Select Executive Experience
FR Falconwing, LLC (2012-2024), Founder and Principal Consultant
RGP (2012-2021), Consultant, Annual Business Plan
Warbird Consulting Partners (2012), Consultant, Interim Division Controller
Tatum (2010-2011), Executive Services Partner & Interim CFO
Huron Consulting Group (2007-2009), Consultant, CFO Solutions
HealthSouth (now Encompass) (2004-2007), Director Financial Operations (Ambulatory Surgery Division), Director Internal Controls (Corporate)
Independent CFO Consultant (2000-2004), Interim Tech CFO (CareCentric Inc. (Public), QualTel Inc., tCERT Inc., ePANACEA.com Inc.)
Convergence Corporation (Amazon) (1998-2000), Chief Financial Officer
President Baking (Keebler/ Ferrero) (1992-1998), Operations Controller, Director Financial Planning and Analysis, VP Administration, Director Business Development and Strategic Planning
Dole Food Company (1986-1992), Director Planning and Business Development, VP Finance (Argentina), VP Operations (Citrus), Marketing Analyst New Product Development, Summer Intern (Costa Rica)
The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. (1980-1984), Second Vice President, Western Hemisphere
Core Competencies
Strategic Financial Management Annual & Multi-Year Business Plan Operations Analysis
Profit Improvement
Financial Planning and Analysis
Private Equity
Turnaround & Crisis Management
Business Development
Mergers & Acquisitions
Pre-Sale Preparation
Post-Acquisition Integration
Treasury - Cash Forecasting & Operations
Public (SEC) & Private Equity Reporting
Financial Close Improvement
Purchase Card Programs
MIS – Implementation, Optimization
International & Multi-Site Operations
Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese
Industry Experience
International
Private Equity
Construction
Healthcare (multi-unit)
Manufacturing
Technology
Automotive OEM (Parts)
Truck, Engine Manufacturer
Consumer Packaged Goods
Food
Agribusiness
Banking
Education & Certifications
MBA
International Marketing & Operations Harvard Business School
BSFS
International Economics, Latin America School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Vanderbilt University
(Engineering and Liberal Arts studies, Vanderbilt nominee for Harry S. Truman Scholarship for Public Service)
CPA
(TN, inactive)
CTP
(Certified Treasury Professional)
CMA
(Certified Management Accountant)
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
Theory of Constraints
Executive Profile
Forest is a Partner on the Texas-South team of SeatonHill. Mr. Ralph is a finance and operations professional with over 25 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Business Development and Strategic Planning lead and consultant to the Offices of the CFO and Treasurer, in the infrastructure construction project management, healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, technology, consumer packaged goods, agribusiness,
and banking industries. His broad and deep skillset includes corporate, divisional, and operating group management of strategic and annual financial planning & analysis, margin improvement, acquisitions and divestitures, Treasury, and systems implementation processes. Forest has provided leadership in domestic and international environments during all phases of the company life cycle: start- up, high growth, turnaround, restatement, remediation, buy- and sell-side preparation, and post-acquisition integration.
Key Experience
Offshore Electric Utility: Forest was the lead responsible for the design, implementation, and management of a large Purchasing Card (PCard) program for the American/ Canadian Joint Venture company formed to upgrade the electrical grid for Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria (65% on-island, 35% Houston/ remote). His team delivered 385 PCards on Day One of the privatization of the largest company in Puerto Rico; the program quickly grew to 650 cards. The agile implementation was completed three weeks after the engagement began, vs. the standard four months. Forest executed bilingually within a complex, “giant instant startup” operating environment under high political visibility. He developed & managed the internal and external Financial Reporting, Controls, Compliance, and Credit functions. After two years, he planned and initiated the migration of the program from the original Vendor to a second, world- class, long-term platform. (San Juan, PR and Houston, TX; 2021–2024).
Fortune 300 Construction Management Firm: As Consultant to a $12 billion, Fortune 300 construction management firm active in the Electric Power and Oil & Gas Infrastructure sectors, Forest was responsible for managing the Annual Business Plan (ABP), annual Enterprise Risk (ERM) assessment, and monthly Business Development Pipeline Report as the company more than tripled annual revenue over a nine-year period. He upgraded the ABP process utilizing Excel and HFM-based tools for over 100 single- and multi-unit/ multicurrency OpUs, then supported its migration to a long-term, in-house, cloud-based Application. (Houston, TX; 2012-2021).
CFO Solutions Practice: Forest served as an Interim Financial Executive in several special situations, including:
Clinical Research Organization (CRO): Division Controller for 16 International and Domestic subsidiaries within a newly consolidated, $2 billion Private Equity - backed roll-up. (Houston, TX; 2012)
OEM Automotive Parts Manufacturer: As the Assistant Treasurer - Asia Pacific / Latin America for this $7 billion multinational manufacturer, Forest had responsibility for international cash management and reporting, the design and implementation of a notional pooling program across 275+ accounts in 25 countries, rating agency relations and bank covenant reporting. Forest also served on the External (SEC) Reporting Team, managing production of the 10K and 10-Q Cash Flow Statements and the monthly (Internal) Cash Flow Report for the first year after the company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid the automotive sector crash. (Toledo, OH; 2008-2009)
Mid and Heavy Truck and Diesel Engine Manufacturer: As Team Lead for the Foreign Entities Group for this $12 billion transportation client, Forest managed the five-year restatement of SEC reporting for the company’s operations in Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. (Porto Alegre, Brazil and Warrenville, IL; 2007-2008)
International Manufacturer/Exporter of Medical Diagnostic Equipment: As Interim Chief Financial Officer for this Argentine portfolio company of an American-European Private Equity firm, Forest reestablished the integrity of the 13-week Cash Forecast, monetized wasting export tax credits and overhauled the warehouse’s Inventory Management System, generating an additional 60 days of Working Capital and averting excessive exchange control penalties. (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2010-2011).
Rehabilitative Healthcare Services Provider: As Director of Financial Operations, Ambulatory Surgery Division, Forest was the operations consultant and corporate financial liaison to Regional VPs, Operations VPs, and Business Office Managers for 35 Ambulatory Surgery Center partnerships within a $700 million (revenue), 140-site Division. As Director of Internal Controls (Corporate), Forest was the first full-time staff member of the team charged with implementing the 2002 SarbanesOxley legislation, including remediation, within one of the four largest companies that forced the creation of the SOX legislation. (Birmingham, AL; 2004-2007).