USA's largest
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) firm
serving mid-market companies

Karen L. Chin

Karen is an experienced CFO with demonstrated leadership in identifying key metrics to assist in strategic decisions, working with the executive team to develop relevant reporting and budgeting standards to drive improved performance, monitoring cash flow and renegotiating and restructuring bank debt, motivating and mentoring staff to help them achieve a high level of performance and professional growth.

With 30 years of experience, Karen has served as CFO of a continuing care retirement community and a law firm in addition to providing consulting CFO services. She spent twenty years with a "Big 4" CPA firm moving from professional service delivery as a senior manager, where she gained experience in many industries, to becoming the accountant's accountant as the Area Controller for the South West Region based in Houston and then the Western Region, based in San Francisco.

Karen was an early pioneer in blending accounting and financial expertise with computer applications. She has successfully implemented accounting systems, converted systems, mined and analyzed data, presented data to senior management for strategic decision making, created dynamic analysis tools, and trained others in advanced analysis techniques, including speaking engagements to the Texas Society of CPAs.

As a consulting CFO, Karen has assisted companies to restructure debt, renegotiate bank covenants, reduce DSOs, improve month end close procedures and efficiency, recognize positive deviation from budget and forecasted level of increased revenues to manage expectations and establish new standards of performance, and down-size while maximizing up-side potential in a shrinking market.

Karen's specialty is evaluating non-routine circumstances and forecasting the potential financial outcomes based on the client's alternative assumptions using historical data and metrics. These forecasts enable the client to make informed, well planned decisions when operating in uncharted territory. They also help the client focus on the factors which generate the most impact.

A native of California, Karen earned her BS in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. She became a Certified Public Accountant in California and has many ties to Silicon Valley. She has spent about half her career in Houston and lives in Katy with her husband, Gene, and three of their five children. Their eldest attends college in California and their second attends Baylor University.

Karen is active in her church and is a member of the Stewardship and Finance Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of Rainard School for the Gifted in Houston and is a graduate of the United Way's Project Blueprint.

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