Bruce Welchlin

Experienced executive with a broad and comprehensive list of business skills including Forecasting & Strategic Planning – Financial Reporting and Analysis - Budgeting and P&L Management – High Performance Team Building - Contract Negotiations and Vendor Management – Call Center and Customer Service Leadership – Business Systems Development – Loss Prevention – Payment Processing - Regulatory Compliance Monitoring and Implementation.

Unique combination of large company and startup experience. A record of frequent promotions and selection for critical assignments. Multi-industry background includes a variety of business and financial services.
Strong record of …

• Maximizing productivity, quality and customer satisfaction
• Finding and removing excess cost while maximizing quality and client satisfaction
• Starting new businesses and functions successfully from ground zero
• Providing outstanding customer service that generates repeat and referral business

BS in Accounting, Southern Illinois University. A strong team builder and leader. Highly productive in environments of intense pressure, rapid change and complex regulations.

History and Highlights

Transition Management / Volunteering / Due Diligence
2014 to present

After selling Elite Community Management and assisting in the transition to new owners, took a sabbatical. Upon completion, became associated with Habitat for Humanity. Also conducted due diligence for a variety of business and investment opportunities.

Chief Financial Officer / Founder
Elite Community Management, LLC
2006 to 2014

Founded and operated a homeowner’s association professional management firm. Developed a portfolio of 13 major clients and 9,800 homes under management. Sold the business to a competitor at a handsome ROI. Responsible for general business operations: banking relationships, business budgeting, change management, cash management, accounting and processing, facilities management, human resources, payroll and overall business operations. Managed a team of eight management and support personnel.
• Transformed an idea into a profitable business. Created a unique approach based on transparency with owners and board members, superior financial reporting and disclosure, and excellent customer service delivery. Drafted client contracts, established banking relationships for operating accounts and reserve investments.
• Built an infrastructure. Set up all business functions and systems for accounting, finance, capital projects. Reported financial status, project status, CC&R violations and appeals, and the overall status of the properties under management to clients’ Boards of Directors. Managed multiple budgets for clients totaling $14M.
• Attained profitability in three months. Drove growth and change. Capitalized on existing markets and guided the company and clients through the poor economic conditions in 2008 and 2009 when many competitors failed. Increased annual revenue to $1M with a 33% average margin.

Senior Manager Service Systems
Discover Card Financial Services – Phoenix, AZ
2004 to 2007

Promoted and relocated by Discover to manage a team of six senior project managers responsible for designing and implementing an in-house CRM system.
• Laid the foundation for the new system. Determined business requirements, devised test cases and implementation processes. Met all cost and schedule goals.
• Arranged for outsourced support. Implemented a call center for voice authorizations in Guadalajara, Mexico. Developed productivity metrics and set customer service requirements.
• Eliminated excess expenses. Trimmed operating costs by $6M annually by stopping the printing of merchant operating manuals and delivering the content on CDs and via the internet.
• Selected to conduct due diligence. Concurrent with other responsibilities, evaluated risks involved in the purchase of certain Diners Club International franchises. Reviewed hundreds of documents, audits and reports. Presented findings recommending purchase of a portion of the Diner's Club business from Citi Bank.

Director Network Loss Prevention
Discover Card Financial Services – Riverwoods, IL
2002 to 2004

Developed and executed a comprehensive risk management and loss prevention strategy. Managed four cost centers totaling $34M in operating expenses with a staff of three senior managers and six project managers. Oversaw regulatory compliance, financial risk, fraud prevention, merchant account collections, bankruptcy recovery and underwriting functions. Directed outside counsel in the recovery of assets following merchant bankruptcies.
• Cut merchant portfolio losses. Implemented a trade credit insurance program to hedge financial risk on forward sales, an industry first. Created a system using data feeds and business intelligence from Reuters, Hoovers, Wall Street Journal and Dun & Bradstreet to monitor the financial position of major merchant accounts. Trimmed losses from 5bps of sales in 2002 to 1bp in 2004.
• Responded to a crisis. In the wake of 9/11, Discover incurred losses of up to $50M per month resulting from airline bankruptcies. Renegotiated settlement terms with the airlines and other travel industry providers. Leveraged a Morgan Stanley captive organization to self-insure against future losses effectively using that off-shore Balance Sheet to reserve against future losses.

Director Operations Accounting
Discover Card Financial Services - New Albany, OH
2000 to 2002

Promoted to direct six managers and 18 support personnel responsible for conducting operational audits and identifying control weaknesses. In charge of a $1.2M operating budget
• Modernized Network Operations. Automated a labor-intensive manual process. Created a new function that better and more efficiently served internal operations and accounting clients. Realized manpower savings that enabled the reassignment of 12 management and support staff.

Regional Senior Manager Call Center
Discover Card Financial Services – Phoenix
1997 to 2000

Promoted to lead a staff of seven team leaders and 90+ customer service representatives serving the general merchant portfolio as well as major merchant accounts. Participated in preparation of the network's succession planning.
• Fostered a climate of continuous improvement. Analyzed customer feedback and modified service strategies. Generated business metrics to monitor productivity and customer satisfaction.
• Boosted customer satisfaction. Improved the resolution of inquiries associated with discounting and fees, bankcard transaction processing, POS terminal troubleshooting, voice authorization, banking changes and address verification services.

Senior Manager Authorization and Settlement
Discover Card Financial Services – Riverwoods, IL
1993 to 1997
Led a staff of four project managers who oversaw monetary processing and deposits of $300M in average daily settlements. Responsible for a $16M budget. Modernized and streamlined systems during a time of rapid growth. Managed vendor operations with IBM. Logged a record of zero system failures avoiding the potential loss of millions of dollars per minute.

Earlier with Discover: Accounting Unit Manager, Discover Card Financial Services – Phoenix, Senior Accounting Staff Assistant