Michelle Register Riggs

M ICHELLE R IGGS Wilmington, NC |-|- | www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-r-riggs/ FINANCIAL ANALYST Financial Analyst with 20+ years in accounting and finance. Expert in financial modeling, risk assessment, and best-practice model development. Improve forecasting, automate reporting, and enhance internal controls. Support strategic initiatives through data analysis, budgeting, and planning. Partner with cross-functional teams to optimize financial performance and compliance. Skilled in mentoring analysts, presenting insights to leadership, and driving data-informed decisions across complex portfolios. AREAS Financial Analysis Spreadsheet Expertise Financial Forecasting Regulatory Compliance Process Improvement OF EXPERTISE Data Interpretation Accounting Month End Close Report Preparation and Presentation Team Training and Mentoring Technology: Microsoft Suite, spreadsheets, Tableau, Cognos, accounting and financial management software PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Senior Financial Analyst | IBM |- Enhanced team processes and sparked innovative ideas among colleagues.  Boosted forecasting accuracy and reliability by overhauling manual processes with automated systems, leveraging expertise to streamline operations and reduce manual effort, impacting $330M revenue portfolio for Canadian sectors.  Led department audit coordination as primary contact; facilitated communication, ensured timely submission, resolved two findings, and implemented changes to backup documentation and approval processes to strengthen internal controls. Financial Analyst Lead | IBM |- Executed detailed project account analysis for 4 sectors and 9 service lines in U.S. based Consulting Business.  Collaborated with consulting partners and project teams to clarify financial metrics and enhance profitability insights.  Booked journal entries, guaranteeing accurate revenue and cost recognition during month end close process.  Leveraged advanced forecasting tools to analyze trends, generating accurate revenue projections and profit margins.  Developed and presented in-depth financial insights to senior management, driving strategic decision making through datadriven solutions.  Responded to audit requests, compiling comprehensive transaction and workflow process documents to boost audit readiness.  Managed end-to-end project status reviews, ensuring alignment between actual progress and system data.  Conducted detailed analysis of billing reports to identify and resolve discrepancies.  Trained and mentored interns and new hires into confident team contributors.  Reconciled shared costs among different departments, projects, and service lines. Financial Analyst | IBM |- Performed financial modeling for customer and service line portfolios generating $400M in annual revenue.  Drove accurate financial reporting by analyzing accounts and executing journal entries, optimizing revenue recognition processes.  Conducted monthly backlog reconciliations across project portfolio, identifying and resolving discrepancies to improve reporting accuracy.  Tracked unbilled activity, collaborating with accounting to optimize reserve entries and write-offs for accuracy. Michelle Riggs |- |-| Page 2  Ensured procurement compliance by validating commodity-code accuracy on purchase orders for project spending, performed monthly cost reconciliations and delivered in-depth driver analysis to the operations team and CFO to drive profit improvement. Professional Accountant (earlier IBM work) Guided team of 15 accountants, meeting monthly financial responsibilities and performance benchmarks.  Performed in-depth monthly analyses of ledgers, guaranteeing reliable financial statement integrity and enhancing compliance.  Crafted insightful monthly measurement reports, presenting strategic analyses to senior management. EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Accounting | University of North Carolina at Wilmington