Ashley S.

About Ashley S.

With more than two decades of experience at The Fresh Market, I’ve built my career around strengthening financial operations, modernizing systems, and developing high‑performing teams that support the company’s growth. Since joining the organization in 2004, I’ve held progressively expanding leadership roles and become a key partner in advancing the technologies, processes, and controls that keep our financial ecosystem accurate, efficient, and scalable.In my current role as Senior Manager – Accounting, I lead three core functions within the finance organization—Banking, Cash & Sales; Indirect Accounts Payable; and Direct Accounts Payable. I’m fortunate to support a talented team of accountants, AP specialists, and area leads who help ensure the integrity of all incoming funds across 172 stores and manage the full lifecycle of payables for the entire business. From utilities and merchandising to capital projects and corporate services, we oversee the financial workflows that keep the company moving.My teams operate across a wide network of integrated systems, including P2P platforms, FTP imports, SQL processes, EConnect, and automated workflows that drive touchless AP and faster reconciliation. I also implemented Concur Travel & Expense for the organization and oversee our corporate credit card programs, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a seamless expense experience for team members. In addition, I manage our Motus vehicle program, supporting mileage, allowance, and reimbursement processes for eligible employees. As part of our public‑company transformation, I played a central role in redesigning our processes to support SOX compliance—improving transparency and strengthening controls while keeping efficiency high.I’m passionate about continuous improvement and thrive on finding better, smarter ways to work. Whether it’s implementing new systems like Coupa and VxMaintain, redesigning AP and banking processes to support compressed close timelines, transitioning manual workflows to ACH/ePayables, or partnering across the business to solve new challenges—I’m energized by work that blends strategy, technology, and operational excellence.Most importantly, I believe in building teams that feel supported, challenged, and equipped to succeed. As The Fresh Market grows, my goal is to ensure our financial processes grow with it—more automated, more insightful, and more aligned with the long‑term needs of the business.

Experience

1. Senior Accounting Manager

   The Fresh Market

   Aug 2016 — Present · Greensboro, NC, US

   Oversee Accounts Payable Corporate Non‑Merch, AP Merchandise Research & Reconciliation, and Banking/Cash/Sales teams (10+ direct reports).Direct all store and corporate cash/sales posting activities, ensuring accuracy of POS integrations, daily sales uploads, and end‑to‑end reconciliation for 160+ locations.Lead accounting implementations for major e‑commerce and digital revenue channels, including Instacart, DoorDash, FoodStorm, EZCater, and boutique/marketplace workflows; establish processes scalable for future expansion.Implemented Concur Travel & Expense for the organization and oversee all corporate credit card programs, ensuring compliance, accurate expense reporting, and a smooth user experience across the company.Administer the Motus vehicle program, managing mileage, allowance, and reimbursement processes and ensuring adherence to policy and audit standards.Partner with IT leadership to redesign and modernize core financial systems, including Receiving Manager, Store Portal, and automation of DCR workflows.Drive end‑to‑end process redesigns across AP, Banking, and Cash/Sales to meet accelerated month‑end close timelines and support enhanced reporting requirements following Cencosud integration.Oversee enhancements to ReconNet/Trintech to improve reconciliation automation for change orders, gift cards, e‑commerce payments, and other high‑volume transaction types.Deliver enterprise‑level reporting and ad hoc financial analysis, partnering with FP & A, Marketing, Facilities, and Operations to ensure accurate expense alignment and forecasting support.Serve as a leader in vendor onboarding, Coupa optimization, template development, and procurement team support.Maintain high‑complexity relationships with banks, armored carriers, payment processors, and third‑party vendors.

Education

• Institute of Finance & Management

  Acredited Payables Manager, Accounts Payable Certification

  2013 — 2014

• Guilford Technical Community College

  iLead

  2017 — 2018

• University of Phoenix

  Pursuing Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Associate of Arts w/a concentration Bus. Fundamentals, Accounting and Business/Management

  2019