Derrick Watkins, CPA
Evans
Summary
Industrious Deputy Chief Financial Officer versed in compliance, documentation, reporting, and auditing. Demonstrated success in streamlining operations and increasing efficiency. Prepared to leverage 20+ years of experience to support operations in a new role.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
United States Department of Energy
02.2022 - Current
- Responsible for the compliance and enhancement of overall policies and performance by assessing the accuracy of financial records and reports, the efficiency of accounting operations, and the proficiency of budget formulation and execution.
- Provides accurate and timely responses to the Department of Energy (DOE) Chief Financial Officer regarding requests for budgetary and financial information from the public, Members of Congress, and other agencies.
- Responsible for all aspects of financial management, inclusive to the execution of the procedures, policies, and programs related to budgeting, accounting, financial review and analysis, including the administrative responsibility of all contractors’ financial activities.
Finance Director
United States Department of Energy
11.2014 - 02.2022
- Directed teams of senior level professional accountants in the full spectrum of accounting and financial operations.
- Advised senior officials on a wide range of complex accounting, finance, budget, internal control, appropriation law and other matters.
- Planned and executed assessments of internal controls and operations covering broad and highly complex functions and programs.
- Evaluated financial systems by examining and testing financial records and management controls to determine the degree of efficiency, economy, and effectiveness.
- Ensured accounting personnel complied with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and other applicable standards.
- Evaluation of operations for Lean 6 Sigma opportunities and leading change
- Clearance: 'Q' clearance = Secret Clearance
Forensic Audit Manager
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
10.2012 - 11.2014
- Supervised professional auditors in planning audits covering broad and highly complex functions, programs, or systems throughout DFAS in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS).
- Proposed and developed regulations (DoDFMR) and promulgated standards (GAGAS).
- Recognized by senior management for outstanding turnaround in the team’s performance of quality control
Lead Auditor
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
05.2009 - 10.2012
- Provided professional auditing and attest services in accordance with GAGAS and AICPA standards.
- Led engagement teams in the conduct and independent review of financial, accounting, and/or management operations and controls to ensure that funds, personnel, equipment and other resources were employed effectively, securely, economically, and within legal constraints.
- Provided technical advice and assistance to management and program officials in audit areas of broad scope and mission impact.
- Received 2010 Award for Excellence from Internal Review management
Manager of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
MAG Mutual Insurance Company
07.2007 - 03.2009
- Responsible for the implementation of the internal control program to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
- Reviewed, established, revised and ensured all appropriate financial, operational and technology controls were in place.
- Achieved SOX compliance ahead of schedule and under budgeted cost projections.
Manager of Accounting & Financial Controls
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
01.2005 - 06.2007
- Oversaw all reconciliations for line of business including over 300 cash accounts, suspense accounts, balance sheets and income statement accounts.
- Managed the remittance processing with an annual volume of more than $2 billion dollars.
- Ensured all appropriate financial controls were in place for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
- Responsible for organization consistently receiving unqualified opinions on SAS 70 and financial statement audits.
- Worked on various projects in relation to financial framework initiatives, such as business systems, check-writing platform consolidations, and bank architecture redesign.
- Recovered internal fraud of $2.5 million dollars.
Supervisor of Financial Controls
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
11.2002 - 12.2004
- For Sarbanes-Oxley, designed and implemented controls for multiple business units within my line of business.
- Developed activity-based cost models for annuity products.
- Developed full-cycle process mapping for flow of transactions from payment systems to sub-ledger and ancillary systems.
- Used Lean 6 Sigma DMAIC methodology to improve the process for a product line that grew in annual receipts from $250 million to in excess of $1.1 billion in a 3-year period.
- Participated on a project team that successfully implemented a new enterprise general ledger system.
Financial Analyst / Staff Accountant
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
02.2000 - 11.2002
- Analyzed and reported fixed income securities, and time weighted returns for separate accounts.
- Reconciled cash accounts for separate and general bank accounts.
- Reconciled pension accounting system to ledger.
- Received 'SAGE' Award for serving as a subject matter expert in several different areas.
- Recognized as a corporate team member in the successful and early transition of the general ledger system (Millennium) to PeopleSoft ERP.
Education
Master’s Degree - Accounting and Financial Management
Keller Graduate School of Management (Devry University)
Atlanta, GA06.2002
Bachelor’s Degree - Psychology
Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, GA05.1991
Skills
- MS Office Suite
- Forensic accounting
- Team leadership
- Training and mentoring
- Audit documentation
- Complex Problem-solving
- Financial and operational reporting
- Audit management
- Risk assessment
- Internal controls
Websites
Certification
- State of Georgia CPA license, CPA025970, Active
- Defense Finance & Accounting Service Lean6 Green Belt, Inactive
- NASD Series 6 & 26, Inactive
Timeline
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
United States Department of Energy
02.2022 - Current
Finance Director
United States Department of Energy
11.2014 - 02.2022
Forensic Audit Manager
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
10.2012 - 11.2014
Lead Auditor
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
05.2009 - 10.2012
Manager of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
MAG Mutual Insurance Company
07.2007 - 03.2009
Manager of Accounting & Financial Controls
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
01.2005 - 06.2007
Supervisor of Financial Controls
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
11.2002 - 12.2004
Financial Analyst / Staff Accountant
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
02.2000 - 11.2002
Bachelor’s Degree - Psychology
Georgia College & State University
Master’s Degree - Accounting and Financial Management
Keller Graduate School of Management (Devry University)
Similar Profiles
Michael BuckMichael Buck
Supervisory Grants Management Specialist at United States Department Of EnergySupervisory Grants Management Specialist at United States Department Of Energy
Laura JonesLaura Jones
Workforce Management Analyst/Grants Manager at United States Department Of EnergyWorkforce Management Analyst/Grants Manager at United States Department Of Energy
Hubert Kum FOYHubert Kum FOY
Radiological and Nuclear Security Consultant at International Atomic Energy AgencyRadiological and Nuclear Security Consultant at International Atomic Energy Agency