keenresume
  1. Home
  2. Resume examples
  3. Accounting
  4. Financial controller

Financial controller resume example

A two-page resume for a corporate controller with 15 years of experience, from audit manager to assistant controller to controller of a $1.1 billion manufacturer. CFOs and boards hiring a controller look for a fast close, clean audits, strong controls, acquisitions handled well and a team that runs without daily rescue.

Financial controller resume example, page 1 of 2FIONA MACALLISTERCorporate Controller, CPAfiona.macallister@example.com · (615) 555-0179 · Nashville, TN · linkedin.com/in/fionamacallisterSUMMARYCorporate controller and CPA with 15 years in accounting and finance, the last five running accounting for a $1.1 billionfood manufacturer with 6 plants and 21 legal entities. I own the close, financial reporting, controls, tax compliance andtreasury operations, lead a team of 22, and work with the CFO on lenders and acquisitions.EXPERIENCECorporate ControllerMar 2021 – PresentHarpeth Valley FoodsNashville, TN•Lead accounting, financial reporting, tax compliance, payroll and treasury operations for a $1.1 billion manufacturer with 6plants and 21 entities; team of 22.•Cut the monthly close from 12 business days to 6 and the annual audit timeline by 3 weeks, with clean opinions in all 5years.•Led the finance side of 3 acquisitions totaling $280 million, from diligence and purchase accounting to ERP integrationwithin 6 months each.•Introduced standard costing and plant-level reporting that exposed $7 million a year in yield and scrap losses.•Own lender reporting and covenant compliance on a $400 million credit facility, and support the CFO at board and auditcommittee meetings.Assistant ControllerJan 2017 – Feb 2021Cumberland PackagingFranklin, TN•Ran the close and consolidation for 8 entities and $450 million in revenue; managed 9 accountants.•Led the ASC 606 and ASC 842 adoptions and documented the company’s first internal control framework.Audit ManagerSep 2011 – Dec 2016Belmont & Reese LLPNashville, TN•Managed audits of manufacturing and distribution clients with revenue up to $1 billion.EDUCATIONMaster of Accountancy2010 – 2011University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of BusinessKnoxville, TNB.S. in Business Administration, Accounting2006 – 2010University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxville, TNCERTIFICATIONSCertified Public Accountant (CPA)2013Tennessee State Board of AccountancyFiona MacAllister · 1 / 2
Financial controller resume example, page 2 of 2Certified Management Accountant (CMA)2019Institute of Management AccountantsSKILLSFinancial reporting · Close and consolidation · Internal controls · Cost accounting · Purchase accounting · Treasury operations · Tax compliance oversight · Audit management · SAP S/4HANA · Lender reporting · Budgeting · Team leadershipFiona MacAllister · 2 / 2
Financial controllerUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Scope: revenue, entities, sites, countries, team size and which functions report to you (accounting, tax, payroll, treasury).
  • Reporting quality: close speed, audit opinions, restatements avoided, material weaknesses remediated.
  • Controls and compliance: SOX or lender-driven control frameworks, tax compliance, covenant reporting.
  • Transactions: acquisitions, divestitures, ERP implementations and financings test a controller more than routine closes.
  • Business partnership: cost accounting, margin insight and support for the CFO and operating leaders.
  • Leadership: the team you built and the managers who report to you.

Writing the summary

Lead with the title, years, and the size and type of company, then list what you own. Close with your two strongest outcomes in numbers. If you are aiming at CFO, add a line on strategy, lenders or board work.

The summary in this example

Corporate controller and CPA with 15 years in accounting and finance, the last five running accounting for a $1.1 billion food manufacturer with 6 plants and 21 legal entities. I own the close, financial reporting, controls, tax compliance and treasury operations, lead a team of 22, and work with the CFO on lenders and acquisitions.

Controller at a growth-stage or PE-backed company

CPA and controller with 13 years of experience, the last four at a private equity backed software company that grew from $40 million to $120 million in revenue. I built the accounting team from 3 people to 11, moved us to a 5-day close and prepared the company for its first PCAOB audit ahead of a planned IPO.

Plant or division controller moving to corporate controller

Division controller with 12 years in manufacturing finance, responsible for 3 plants and $500 million in revenue. I own the close, standard costing and capital spending, and I have led two ERP rollouts. Ready to run accounting and reporting for a whole company.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Remediated 2 material weaknesses in one year, leading to a clean SOX 404 opinion.
  • Built an 18-person accounting team across 3 countries after a carve-out from a parent company, with a standalone close in 4 months.
  • Led finance for an SAP S/4HANA rollout across 14 entities, live on schedule and within the $6 million budget.
  • Cut external audit fees by 20% while widening scope, by moving to one firm and preparing full PBC packages.
  • Introduced a monthly margin bridge by product line that helped sales reprice 300 SKUs, adding 1.8 points of gross margin.
  • Reduced inventory write-offs by $3.5 million a year with cycle counting and monthly obsolescence reviews.
  • Managed tax compliance in 30 states and 2 countries with outside advisors and no penalties in 5 years.
  • Cut the time to integrate an acquired company’s books from 9 months to 3 with a standard integration playbook.
  • Set up cash pooling that reduced idle cash by $25 million and revolver interest by $1.2 million a year.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Financial reporting (US GAAP, plus IFRS where relevant)
  • Close, consolidation and intercompany
  • Internal controls and SOX
  • Cost accounting and inventory
  • M&A accounting and integration
  • ERP implementation (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Dynamics 365)
  • Treasury and cash management
  • Tax compliance oversight
  • Audit and lender relationships

Soft skills

  • Building and leading managers
  • Partnering with the CFO and plant leaders
  • Clear communication with audit committees
  • Steady judgment during transactions

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA): expected for most controller roles, especially those responsible for audited financial statements.
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA): valuable in manufacturing and other cost-heavy businesses.
  • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) or Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE): useful where controls or fraud prevention are a big part of the role.

Length and format

Two pages. Page one: summary, the controller role with five or six bullets on scope and outcomes, and the start of your previous role. Page two: earlier roles, education, certifications and a short skills list. Audit years can shrink to one or two lines.

Common mistakes

  • A list of departments you oversee with no results.
  • Leaving out transactions and system projects, which are what set controllers apart.
  • No company context: size, industry, ownership, public or private.
  • Technical accounting detail crowding out leadership and business partnership.
  • Forgetting the team. Controllers are hired to build a function, so show who you hired and developed.

Questions and answers

Financial controller or corporate controller: which title should I use?

Use the title you held. In your headline you can mirror the job ad’s wording if it is accurate. Titles vary between companies; scope and outcomes matter more than the label.

Should a controller resume include FP&A work?

Yes, if you did it. Many controllers own budgeting or margin analysis, and it strengthens the case for a future CFO role. See the CFO resume example.

Is a CPA required to be a controller?

Not by law, but most employers prefer it, and public or audit-heavy companies often require it. A CMA or a long industry track record can stand in at some private companies.

Related examples

All Accounting examples

All resume examples