I spent over 20 years in corporate finance leadership at companies like Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, Milgard Manufacturing, and NTN Buzztime. Then I realized something: Small and mid-sized companies face the exact same financial challenges as Fortune 100 companies—they just don't have the same resources to solve them.
As a Director of Finance at Cox Communications, I managed a $100M+ commercial division with a full team, enterprise systems, and unlimited resources.
Then in 2011, I founded The Patel Group and started working with growing companies. What I discovered shocked me: They needed the exact same strategic insights I was delivering at Fortune 100 companies—budget planning, variance analysis, forecasting, operational metrics—but they were trying to do it all in Excel with skeleton crews.
That's when I realized my calling: bring Fortune 100-level financial strategy to companies that can't afford a full-time CFO or FP&A team. And with modern AI tools, I can deliver even better results than I could with enterprise systems costing millions.
Three decades of learning, leading, and evolving
Led financial guidance for multiple division heads, streamlining forecasting and compliance during a major merger. Managed 35-person team across collections, retail stores, and cash management.
Key Achievement:
Drove $22K monthly savings by optimizing labor allocation and vendor contracts
Oversaw $100M+ commercial division financial operations, including forecasting, analysis, and capital planning. Upgraded SOX/GAAP compliance controls and mentored 10-person finance team.
Key Achievement:
Negotiated financial partnerships with leading telecom providers, increasing ROA and IRR by 5%
Directed annual budgeting and long-range planning, enhancing business unit accountability. Initiated strategies to focus company resources on high-margin products.
Key Achievement:
Increased profit by 7% through strategic resource allocation
Led budgeting, financial planning, and month-end close for manufacturing site. Managed team of 11, oversaw inventory accuracy and supply chain costing.
Key Achievement:
Generated $800K annual impact through Kaizen initiatives to standardize reporting and improve profitability
Founded consulting firm offering financial planning, FP&A, and strategic advisory services. Bringing Fortune 100 insights to small and mid-sized businesses. Also taught Corporate Finance at University of Phoenix (2013-2018).
Key Achievement:
Improved client profitability by 12% on average through metric-driven cost reduction strategies
I break down complex financial concepts so non-finance people actually understand and can act on them.
Proof:
9.8/10 faculty evaluation scores teaching finance at University of Phoenix
I've been in the seat. Managed teams up to 35 people, led $100M+ divisions, delivered real P&L results.
Proof:
Director of Finance at Cox Communications, managed commercial division operations
I stayed current while most finance execs retired into Excel. Power BI, AI tools, cloud ERP—I use them daily.
Proof:
Built AI-powered analysis tools, decades of adapting to new technologies
Every role shows measurable cost improvements. I find the leaks and plug them.
Proof:
$800K annual impact, $22K monthly savings, 7-12% profit improvements across clients
University of Southern California
Built the strategic and operational foundation that's guided every role since.
University of California, Irvine
Where I learned to think analytically and see the bigger picture.
2013-2018 • Corporate Finance, Accounting, Critical Thinking
Teaching finance at the university level taught me something invaluable: if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. I focused on real-world application over theory, earning 9.8/10 faculty evaluation scores.
This experience transformed how I work with clients—I don't just deliver analysis, I make sure everyone understands what it means and what to do about it.
When I'm not analyzing budgets or building dashboards, I'm a stay-at-home dad in Carlsbad, California. After my layoff in 2011, I had the opportunity to be present for my kids in a way most corporate executives never get.
During that time, I discovered something surprising: I love exploring new technologies—even ones I don't fully understand yet. That curiosity led me to AI tools, Power BI, and modern analytics platforms. I realized I could combine my 25 years of financial expertise with cutting-edge technology to deliver better results than ever before.
Now my kids are growing up, and I'm ready to bring everything I've learned—corporate experience, entrepreneurial perspective, teaching skills, and tech fluency—to help growing companies build the financial infrastructure they need to scale.
"Let's get to work!"
Book a free 30-minute consultation. No pitch, just a conversation about where you are and where you want to be.
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