Résumé
Thomas C. Neel, CPA
Chief Financial Officer · Strategic Finance & Operations Leadership
Finance executive with 15+ years building, transforming, and leading financial operations for high-growth and enterprise organizations — deep command of budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and multi-source revenue environments. Proven record standing up finance functions from the ground up, modernizing systems for real-time visibility, and serving as a trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and cross-functional leaders. A confident communicator who translates complex financial data into clear narratives, and a low-ego, collaborative leader energized by ambiguity and complexity.
Thomas@neelcpa.ai15+
Years in finance leadership
$270M
Cash position actively managed
10,000+
Hours saved annually via automation
Experience
Where the work happened
Profound
Venture-backed AI Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) platform — recruited as VP & Corporate Controller to build out the finance function.
Vice President & Corporate ControllerJune 2026 – Present- Designed and hand-built a custom AI agent team to run accounts payable and core accounting processes end to end, replacing outsourced consulting teams and identifying more than $5M in unbilled revenue and $150K in erroneous vendor bills within the first six weeks on the job.
- Directed the deployment of $180M in Series D proceeds into a US Treasury ladder, catching a liquidity gap and an under-compensated duration position in a bank-proposed structure before execution and rebuilding it to secure continuous monthly liquidity across a $270M cash position while preserving a competitive 3.858% yield.
- Restructured the company's JPMorgan banking relationship into a new account structure, strengthening controls and real-time visibility over cash and cash flow.
Celigo
Pre-IPO SaaS iPaaS company, $110M+ ARR — recruited as VP & Corporate Controller; rapidly expanded scope across the full finance and commercial operations stack.
Vice President & Corporate Controller2023 – 2026- Rebuilt an underperforming finance organization from the ground up, right-sizing the team and standing up scalable GL, close, and financial reporting processes, including board-ready reporting packages and a culture of transparency with the CEO and board.
- Assessed and modernized financial systems and internal controls, consolidating all global entities on NetSuite OneWorld and deploying integrations across the quote-to-cash lifecycle to deliver real-time visibility and eliminate manual workflows.
- Partnered with functional leaders to build the annual budgeting process, forecast cadence, and variance-analysis framework that became central to executive decision-making.
- Took ownership of pricing strategy, the pricebook, and SKU architecture across a multi-source revenue model, redesigning the quoting process to unlock a 5% revenue increase in FY25.
- Designed and deployed agentic AI-driven process automations, saving thousands of hours annually and bridging finance with go-to-market through sales calls, webinars, and trade shows.
- Restructured sales compensation and turned around an underperforming renewals team, now closing 50% of renewals independently and freeing account managers to drive four consecutive quarters of expansion growth.
Hopin
Pre-IPO SaaS company, $100M ARR — promoted rapidly through roles of increasing responsibility during hypergrowth, leading enterprise-wide finance transformation.
Director, Accounting Transformation → Senior Director, Corporate Controller2021 – 2023- Led full ERP implementation and internalized accounting operations during rapid scaling, building AP, AR, payroll, expense management, and accrual workflows from scratch in place of an outsourced model.
- Oversaw finance process and systems integration across five acquisitions, consolidating disparate platforms into a unified system while protecting close timelines and reporting accuracy.
- Established global investment policy and cash management infrastructure to safeguard and maximize returns on a $600M cash position while maintaining liquidity and minimizing risk.
Viavi Network Solutions
$3.5B global enterprise (semiconductor, optical & network test) — consistently promoted through four roles of expanding scope.
Director of Transformation & Finance PMO2019 – 2021- Founded and led the Transformation Office; partnered directly with the CIO and CFO to launch a company-wide Intelligent Automation program modernizing finance through scalable, tech-enabled solutions.
- Directed automation design and deployment across finance, sales, and operations, delivering 10,000+ hours in annual time savings, and served as finance lead within the enterprise PMO overseeing integration projects across all core finance functions.
Global Shared Services Manager → Senior Manager2014 – 2019- Led the end-to-end build-out of a Global Shared Services center from the ground up, spanning design, transition, stabilization, and ongoing operations across a complex, multi-site organizational structure, partnering with the CFO on long-term geographic expansion strategy.
Technical Accounting, Senior Accountant2013 – 2014- Conducted technical accounting research on complex restructurings, acquisitions, and long-lived asset impairment; led M&A due diligence and purchase price accounting for completed transactions.
Ernst & Young
Audit Senior2011 – 2013- Led audit engagements for technology and semiconductor clients, managing teams and ensuring compliance with PCAOB standards while mentoring staff accountants and building client relationships.
Helping Hands Real Estate
President & CEO2009 – 2011- Founded and led a self-funded real estate investment firm, owning all financial operations, deal sourcing, and property management, demonstrating full P&L ownership and a bias toward action in a lean, resource-constrained environment.
Ernst & Young
Audit Senior2007 – 2009- Executed financial statement audits for diversified financial services and technology clients, developing deep expertise in SEC reporting, internal controls testing, and complex transaction analysis under U.S. GAAP.
Skills
The toolkit
- Custom AI agent development for accounting automation
- Strategic financial leadership & board reporting
- Budgeting, forecasting & FP&A
- Financial systems, ERP & internal controls
- Multi-source revenue & quote-to-cash operations
- Cash flow, treasury & risk management
- Team leadership & talent development
- External audit, tax & regulatory compliance
Education & credentials
The paper trail
- Master of Science in FinanceTexas A&M University, College Station, TX — August 2007
- Bachelor of Business Administration in AccountingTexas A&M University, College Station, TX — August 2007, Cum Laude
- CPACertified Public Accountant, Licensed in New York