Ben Calihan

About Ben Calihan

I have spent the last 12 years developing expertise in and a passion for understanding the “so-what” of a number on the page using my skills in creating and communicating cohesive stories to partner with my team to effectively manage our business. My experience in thinking strategically, solving complex problems, and providing clear financial and business insight has uniquely prepared me for working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. • Building Partnerships and Creating an Inclusive Environment – At the core of my professional career are the relationships that I have created with my coworkers and business partners. It is through these relationships that I can be successful at storytelling and develop ideas and insights to effectively manage my business, growing organic net sales by 2%. This is furthered by my desire to improve the diversity and inclusion of where I work through General Mills’ LGBTQ+ ERG and my local HRC chapter.• Resourceful and Curious with a Strategic, Growth Mindset – Partnered cross-functionally with sales and strategy teams to manage high growth customer markets (growing volume 150% vs pre-pandemic,) and developed framework identifying in-market trade issues to help solve for 3% margin efficiency gain. For fun, I attended a summer program at the University of Oxford and have participated in numerous opportunities for further education which highlights my love for continuous learning and ability to apply new ways of thinking to my professional expertise.• Synthesizing Data and Developing Stories – Designed ten dashboards, using PowerBi, Tableau, and Excel to track business performance (about $1.5B total PnL value) to unlock business, market, and economic trends, insights, and risks and opportunities to better support my business partners decision making.• Financial and Risk Analysis and Planning – Through my extensive experience in creating, interpreting, and communicating the “so-what” behind a financial statement, I have developed a deep understanding of the entire P&L that has unlocked my ability to effectively manage large brand portfolios centered on trust (upwards of $2.2B in value).• People and Program Management – Created and applied new and streamlined processes and mentored, onboarded, and supervised teams of 4-8 guiding projects and processes overseeing the entire financial statement. While managing, I lead with empathy and have created successful working environments that have helped new employees grow and excel in a new environment.

Experience

1. Senior Finance Manager - Manufacturing Operations

   GE Aerospace

   Mar 2026 — Present · Cincinnati, OH, US

Education

• Iowa State University

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Accounting

  2011 — 2015

• University of Oxford

  Summer Theology School

  2019 — 2019

• The University of Edinburgh

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Accounting and Finance

  2013 — 2013

Skills

• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Time Management
• Analysis
• Auditing
• Openbook
• Nonprofits
• Organization
• Forecasting
• Teamwork
• Risk Management
• Statistics
• Customer Service
• Financial Analysis
• Accounting
• Research
• Financial Reporting
• Strategic Financial Planning
• Business Analysis
• Access
• Data Analysis
• Tax
• Strategy
• Tax Compliance
• Jaws
• Public Speaking
• Program Management
• Negotiation
• Kurzweil
• Microsoft Word
• Finance