Peter W. Collins

Education Products Distributor: As a consultant, Peter engineered the leveraged buyout of an international education products distributor, becoming its CFO, and leading the accounting, HR, and IT functions. As CFO and board member, Peter led the rebranding and reemergence of the 70-year-old company, doubling its top line revenue in 5 years, landing the company on Deloitte’s Top 75 privately held firms (in terms of revenue) in Wisconsin. Directing IT, he renegotiated the ERP contract, saving over $200k per year, as well as implementing business analytic tools, such as PowerBI, to provide instant visibility to the firm’s sales and profitability. Directing HR, Peter implemented a regular quarterly review process, monthly company meetings, and new policies to promote a healthy and happy company environment. As a result, the firm earned a place on the Top 10 Places to Work list in Madison, Wisconsin. As CFO, Peter took advantage of tax incentives provided by the states of Wisconsin and Florida, providing over $100 thousand in tax credits to the shareholders. During the pandemic, Peter secured $1.7 million in PPP loans, which were received and forgiven (tax-free) in the same 2020 fiscal year. Peter also structured and negotiated the tax-free spin-off of its UK subsidiary. 

International Manufacturer of Industrial Products: Peter was brought in as the CFO at a newly acquired spin-off of a Fortune 500 company. Peter created the accounting, IT, and HR functions, as well as serving as Secretary and Treasurer of the organization. Overseeing the foreign accounting functions of the units in Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, China, and Singapore, he created a currency hedging strategy to offset foreign exchange gains and losses. Peter created the firm’s Risk Management program, including Disaster Recovery, Property and Casualty Insurance Plans, and Contract Review. He was also part of the executive team that selected a new ERP platform (SAP) and was involved in its implementation. Peter managed the annual audit process, as well as annual planning, budgeting, and financial statement review and analysis. 

Regional Home Builder/Apartment Rental: As the Controller, Peter uncovered a $20 million fraud perpetrated by the CEO, General Counsel, vendors, and several key employees. He was promoted to CFO and formulated a plan to mitigate reputational damage, assuring construction contractors of payment, and securing financing from the firm’s current lenders. Through regular, open, and honest communications, Peter gained the trust of the lenders and was able to maintain all existing construction loans. These efforts earned Peter the Robert Half/ IMA CFO of the Year (Mid America Region) award, and a role as a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in their Business Ethics class. Peter also created internal control processes and procedures to mitigate the risk of this occurring in the future. Peter negotiated all Insurance programs, which included Property & Casualty and Health Care insurance. 

Manufacturer of Dairy Equipment: Peter was a consultant at a Dairy Manufacturer that was in Chapter 11 reorganization. He created cash flow projections that were submitted to the courts, as well as a 5-year financial plan for submission to the creditors and courts to emerge from Chapter 11. These forecasts were also used for the sale of the operating business units to outside investors.