Experience & Accomplishments
A partial list of Mr. Shaw’s experience and
accomplishments follows:
- Served as Controller,
the sole financial officer, for a $200 million, unregulated natural
gas marketing subsidiary.
This company was a significant
participant in the natural gas futures market, dating from the
new market’s inception.
- Formed
a nonregulated, intrastate retail natural gas company.
Conducted analysis, outlined mission and objectives, and participated
in negotiations with partners and suppliers as well as negotiations
with the state PUC to establish the minimum conditions for
a workable competitive market.
- Testified
as an expert witness in various proceedings supporting historical
accounting records, cost allocations between utility and
non-utility business segments, forecasted test period estimates, cost
of service, cost of capital, and company plans and estimates
- Developed
and directed corporate strategic and financial planning efforts for
a top Midwestern gas utility. As head of the Financial
Planning function, directed preparation of annual Plan and Quarterly
updates. Member of the leadership team that created the corporate approach
to deregulation in the natural gas industry. Played leading role in
the formation of a holding company.
- Developed
and implemented strategic planning process including internal assessment,
competitive
assessment, market assessment, energy market
outlook, and corporate competency assessment at major interstate natural
gas pipeline company. Led senior management team in creating the company’s
initial strategic plan and associated strategic initiatives
- Conducted analysis
to determine the feasibility of entering the telecommunications business
- Conducted
a gas retention and gas integration study on behalf of a major
Midwestern
combination
utility in the process of merging with
another major Midwestern combination utility company. The study was
a required element of the companies’ U-1 filing with the SEC
for approval of the merger. Led the company’s management and
legal support team in developing a project plan, conducting the study,
working with the company’s merger partner to conform to underlying
methods and assumptions, and prepared the specific SEC filing documents.
- Led project development
effort to construct an electric power plant on pipeline system
- Directed
internal analysis teams evaluating overall business profitability,
merger
candidates, and company operations in the on and off shore
regions of the Gulf of Mexico for an interstate natural gas
pipeline company.
- Led development
and implementation of a leading edge energy market forecasting
model
- Led an E-commerce
strategy team to establish partnerships with other large energy companies
to create an exchange/auction site for natural
gas and pipeline capacity in order to respond to changing market conditions
- Successfully used
proprietary modeling capability to propose, support, and launch pipeline
and storage projects to capture value in energy
markets
- Designed and
established, as member of a seven-person management team, a plan
to reorganize
a large Midwestern natural gas utility in
alignment with core processes and to reengineer core processes
as demanded, subsequent to realignment.
- Designed
and facilitated the acquisition/alliance efforts of a major
western utility,
an essential
element in the client company’s
national power marketing strategy. Developed a screening process
to identify attractive candidates, screened current power market
participants,
developed a short list of candidates, supported the selection of
a target organization, contacted target organization, held initial
confidential
meeting with candidate company, introduced client to target company,
and supported the client company in evaluating the operational,
financial, and organizational fit associated with the targeted
alliance candidate.
- Established
an organizational improvement model for a major international
independent
power generation company. The model utilized an eight-step
approach and resulted in the creation of a prioritized list
of management practice issues designed to improve the effectiveness
of a rapidly growing organization. Teams were formed and
facilitated
to address the top priority issues.
- Provided expert
advice and support regarding U.S. markets, regulation, and critical
success factors to a consortium of Canadian energy producers
considering building a multibillion dollar, high-pressure natural gas
and liquids pipeline from British Columbia to midwestern U.S. markets.
Identified key U.S. contacts and arranged confidential meetings with
the most important of those key contacts prior to the formal announcement
of the project. Drafted and critiqued press release and public announcement
materials for the project. Managed the announcement of the project
in the Midwest.
- Conducted intensive
strategic analysis of a major eastern gas utility. The assignment
included a focused situation review, including interviews
with senior management and the review of data and information provided
by the company. The project identified important strategic initiatives
and organizational issues that needed to be addressed in order to enable
the accomplishment of the identified strategic initiatives.
- Developed and
implemented initial cash and financing forecasting systems. Integrated
these new computerized forecasting systems with
existing planning systems. The new systems resulted in both more timely
and cost-effective, short-term cash management and long-term financing
plans that were better timed and sized to meet the long-term funding
needs of the company.
- Led, set policy
for, and conducted all company-wide financial analysis for a $1 billion
natural gas utility.
- Directed all aspects
of general accounting in his role as Assistant Controller for a natural
gas utility: General Ledger, Accounts Payable,
Accounts Receivable, Consolidation Accounting, Subsidiary Accounting,
and Gas and Oil Accounting. Directed a staff of more than 50.
- Led the introduction
of new systems in the General Ledger and Material Management/Accounts
Payable areas to streamline internal accounting
operations and to improve access to financial information for company-wide
decision making.
- Established
Total Quality Management techniques—business process
analysis, measurements, and benchmarking—for corporate financial
areas. This work resulted in the receipt of a company-wide award for
reducing accounting closing cycle time by 25 percent.
- Planned
capital requirements and directed the issuance of more than
$200 million
of various debt and equity instruments.
- Directed
SEC reporting for a $1 billion natural gas utility.
- Established
the first secured Medium Term Note program in the U.S. market.
- Supervised
all major financial aspects of the initial public offering
of the common stock
(due to spin-off from parent company) for a $1 billion
natural gas utility. This assignment included preparing and
filing the SEC documents, conducting
the special shareholder meeting, and listing the new stock
on the NYSE.
- Participated in
the acquisition of a gas utility company; was a key member of the
negotiating team.
- Led all financial
aspects associated with the start-up of a computer services subsidiary.
Provided accounting and financial due diligence
in the acquisition of a computer services firm.
- Developed and
implemented a system to measure and benchmark healthcare expenditures
for a Midwestern natural gas utility. This work resulted
in immediate reductions in healthcare expenditures and the development
of a strategic plan for healthcare benefits.
- Evaluated healthcare
benefit programs in partnership with union leadership; provided the
basis for subsequent contract negotiations.
- Appointed
to minority vendor loan committee to review and approve
minority company loan applications. This program was highly
successful in helping applicants establish
and
grow their businesses.
- Designed and led
the Human Resources activity of a Midwestern natural gas utility
through a process to redefine its role in the organization,
to design a new organization, and to implement changes. This process
resulted in a smaller, more customer-focused, Human Resource function.
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