. ▪ Completed a long-term overhaul of multiple teams including infrastructure/IT, finance, and operations in order to align with modern best practice and sustainability goals. ▪ Provided counsel, guidance, and leadership on campus initiatives and strategic direction in developing a ten-year strategic plan as well as campus integrated master plan - both focusing on sustainability. Delivered campus-level financial planning in conjunction with the college’s long-range capital plan. ▪ Represented Catawba as a contributor to multiple communities, state and national professional organizations, as well as local civic groups – including local, state, and national speaking engagements. ▪ Directed multiple large scale, strategic projects from RFP to finalization. ▪ Resolved extensive deferred maintenance and related budget overruns. ▪ Managed endowment investments of over $300 million.

Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance / CFO and AVP for Finance and Investments

GUILFORD COLLEGE,Nov 2020 - May 2021 • 7 mosThrough the departure of the incumbent VP Finance as well as the President of the College, productively served as Interim VP Finance with a focus on stability and continuity of service. Successfully began stabilizing a perilous financial situation, bolstering an institution that is still operating today. ▪ Delivered leadership and continuity of operations in a time of major transition throughout the institution. ▪ Advised the President and other administrators regarding the operations and resources of the College, focusing on providing a two-year balanced budget for the college. ▪ Provided leadership and strategic direction regarding development of facilities and grounds, including the development and continued oversight of substantial deferred maintenance. -Provided leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of financial operations, investments, and cash operations - including budgeting, reporting, and auditing. Oversight of risk management considerations and maintaining full compliance with all regulatory requirements and accepted standards of practice. ▪ Guided strategic development, implementation, and operation of the University's business operations practices and procedures through various Leadership Committees. ▪ Project Manager for Finance and Administration. Championed a culture of continuous improvement; initiated projects successfully improving efficiencies in multiple areas of finance. ▪ Responsible for external audit - managed banking, borrowing, and cash forecasting - Identified opportunities for revenue enhancement and targets for cost savings.

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Foundation Finance and Investments

University of North Carolina at GreensboroMay 2017 - Nov 2020 • 3 yrs 7 mosManager for investment, financial reporting, budgeting, accounting, and governance oversight for all affiliated Entities of the University and non-state and non-tuition/fees appropriations for the University - approximately 1,800 funds . ▪ Assistant Treasurer serving six Foundation boards for the University as well as numerous Committees ▪ Oversight of Foundation investments for a management of endowment valued at over $330m with OCIO firm. ▪ Management of annual operating budget for all Foundations in addition to parts of the University’s budget. ▪ Developed capital outlay plan, debt financing, and operational planning for Facilities Foundation, including leases, housing projects, insurance, and real estate acquisition.

North America Senior Reporting Manager and Leadership Program

Syngenta Crop Protection IncJun 2013 - May 2017 • 4 yrsIn key leadership management program, so held four roles in four years as part of development into Global Finance Senior Leadership team. North America Senior Reporting Manager ▪ Management of 60+ international direct reports on Accounting and Reporting teams over four continents. ▪ Managed product costing, royalties, inventory observations/reconciliations and required compliance for over $3b in sales. ▪ Responsible for global reporting of gross profit, sales, inventory, balance sheet and related financial data for over $5b. ▪ Responsible for annual operating budget of over $3b for two business and over 100 business lines. North America Finance Transition Manager and Team Leader -Financial Services 2016 to 2017 ▪ Reorganized North America Reporting team and assessed consolidation and transition. ▪ Transition manager, building a shared services Finance Center to merge financial reporting activities globally. ▪ Leadership in project creation, recruitment, and implementation of offshore financial reporting accountabilities. Continuous Improvement & Project Manager ▪ Project Manager and team leader for Accounting and Reporting global transformational projects. ▪ Finance Director of key talent assessment and recruitment (Finance Management Program). ▪ Created and managed MBA/MAC internship program for North America’s finance division. ▪ Completed multi-year legal entity and system simplification project for North America. ▪ Completed reporting system migration from Hyperion to SAP module for global reporting team. ▪ Served on Regional Finance Leadership Team with CFO and other global finance leaders. ▪ Completed Key Talent Management Program training with CFO and Finance Leadership team. Controller-North American Seeds Corporation ▪ Managed an outsourced third party; drove improvements in process efficiencies. ▪ Accountable for month-end close and service delivery for Multiple Legal Entities including third parties. ▪ Integrated multiple legal entities onto Global SAP

Senior Reporting and Tax Manager (now Assistant Controller role)

Elon UniversityApr 2008 - Jun 2013 • 5 yrs 3 mosCreated all reporting for external parties, institutional research, and university management. ▪ Developed, implemented, and managed new internal controls for the university in compliance with US GAAP and Sarbanes-Oxley Act while improving accounting controls and policies. ▪ Conducted, managed, and executed annual audit, financial statements, and annual report. ▪ Completed annual tax return (Form 990) & directed other tax forms, compliance, and sales & use. ▪ Worked closely with the athletic department to guide budgeting, daily activities, and NCAA reporting and audit.

Staff Auditor

EY (Ernst and Young)Aug 2007 - Apr 2008 • 9 mos-Specialization in private, multi-national firms moving towards an IPO

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bachelor's Degree, Public Policy (Law) and BusinessAug 2003 - May 2006

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Master of Accounting, AccountingMay 2006 - May 2007

Elon University

MBA, FinanceAug 2012 - Mar 2014

How Pangea Works

Effortlessly discover top talent

We’ve distilled the candidate search from endless hours down to just a few minutes. Using Pangea’s AI-powered search tools, you can find top fractional talent able to take on your next project. Our system looks at your company’s niche and your needs to find the perfect match faster than any traditional hiring platform.

Start working with talent today

The top talent on Pangea is ready to get started with you right now. You can message or hire a candidate right from their profile page and start assigning work as soon as they respond. And the best part? Pangea’s fractional contract structure lets you start small and ramp up as your needs change, keeping your costs manageable and your team’s capabliities flexible.

Track work and invoices in one place

Assign tasks, track progress, and complete invoices all on Pangea. We’ve combined every part of the hiring process into one platform to eliminate the miscommunication that’s unavoidable on other freelance platforms. We even send out 1099s to your contractors at the end of the year!

Talk with a Talent Expert

Members of our team are available to help you speed through the hiring process.

Available Now

Book a Call