Finance Systems & Transformation

Connor

Vander Zalm

Deep experience spanning finance operations and enterprise technology. I design and implement systems with full awareness of the operational work they replace.

Open to new opportunities
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Connor Vander Zalm

FINANCE SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE

I design and own finance system architectures across ERP and integrated toolsets, with a focus on scalability, data integrity, and operational reliability. My work spans core financial processes including record-to-report, procure-to-pay, and order-to-cash.

I prioritize systems that reduce manual intervention while preserving control, auditability, and financial accuracy.


OPERATIONAL TRANSLATION & DELIVERY

I translate between finance stakeholders and technical teams, turning ambiguous operational requirements into structured system designs and executable delivery plans. This includes defining requirements, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring technical solutions map directly to business outcomes.

I operate with strong project and program discipline, reducing variability in scope, schedule, and cost.


AUTOMATION & PROCESS ELIMINATION

I focus on removing low-value manual finance work through automation, workflow redesign, and system integration. This includes eliminating redundant reconciliations, automating accruals and reporting workflows, and standardizing cross-entity processes.

The goal is durable operational leverage: less effort, more control, higher consistency.


I optimize for:

I avoid systems and processes that rely on manual workarounds, undocumented logic, or inconsistent cross-team dependencies.

40%
Faster month-end close
Redesigned month-end close workflows, eliminating redundant approvals across multi-entity environments.
60%
Manual workload eliminated
Automated recurring accounting tasks through finance system configuration, integrations, and workflow design.
15+
Years of finance experience
From operational accounting roots to Director-level systems and transformation leadership.
Diversity
Ownership across multiple ERPs and industries
Workday Financials and NetSuite platform ownership spanning implementation, ongoing stewardship, and production support across e-commerce, SaaS, real estate, and construction environments.
>50%
Reduction in manual accruals
Automated month-end accruals for procurement and credit card spend across the organization using purchase order data and card feeds.
10+
Delivery throughput
10+ finance systems initiatives per quarter across integrations (banks, third-party and internal systems), ERP configuration (multi-book accounting, NCI, intelligent OCR), and core financial modules (P2P, O2C, expenses, reporting, allocations).
CloudKitchens / Otter / Picnic / Lab37
07/2022 > 02/2026
Director, Finance Technology
Directed finance systems strategy for a global, multi-entity platform; scaling Workday Financials into a reliable foundation for operations across 47 countries and ~900 entities. Delivered automation, governance, and process redesign initiatives that reduced close timelines and improved financial visibility.
Rad Power Bikes
04/2020 > 07/2022
Senior Manager, Finance Systems
Owned end-to-end finance systems for a rapidly scaling direct-to-consumer e-bike company during a time of exploding demand and supply chain uncertainty. Translated fast-moving operational complexity into scalable NetSuite architecture and integrations driving high system reliability and accuracy across order-to-cash workflows.
San Francisco 49ers
01/2017 > 04/2020
Accounting Manager
Directed financial reporting and close operations for a $500M+ organization, building disciplined processes, controls, and audit frameworks in a high-visibility, multi-stakeholder environment. Delivered process improvements and operational rigor that strengthened reporting accuracy, ensured compliance with National Football League and governmental requirements, and improved the timeliness and reliability of financial insights.
Republic Services
07/2016 > 12/2016
Assistant Controller
Built foundational experience in operational accounting at enterprise scale, progressing through roles across teams and locations. Developed practical operator credibility that informs my approach to systems and transformation work today.
Platforms
  • NetSuite and Workday (ERP ownership and strategy)
  • General ledger, foundational data model, and metadata
  • System architecture, integrations, and APIs
  • Financial close management tools
  • Reporting, planning, and BI platforms
Finance Operations
  • Month-end close optimization
  • Multi-entity intercompany accounting
  • Revenue recognition
  • Procure-to-pay, quote-to-cash, record-to-report
  • ITGC audit and controls readiness
Transformation
  • Finance process redesign
  • Cross-functional stakeholder alignment
  • IT-Finance translation
  • Project and portfolio management
  • Change management
  • Roadmapping
Emerging Tech / Skills
  • Machine learning-assisted workflow design
  • Prompt engineering
  • LLM workflow design
  • Agentic FinOps optimization
  • Agentic production support
University at Buffalo
School of Management
Master of Business Administration
University at Buffalo
School of Management
Bachelor of Science, Accounting