Patty Pickard

SeatonHill Engagement Highlights: Patty has partnered with organizations through SeatonHill to strengthen financial operations, improve organizational performance, and guide leadership teams through periods of change. Her engagements combine strategic financial leadership with practical execution, helping clients build stronger, more effective organizations. Select engagement highlights include:

• Advised a foundation and led a successful financial turnaround during executive leadership disruption by restructuring costs, reducing staffing, renegotiating contracts, developing new revenue streams, and guiding the organization from a cash deficit to a sustainable cash-positive position while managing financial operations in Blackbaud Financial Edge and Raiser’s Edge.

• Led a business advisory engagement for a nonprofit animal shelter, conducting a comprehensive financial and operational assessment that restructured the finance function, aligned departmental accountability, and developed a multi-year turnaround plan to address a $4 million annual operating deficit. The strategy reduced the projected deficit to $2.5 million in year one and $1 million in year two by improving cost structure, strengthening revenue-generating programs, and establishing clear fundraising and operational performance expectations.

• Implemented AI-enabled financial systems to modernize finance operations and improve organizational efficiency.

• Led business advisory engagements for several organizations, providing strategic financial and operational leadership.

• Optimized staffing structures, reducing one client’s finance team from eight to five positions while improving overall effectiveness and support capabilities.

• Partnered with executive leadership teams and boards to improve financial visibility, support strategic decision-making, and position organizations for long-term success.

Salesmanship Club of Dallas: As CFO, Patty executed the organization’s strategic plan to combine the back room of 5 Salesmanship Companies. She created and implemented best practices to standardize internal processes and procedures that promoted a strong internal control structure. She identified and implemented ERP systems that centralized the individual entities into one organizational IT platform that included accounting, payroll and fundraising systems. She prepared financial forecasts to support fiscal planning and management. Patty supported company growth objectives by developing solid financial plans. Those improvement initiatives promoted profitability and efficiency throughout the organization.

National Math and Science Initiative: As CFO, Patty was tapped to join 5 C-level executives to start up an advanced placement math and science scalable initiative with a grant of over $100 Million dollars given by a multi-billion dollar energy company. Patty devised strategies to drive organizational vision in concert with the Board of Directors and senior executives. She built and implemented all back room systems and hired and guided all back room staff. Patty also created and implemented best practices to standardize internal processes and procedures. She devised reporting structures for the original 8 nationwide locations with budgets of over $13 Million per School District. 

YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas: As CFO, Patty was brought on board to facilitate a tax exempt bond issue to supplement funding alongside of the impending capital campaign. She created and implemented best practices to standardize internal processes and procedures. Patty also managed company-wide budgets, payroll, accounting, and other financial operations. She prepared financial forecasts to support fiscal planning and management. 

Cooper and Stebbins Real Estate Development: As CFO, Patty was asked to join the company to organize the partnership financial information in preparation for the sale of the first three projects. She developed plans to standardize and facilitate organizational asset management. Patty also created and implemented best practices to standardize internal processes and procedures. She managed company-wide budgets, payroll, accounting, and other financial operations. 

Financial Services Firm: Patty served as consultant for this financial services organization to assist in the preparation of financial data for audit as part of the sale to a multi-billion dollar public company. There were 13 locations in the US and Europe which required the ability to translate the international financials into US Dollars. Patty hired consulting accountants to assist in the facilitation of reconciliation of the 13 locations into the consolidated financials to package for sale. She also worked with the attorneys to complete the sale. 

TIG Insurance Company: Patty started as Division Assistant Controller and was promoted over the years eventually to Senior Vice President and Controller of the holding company. In 1999 the company was sold to a billion-dollar public insurance company. During the due diligence and closing Patty was retained to facilitate the move of the entire accounting department back under the umbrella of the new company.