Chris Hendrickson

Has a passion for improving operations, managing growth, solving complex problems and helping organizations improve global performance. Chris’s background as CFO and COO provides a unique and invaluable perspective to his management advice.

Background

Financial and operations professional with more than 25 years of diverse experience providing strategic and annual planning, business development, accounting, back office, and operations services to public and private enterprises. Chris has been successful in restructuring and turning around operations as well as managing high growth by developing new lines of business, and fostering client relationships. He is known for simplifying business plans to focus on the key drivers and for developing stretch yet realistic goals, thus creating executable plans and developing regular management reporting to monitor results. Chris adapts to both global and cultural differences in organizations and people, and he has extensive NGO Board experience.

Education and Credentials

• BS, Albright College, Reading, PA
• MBA Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

Functional and Specialization

• Finance and Accounting
• Maximizing Cash Flow
• Profit Improvement
• Planning, Budgeting and Analysis
• Strategies
• Back Office Operations
• Due Diligence
• International Operations

Professional Highlights

• CFO then COO of Western Union International(WUI), the world’s largest money transfer company.  Chris joined the public company when it was controlled by Corporate raider Ben LeBow and debt held by Carl Icahn and Leon Black. During this time, Western Union was forced into bankruptcy and through a series of purchases and mergers it became a subsidiary of First Data Corporations.  While working thorough management changes, WUI grew at a compounded annual rate of 50% fueled by adding agents across the globe with aggressive marketing. As CFO, Chris developed and implemented a profit improvement plan that increased margins from low single digits to over 20%.
• Active member of due diligence teams and a key developer of the due diligence material for the sale of Western Union to First Financial Management then merger with First Data Corporation.  Managed the diligence for Viamericas Money Transfer’s acquisition of a regional money order company.
• Advised the HR department of a global decentralized manufacturing company in analyzing costs and opportunities for cost savings for such areas as training, benefits, regulatory compliance and other HR costs.
• Created the operation and implementation plan for a large global telecom company’s entry into the money transfer business. Developed management reporting, accounting processes, internal controls and the daily foreign exchange and banking processes.
• Restructured and turned around a declining, loss-making Pepsi Cola franchise and company –owned bottler in Tokyo Japan into a growing business; achieved largely by introducing new products, expanding the vending machine channel and improving moral. Revenues grew at 10% after several years of declines.
• Implemented tax efficient commission strategy that allowed locations and agents to grow throughout South America.