I'm Barb Woods and I help financial leaders accomplish their strategic accounting & financial goals.

CRITICAL THINKER. INNOVATOR. STRATEGIC PARTNER.

Hi, I’m Barb Woods, and I work with business leaders to evaluate, construct, and execute their financial and accounting projects. My clients have included professional associations, governmental agencies, entrepreneurs, and corporations. As a C.P.A. with a Masters in Finance from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, combined with extensive accounting and financial experience, I have the knowledge and expertise to transform a client’s strategic vision into a successful reality.

My proven approach, which provides critical business value to my clients, is built on a shared understanding of the problem or situation. I’ll craft a comprehensive solution, supplying an on-time, efficient delivery.

The following case studies illustrate my process in greater detail. I completed the Accounting Structure and Reporting Transformation in multiple stages, while the Cook County Sweetened Beverage Tax Implementation represents a single stage project.

ACCOUNTING STRUCTURE & REPORTING TRANSFORMATION

During our initial meeting, my client described an accounting system struggling with the lack of a comprehensive design, incapable of producing clear, concise, and insightful financial reports. The design flaws impeded timely analysis while the financial reports did not provide cognitive data capable of informing management of critical trends/issues. The challenge was to revamp the system without disrupting current accounting operations.

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COOK COUNTY SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX IMPLEMENTATION

Various bottles of soda surrounded by ice in metal bucket.

In November 2016, the Cook County Board of Commissioners enacted the Sweetened Beverage Tax Ordinance, imposing a 1 cent per ounce tax on the retail sale of sweetened beverages in Cook County. The initial effective date was March 1, 2017.

Retailers assumed the Sweetened Beverage tax collection and remittance procedures would be similar to other retail sales tax processes. However, the Beverage Tax Ordinance was fundamentally different and required significant adjustments to retail operating and accounting procedures. The challenge was correctly interpreting the ordinance and implementing the necessary updates to the existing systems.

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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

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Jodi Friedman-Jasek, CPASenior Director – Finance, Modernization at Transamerica

I have hired Barbara for a variety of roles at different insurance companies. She delivers high-quality analytics, sound business advice, and excellent management and communication skills. She has provided support and expertise ranging from financial statement trend analyses to strategic partnering with senior management. In addition, she has been a solid interim management resource during transition periods. I would not hesitate to hire Barbara again in the future.

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Cheryl DeomRetired Superintendent of Special Facilities

Barbara L. Woods is an extremely bright individual who quickly grasps business nuances unique to your company. On any project I worked with her, I found her work always completed in a timely, efficient, and thorough manner. Her attention to detail was impressive, as well as her ability to easily sift through paperwork and organize the relevant data based on project goals, thus helping our team to meet the established project deadlines.

James WarnstedtAssistant Director of Public Works at Village of Buffalo Grove

Barb is a valued resource when it comes to budgets and financial reporting. She has been so helpful in forecasting, which allows us to maximize our project budgets as the fiscal year comes to conclusion. In addition to be great at what she does, Barb has a can-do attitude and is easy to work with.

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Shawn Whiteley HughesSuperintendent of Finance, HR, and IT

I have known Barbara as a consultant for more than ten years, and she is the epitome of reliability, responsibility, and confidentiality. Barbara is a highly intelligent professional that has the distinctive ability to analyze and understand an organization’s structure and processes, then ask the right questions that promote positive change. Whether it’s improving internal controls, leading a project, analyzing financial reports, writing procedures, or even reconciling the most difficult items, she always performs the task at hand with efficiency and accuracy.

Liz HoskinsFormer Executive Director, Waypoint Services

Barbara contacted me in January 2009, offering to volunteer for Waypoint. When I met with her and reviewed her resume, I wondered what in the world I could offer her that would keep her interest, given her outstanding background in accounting and consulting. She assured me she was willing to do whatever was needed. Barb began with helping our CFO bring all the spreadsheets for our FEMA claim up to date. No small undertaking given that Waypoint had over $1M in flood damages. When that was completed, Barb really became the backup person for budget planning, etc. for this high transaction $5M agency. Ultimately, we hired Barb on an as-needed basis to continue her work for us. For those looking for a high-level accounting professional with a great work ethic and the ability to integrate herself into an organization, you couldn’t find anyone better than Barbara Woods. Liz Hoskins, Executive Director, Waypoint Services.