Kevin Schnake

About Kevin Schnake

Finance executive specializing in building scalable financial infrastructure, leading transformation, and driving profitable growth in complex manufacturing and operational environments. Known for stepping into roles during periods of change and delivering results quickly through strong leadership, disciplined execution, and cross-functional partnership. Experience includes enterprise resource planning implementations, mergers and acquisitions integration, financial planning and analysis leadership, and developing high-performing finance teams.I am a finance executive who helps organizations strengthen financial infrastructure, improve profitability, and scale with confidence. My career has been built around stepping into complex environments, leading transformation, and delivering measurable business results quickly.I operate as a true business partner to executive leadership, translating financial insight into clear strategy and decisive action. I am most often brought into roles during periods of growth, change, or operational challenge where strong leadership, disciplined execution, and cross-functional collaboration are essential.One of my proudest achievements was helping double profitability within three years by combining disciplined cost management, performance optimization, and close partnership with operations and commercial teams. In another role, I led the turnaround of a division that had failed an internal audit by restoring compliance, rebuilding the finance organization, and establishing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.I have led multi-site teams through enterprise resource planning implementations, lean accounting transformations, and post-acquisition integrations. Across every role, my focus remains the same: build high-performing teams, strengthen financial processes, and convert financial insight into practical business outcomes.My experience spans manufacturing and complex operational environments where finance plays a central role in driving margin expansion, operational efficiency, and long-term growth.Core areas of leadership include financial strategy, financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions integration, enterprise resource planning transformation, and building scalable finance organizations.If you would like to contact me, I may be reached at K••••••••@gmail.com or through LinkedIn.

Experience

1. Senior Director of Finance

   Wabtec Corporation

   Apr 2021 — Present · Pittsburgh, PA, US

   Wabtec is a Fortune 500 rail manufacturer with $10B+ revenue and global operations in 60+ countries.Selected to assume leadership of a financially underperforming group, where 3 locations were operating at low or negative margins and 2 locations failed their internal audits. Lead enterprise finance for seven global, multi-site divisions generating over $300 million in revenue. Selected to assume leadership of a financially underperforming group with margin erosion and audit deficiencies across multiple locations. Serve as strategic finance partner to the Group Vice President of Operations across two operating groups.Hold full accountability for financial strategy, performance, forecasting, internal controls, and team leadership across a complex global footprint.Key impact:• Expanded operating margins from 15 percent to 20 percent within two years by instituting disciplined performance management, consolidating the production footprint from nine locations to seven, and strengthening cost transparency.• Restored audit integrity and ensured full Sarbanes-Oxley compliance with zero findings by rebuilding controls, processes, and team accountability.• Rebuilt and elevated a multi-entity finance organization into a high-performing team with zero missed deliverables and materially improved reporting accuracy.• Delivered a multi-year growth strategy aligned with commercial and operations leadership, driving 3 to 5 percent annual sales growth despite market downturn conditions.• Identified $4 million in annual savings through comprehensive margin and product portfolio analysis across more than products, partnering cross-functionally to implement pricing, sourcing, and rationalization strategies.

Education

• Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

  Bachelor of Science - BS