F.O.C.U.S. Resources - Lea Strickland CMA CFM CBM

F.O.C.U.S. Resources (FOCUS) was founded in 2002 on the premise that all businesses regardless of size, industry, or phase of operation can benefit from the experience of a business practitioner who has a total business perspective on strategic, financial and operational issues. FOCUS has the practitioner perspective combined with a commitment to value creation in the client organization through targeted services and a unique approach to advising client organizations (for profit and non-profit).

Working with entrepreneurial companies, regardless of size or industry, Lea Strickland, President/CEO and principal consultant of FOCUS, emphasizes that companies regardless of how they start:

your own original idea or technology
purchase of a license or franchise
purchase of an existing business
innovation of an existing services, products, or technology
specialized knowledge or skills

All business must deal with core issues - financial, operational, and people. The "How" of business is what FOCUS addresses. Lea believes that the best technology, product, or service will not achieve maximum success without sound business infrastructure - the "HOW" of doing business.

Lea Strickland, CMA CFM CBM MBA , President and principal consultant brings over 18 years of practical, hands-on experience in service and manufacturing organizations from both financial controllership/CFO and operational leadership positions. Leading initiatives in companies that include Ford Motor Company, GKN Automotive, Inc., Solectron, Inc., and others — large and small. Current clients include emerging software, biotech, biopharma, technology, manufacturing, and service enterprises.

Start-ups and entrepreneurial companies must be able to act. Lea provides F.O.C.U.S. for the client companies addressing the broad spectrum of issues from a comprehensive perspective to establish business management systems that meet the needs of the client. No "canned" or "one-size fits all" answers - sound principals and the ability to diagnose and address the client issues.

Client Testimonial:

"As a small and responsive high-tech company, Mi-Co's strategy is to take advantage of government grants and contracts in order to fund R&D initiatives that will keep our technology in the forefront of the industry. Our success in winning government funding lead us to FOCUS Resources to get a handle on the regulations our business must meet as part of the process of doing business with the US government. Lea provided concrete, clear, and achievable guidance and advice on a wide range of specific issues such as policies, accounting procedures, and subcontracts. I feel confident that we now have the procedures in place to meet current requirements, but also have a plan to analyze costs and to increase the profitability of our work with all of our government customers." - Carolee Nail, VP Operations, Mi-Co, RTP, NC

Lea has experience in a broad spectrum of financial, operational and strategic activities, including:

Activity Based Cost Management
Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Compliance and government projects: NAFTA, AALA, and Customs
Taxation Issues: Sales and Use Taxes, Escheat, and other specialized topics
Theory of Constraints Management
Project, Product and Corporate Funding — Internal and External
- $97 million Manufacturing Facility Expansion
- Retail and Institutional Equity Funding

Education and Professional Credentials

Certified Management Accountant
Certified Financial Manager
Certified Business Manger
MBA, The Ohio State University - Accounting, Marketing and Human Resources/Change Management
B.S. Operations Management and Finance

Community Leadership

She was appointed in January 2001 as an alternate on the Town of Cary Board of Adjustments (Quasi-judicial Board) and served for two years in that position. In January 2004, Ms. Strickland was appointed to a three year term as a presiding member of the Board.

Speaker, Expert Panelist and Author

She is a frequent and much sought after speaker on business issues and has had articles in national business magazines. Her past engagements include Wake Tech Community College Business and Industry Center, NC State University, Graduate Women in Business, Meredith College, CED, and Institute of Management Accounting forums on topics that include financial roles, taxation, regulatory compliance, business structures, computerized accounting and other critical business issues.

She is currently a contributor to Small Business Technology Magazine, CarolinaNewswire.com, LocalTechWire.com and her own publication the F.O.C.U.S. Newsletter.

Business Community Leadership

As an active participant in groups that include The Women's Institute, Women on the Move, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), CED, NCEITA, Financial Executives Networking Group, and other business forums, she seeks to impact the trends and opportunities that individuals and businesses face each day.

Awards and Recognition

Who’s Who Executives and Professionals 2003 - 2004
International Who’s Who – Professional Management, 1999
Who’s Who U.S. Young Executives, 1989