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 Mr. Best has over twenty-one years experience in financial management and analysis, human resources, administration of informationtechnology, employee benefits, operations, process engineering and project management.
Prior to starting Media Evolved, Mr. Best was the Group Controller for FFWD Group, created from the “roll up” of 11 companies in the advertising & direct marketing industry. Mr. Best was responsible for converting all companies to the same processes, benefit programs and accounting systems, as well as training personnel on the new systems and managing compliance. As top executives in the advertising industry are sales and client focused, all operational decisions, contracts, leases and human resource responsibilities were his. While overseeing monthly financial reporting and consolidations prepared for the parent company, he also was responsible for multi-state tax issues and returns. Additionally, he was responsible for leveraging the group size by consolidating health and benefits plans, as well as risk management. He supervised an accounting staff located in Charlotte, Denver, Dallas, and Minneapolis.
Prior to that Mr. Best was CFO of DeliveryPath.com, a start up Internet based marketing company, specializing in email marketing. He was responsible for development of the business plan, formulation of market strategies, and pricing models. He negotiated all contracts, leases, investment capital, and potential merger opportunities. He handled all financial and banking aspects as well as all operational issues. He was jointly responsible for new sales initiatives and intimately involved in customer relations and service issues.
Prior to DeliveryPath.com Mr. Best was the Southeast Controller for Adecco (formerly Olsten Staffing) the nation’s largest staffing company. There he was responsible for the financial oversight of 110 branch offices in eleven states representing $360 million in revenue, as well as assisting the division line management in budgeting, strategic planning and profitability analyses, including developing pricing models, and evaluating feasibility of office openings. He functioned as a liaison between line management and corporate headquarters, reviewed monthly flash reports prior to closing and investigated variances, and developed and implemented weekly/ monthly statistical reporting for branch offices.
In addition to line financial management, Mr. Best was charged with the creation, design, development and implementation of his division’s Business Service Center (BSC), which processed client billing and payroll for approximately 25,000 temporaries in eleven states. In this capacity he managed the closure and conversion of the existing six regional processing centers into his BSC, including writing severance packages and redesigning processes. His staff of 35 provided client reporting, credit evaluation, collections support, and processed payroll and billing for all offices. In partnership with the other three divisional controllers, Mr. Best developed nationwide process standards for payroll, billing and collections.
Subsequent to the consolidation of operations in his BSC, he managed the conversions operationally and functionally to new procedures and computer systems, including converting from an AS400 to a Windows NT based platform running PeopleSoft and Oracle Financial's. Additionally, he was responsible for a Strategic Business Unit, which processed nationwide billing for a $170 million client under a national contract and the related vendor payments. This unit also provided consolidated invoicing of branch and vendor billing, as well as customer service to the over 90 vendors nationwide in the program.
Prior to Olsten Staffing, Mr. Best was Vice President of Finance and part owner of a start up company in the insurance industry. He was responsible for management of all financial aspects, human resources, risk management, office and computer network administration for the 45 person, $6 million dollar company that was a third party administrator for workers’ compensation insurance. He was also responsible for the financial management of an affiliated non-profit association’s $65 million trust fund, including investing its' $19 million surplus cash, and negotiating loss reserve with actuary.
Prior to that, Mr. Best was an audit manager for a large local CPA firm where he performing peer reviews of other CPA’s firms to insure their compliance with AICPA standards. He also managed an audit staff of 6 and had direct responsibility for client management and billing. In addition to performing audits and reviews, he was exposed to all tax issues and reporting requirements, including preparing the tax accruals for all audits, calculating deferred taxes, and identifying tax issues both for the corporation and it’s closely held shareholders. He also drafted financial statements and related footnotes in compliance with AICPA standards for disclosure. Mr. Best also performed specialty audits, such as 401K and pension plans, Pell Grants, and HUD Section 8 housing.
Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1987 with a BS in Accounting, Mr. Best went into public accounting at BDO Seidman a national firm. There he rose to senior auditor, where he performed audits on many different industries such as textile manufacturing and distribution.
Mr. Best is very active in the community in the following ways:
· Founding member of the Charlotte Chapter of SERTOMA (service to mankind),
· Former instructor at Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC (auditing and individual tax),
· Board of Director for the Pi Kappa Phi Housing Corporation at UNCC
· Financial Chapter Advisor - Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at UNCC
· Former Chamber Ambassador for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
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