About Chris

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Business Consultant | Former CFO | Board Member | Community Leader 

• Versatile Consultant and Former CFO of $70MM restaurant group with 20+ years of experience transforming financial systems and overall operations for wide range of clients and community organizations.
• Served as strategic advisor to CEO, Board of Directors, and Executive team through business and economic challenges, delivering leadership across IT, purchasing, payroll, accounting, and HR systems.
•  Cultivate trust with both internal and external partners including banking entities, vendors, and suppliers, strengthening financial position, negotiating favorable terms, and developing win-win agreements.
• Skillfully encourage staff to thrive in new leadership roles, actively building team skills and confidence.
• Known as industry expert serving as Breakout and General Session Speaker at Restaurant Leadership Conference and Speaker at National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Innovation Summit
• Deliver community leadership via roles including Emmaus Borough Council Member and Board Member/ Secretary for Emmaus Community Foundation and East Penn School District Education Foundation.
• Executive Leadership • Financial Expertise • Strategic Planning • Tax Planning • Risk Management
• Business Growth • Team Coaching • Change Management • KPIs • Cash Flow • Process Improvements
• Negotiations • Problem Solving • P&L & Data Analysis • Industry Trends • Cost Reduction • Strategic Alliances

Red Robin (Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group), Allentown, PA • 2009 – 2022

Vice President of Strategic Planning & Business Development (2020 – 2022) Chief Financial Officer | CFO (2010 – 2020) Vice President of Restaurant Support & Office Administration (2009 – 2010)

• Spearheaded growth for $70MM restaurant group, collaborating directly with CEO and Board of Directors to develop strategic business plans. 
• Strengthened all aspects of financial strategy including financial reporting, budgets, banking relationships, cash flow growth, tax planning, risk management, change management, proformas, forecasting, P&L analysis, and balance sheet optimization. 
• Led cross-functional operations including finance, accounting, payroll, purchasing, business development, and IT. Negotiated key agreements including vendor contracts, letters of intent, leases, bank loans, and area development agreements. 

Strategic Business Growth & Expert Financial Advice:

• Instrumental to 50% revenue growth in 13 years for $70MM restaurant group, expanding from 17 to 21 restaurants, and delivering guidance to organization with 2100 team members.
• Formed new Talon Restaurants LLC as VP of Strategic Planning/Business Development, negotiating area development agreement to build 15 Wingstop restaurants. Had 3 restaurants opened by December 2022.
• Bolstered financial position, strengthening balance sheet, minimizing shareholder personal guarantees, and securing necessary financing for restaurant growth and program improvements.
• Cultivated strategic banking, business development, and supplier/vendor relationships to drive growth.

Demonstrated Leadership & Coaching Skills:

• Overhauled accounting organization, automating processes, identifying and promoting key talent into leadership roles, establishing decision-making framework, and introducing training programs.
• Prioritized executive development programs, developing Staff Accountant into CFO role, helping her to succeed in COVID challenges, enabling her to join Executive team, and inviting her to all Board meetings.
• Delivered trusted leadership to organization after Founder/President passed away (within 7 months of start at company), guiding Board and Executive team through strategic planning through “Great Recession” and Pandemic.
• Recognized as pivotal leader throughout organization, nominated by team for Lehigh Valley CFO of the Year Award in 2015 and named in the Top 3 of all candidates.

Best-in-Class Industry Standards & Process Improvements:

• Introduced Ziosk pay-at-table devices across all restaurants in 2012, reducing customer and server complaints, and setting industry trend in utilizing technology to improve customer experience.
• Lifted strategic decision-making across 21 restaurants, reviewing industry publications/research, building relationships with other franchisees to share financial results, and benchmarking locations for comparison.
• Established “Profit Leaks” program, identifying $2MM in potential profit leaks and implementing upgrades including supply chain optimization, improved workforce planning, and packaging revamps.

Cross-Functional Team Leadership:

• Drove IT/technology improvements including automating manual tasks, NoWait App on iPad, Help Desk tool for issues tracking, state-of-the-art Aloha POS system, enterprise reporting tool delivering reports from POS, and NBO (NCR) cloud-based inventory management systems.
• Boosted customer experience, introducing online ordering, full catering, and public wi-fi inside restaurants.
• Upgraded Payroll operations, moving to improved cloud-based payroll system from DOS-based system.
• Bolstered Purchasing systems, optimizing multi-million dollar food, beverage, paper, and supply spend, negotiating pricing with large distributors, and auditing pricing as necessary.
• Partnered with HR to improve systems and programs, introducing 401(k) program with corporate match and saving $450K over 3 years by moving from a fully insured to a self-funded health insurance program.

Buckno Lisicky & Company, Allentown, PA • 1998 – 2009

CPA | Partner | Shareholder

• Promoted through ranks from paraprofessional to Shareholder role, identifying potential clients and delivering leadership in client relations, P&L analysis, tax planning and preparation, and business consulting. 
• Introduced new beginning-to-end accounting system, offering wide range of services including financial statements, check writing, bookkeeping, and Corporate, Partnership, and Personal Tax Returns.
• Built collaborative relationships with key clients including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Subway franchisees.
• Created successful accounting and bookkeeping package focused on quick-service restaurants.
• Sparked and supported firm growth through technology, introducing accounting and bookkeeping package, automating Excel files, and developing training programs to upskill paraprofessional team.
• Optimized relationships between paraprofessionals and clients, matching personalities to ensure fit.
• Elevated client strategic planning and decision-making processes through benchmarking reports.

Education and Licenses 

Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting

Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) 

Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants 

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Honors, Awards, and Public Speaking

Breakout Session Speaker, Restaurant Leadership Conference (2022)

Speaker, National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Innovation Summit (2015)

Mirus Webinar: 3 Things Spreadsheets Won’t Tell You (2015)

CFO of the Year Finalist, Lehigh Valley Business (2015)

General Session Speaker, Restaurant Leadership Conference (2013) 

Board Roles and Community Leadership

Emmaus Borough Council Member (January 2016 – Present)

Borough Representative, Emmaus Main Street Partners (January 2016 – 2017)

Borough Representative, East Penn Chamber of Commerce (January 2016 – 2018)

Board Member/Secretary, Emmaus Community Foundation (2021 – Present)

Board Member/Secretary, East Penn School District Education Foundation (2018 – 2022)

Fiscal Consultant, Borough of Alburtis (2015 - 2022)

Board President, Avengers Baseball, Inc. (2012 – 2017)