Karen Gillis
Senior Vice President of Finance
Professional Overview
Karen Gillis is a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. As the Senior Vice President of Finance at Ignite Medical Resorts, she oversees all financial operations, strategic planning, and business performance optimization for the rapidly growing medical resort company.
Experience Summary
Current Role
In her current role as Senior Vice President of Finance at Ignite Medical Resorts, Karen is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership to support the company's ambitious growth objectives. She leads a team of finance professionals in managing budgeting, forecasting, cash flow optimization, and financial reporting to ensure Ignite maintains strong financial health and operational efficiency. Under her guidance, Ignite has achieved consistent year-over-year revenue growth of over 20% while improving EBITDA margins by 15%.
Career Progression
Prior to joining Ignite, Karen served as the Chief Financial Officer at Lexington Health Network for a decade, where she played a pivotal role in streamlining financial processes, improving cash flow management, and driving business expansion through strategic acquisitions. She also held progressive finance leadership roles at Lexington Health Network, including Vice President of Finance and Controller.
Earlier in her career, Karen gained valuable experience as an accountant at several prominent accounting firms, including Goldberg Geiser & Co. Ltd., Gilson, Labus & Silverman LLC, and Checkers, Simon & Rosner LLP.
Academic Background
Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she graduated with honors. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and actively participates in various finance and accounting professional associations.
Areas of Expertise
- Financial planning and analysis
- Cash flow management and optimization
- Strategic business partnering
- Mergers, acquisitions, and integration
- Financial reporting and compliance
- Healthcare industry regulations and best practices
Professional Impact
Throughout her career, Karen has demonstrated a strong track record of driving operational and financial improvements. At Lexington Health Network, she played a key role in streamlining the organization's financial systems, which led to a 25% reduction in reporting cycle times and a 12% increase in working capital. At Ignite Medical Resorts, Karen's leadership has been instrumental in securing significant funding for expansion projects and implementing robust financial controls to support the company's rapid growth.
Conclusion
With her extensive experience in the healthcare finance domain, proven leadership abilities, and a commitment to delivering tangible results, Karen Gillis is well-positioned to continue driving the financial success and strategic direction of Ignite Medical Resorts. Her expertise and collaborative approach make her a valuable asset to the organization and a respected leader in the industry.
