THERESA M.

GILLEST, MBA
124 Monterey Road No. 216
outh Pasadena, California 91030
323.256.7223
tgd70ea8@westpost.net
Accounting and Finance
Seasoned financial professional with over 20 years of experience providing accur
ate and efficient financial management services to two law firms and two other d
iverse industries. Oversee all aspects of finance and accounting with a keenly f
ocused attention to detail, accountability, and long term strategy. Lead and mot
ivate accounting teams to outperform company objectives. Manage performance via
positive reinforcement to foster a productive work environment.

Project Management a Team Building a Financial Management a Financial Analysis

Budget Administration a Multi-state Taxes / Tax Law a Reporting a Benefits & Com
pensation
EEO Compliance a Financial Forecasting a Cash Management a Executive Communicati
ons
Pension Administration a Fund & Investment Management a Debt & Equity a Financia
l Planning

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ETONIEN,LLC. Los Angeles, CA- 2009
Contract Consultant
Interim Controller for 20 attorney law firm. Managed day to day operations of
a small firm which had not had a functioning Controller for two years. Balance
d accounts and prepared Financial Statements for a six month period. Prepared ta
x documents. settled accounts with vendors, managed banking and short term finan
cing, insurance coverage, payroll. Prepared financial analysis of operations and
reporting. Managed 401k administration; successfully conducted 5 year audit wi
th the Department of Labor. Saved the firm $25K in four month period by negotia
ting with vendors and efficiently filing all required documents in a timely mann
er.
LA GAY & LESBIAN CENTER, Los Angeles, California a 2007-2008
$53 million non-profit organization providing health services and assistance to
the LGBT community.
Controller
As senior authority over the finance and grant administration departments, manag
e daily financial, grant, and staff operations. Create and manage annual center
budgets. Perform reviews and approvals for accounts payable, budget expenditures
, journal entries, cash analysis, and banking transactions. Ensure compliance wi
th government regulations by documenting reports on use of over $5 million of go
vernment grants. Coordinate with program directors, department managers, and oth
er personnel to deliver information and analyses for departmental reports. Admin
ister government and in-house company audits. Compile and prepare all tax report
ing data. Document monthly financial reports and quarterly grant analyses.
a Consolidated staff and reduced benefit and salary related expenses by recruiti
ng highly qualified personnel, thus lowering the number of employees required to
accomplish tasks.
a Assured continuity in production and maintained employee morale despite the Au
gust 2007 resignation of the CFO.
MANATT, PHELPS & PHILLIPS, LLP, Los Angeles, California a 2004-2007
$250 million national law firm staffing over 500 employees.
Manager, Financial Analysis & Reporting Delivered monthly production and varianc
e reports as the head of a team of accounting staff. Established annual budgets,
and analyzed departmental budgets and profits. Created Partner draw and entitle
ment schedules.

THERESA M. GILLEST, MBA a Page 2 a tgd70ea8@westpost.net

Conducted annual audits for 2 businesses. Ensured appropriate tax filing by prep
aring data related to 6 taxable entities. Managed General Ledger entries and ban
k reconciliations.
a Accurately administered, allocated, and analyzed a $250 million production bud
get.
LOS ANGELES CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, Los Angeles, California a 2000-2004
$30 million company dedicated to attracting tourism and business to the city of
Los Angeles.
Director, Finance & Administration
Led financial operations for 5 domestic office locations. Created and administer
ed budgets. Directed functions and policy for the finance department. Managed a
team of cross-functional personnel distributed through finance, office facilitie
s, mailroom, and reception. Drafted periodical financial statements, as well as
quarterly and annual audit reports. Coordinated with 3rd party agencies and acco
untants to complete annual audits. Negotiated leases for satellite locations.
a Avoided $31,000 in expenses through opposition to a County of LA Personal Prop
erty Audit.
a Lowered company expenses by 30% through vendor contract negotiations.
a Cut costs, raised departmental morale, and brought much needed order to transf
orm finance from a poorly performing department to an outstanding team of organi
zed personnel.
a Improved communications for the Los Angeles and Chicago offices by installing
new telephone systems.
a Orchestrated construction and relocation of the Los Angeles office on time and
below budget.
a Supported closure of the New York office post-9/11, managed furniture relocati
on, and directed implementation of virtual offices for all area staff.
BURKE, WILLIAMS & SORENSEN, LLP, Los Angeles, California a1979-1999
$30 million law office with multiple nationally distributed locations.
Chief Financial Officer
Rose through multiple roles to take a definitive leadership position in establis
hing financial strategies, operations, and procedures. Trained and led a team of
6 financial personnel. Defined, documented, and executed account and cost contr
ol policies. Ensured timely resolution of billing and collection issues by build
ing and maintaining strong client relationships.
Served as firm representative when negotiating with commercial banks, selecting
banking institutions, and securing revolving lines of credit. Oversaw vendor con
tracts, profitability projections, and investment policies. Evaluated and create
d periodic financial plans and forecasts. Delivered key support and guidance to
the Management Committee.
a Saved $40,000 annually in audit and actuarial costs by supporting development
of 2 Defined Benefit and 2 401(k) plans.
a Drove higher realization and effective billing rates by establishing formalize
d strategic planning and budgeting processes. Wrote billing /collections procedu
res manual.
a Attained 92% realization of billings by pioneering collection procedures.
a Created the 5 year strategic plan to analyze growth potential and establish di
rection.
a Streamlined accounting by merging time and billing functions for existing firm
s and acquisitions.
a Improved efficiency of profitability evaluations by developing a monthly attor
ney variance report.
a Maintained turnover at less than 10% while keeping staff to an optimal minimum
by encouraging teamwork and high levels of performance.
a Achieved multiple promotions throughout employment tenure as a result of outst
anding performance.

THERESA M. GILLEST, MBA a Page 3 a tgd70ea8@westpost.net

FORMAL EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration, Management Organization & Strategic Planning
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education & Mathematics
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Certificate in Accounting
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
COMPUTER SKILLS
Proficiency in Microsoft, Word, Excel, PowerPoint,Great Plains/Dynamics, Frx Rep
ort Writer and Elite, CMS, Javelan and PC Law , Accounting Systems for Law Firms
.