SARA L. HULS
St. Joseph
Summary
Senior management professional, bringing strategic leadership and operational excellence to drive organizational success. Skilled in project management, team collaboration, and process optimization with keen focus on achieving results. Adept at navigating complex challenges, fostering culture of accountability, and adapting to evolving business needs. Known for strong decision-making, effective communication, and building high-performing teams.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager, Payments
Bluestem Brands
05.2021 - Current
- Establish and maintain strong vendor relationships and contracts with multiple external partners to ensure success and efficiency of payment processing
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project milestones and deliver high-quality results
- Project manage and assist with collaborated implementations of updated technology platforms to drive organizational success.
- Daily, weekly and monthly reporting of payment related activities associated with both incoming customer payments and outgoing vendor payments
- Reduced costs, optimized resource allocation, and improved efficiency in managing projects.
Real Estate Sales Person
Central MN Realty
08.2003 - Current
- Active Real Estate License - 20+ years
- August 2003 - August 2013 - Office Manager/Broker's Assistant/Accounting Assistant for 10+ years at Premier Real Estate Services
- Responsible for all aspects of the accounting process for 7+ entities utilizing QuickBooks
Senior Manager - Finance Operations & Accounts Payable
Bluestem Brands
08.2016 - 05.2021
- Managed and motivated a team of Business Analysts on the Finance Operations team responsible for supporting all finance related system issues and enhancements
- Direct system upgrades, functional enhancements, administer users and manage IT security compliance for multiple systems
- Manage the Accounts Payable/Payments team consisting of 18 employees in MN and MA to ensure timely and accurate entry of all invoices for multiple legal entities and brands
- Managed the teams thru a bankruptcy, including but not limited to; bankruptcy claims filings, reconciliations and AP business process transformation
- Built high-performing teams through effective recruitment, onboarding, and talent development initiatives.
- Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance. Improved and streamlined business processes to improve efficiency and accuracy
- Resolved staff member conflicts, actively listening to concerns and finding appropriate middle ground.
Business Analyst/Senior Business Analyst - Finance Operations
Bluestem Brands
04.2013 - 08.2016
- Support daily and monthly activities of the Accounting, Treasury and FP&A groups using Oracle EBS; including A/P, Capital Expenditure tracking, Requisition and PO, Employee Expense reporting and Cash Management module
- Primary liaison between Finance and IT from small to large initiatives. Lead teams for enterprise wide implementation of AR system (First Data), ERP system (Oracle EBS), HR & Payroll (UltiPro)
- Collaborated closely with stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvements and drive continuous innovation in the organization.
- Developed high-quality documentation to support training efforts, helping employees fully understand new systems and procedures.
Contact Center Analyst
Bluestem Brands
11.2010 - 04.2013
- Responsible for representing the contact center through-out the life cycle of projects, from design to production support
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for process improvement and increased efficiency.
- Improved internal knowledge sharing by developing comprehensive documentation outlining standard operating procedures for various tasks.
Programmer Analyst
St. Cloud Hospital
12.2000 - 08.2003
- Responsible for the procurement portion of Lawson software and the Omnicell inventory distribution system
- Duties included; end-user training, troubleshooting, updating, testing and maintaining software code, customizing reports to meet end user requirements
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Computer Information Systems & Accounting
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud, MN01.1999
Skills
- Management Skills
- Strategic planning
- Project Management
- Detail Oriented
- Problem Solving
- Organizational improvement
- Cross-functional team coordination
- Operations management
Timeline
Senior Manager, Payments
Bluestem Brands
05.2021 - Current
Senior Manager - Finance Operations & Accounts Payable
Bluestem Brands
08.2016 - 05.2021
Business Analyst/Senior Business Analyst - Finance Operations
Bluestem Brands
04.2013 - 08.2016
Contact Center Analyst
Bluestem Brands
11.2010 - 04.2013
Real Estate Sales Person
Central MN Realty
08.2003 - Current
Programmer Analyst
St. Cloud Hospital
12.2000 - 08.2003
Bachelor of Science - Business Computer Information Systems & Accounting
St. Cloud State University
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