Desmonde C. A. Cowdery, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Desmonde C. A. Cowdery is the Chief Financial and Chief Compliance Officer for the Company. Mr. Cowdery has over 30 years of financial management experience in both public and private companies including financial management of private equity backed businesses, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies and international multi-location public companies.
Mr. Cowdery’s expertise spans the entire finance, accounting & administration functions regarding financial planning & analysis, financial reporting & audits, mergers & acquisitions, due diligence, deal structuring, debt & equity financing, compliance procedures, investor relations, banking relations, tax reporting and risk management.
From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Cowdery was the Chief Financial Officer for Wilson-Mohr Inc., a multi-location value-added distributor of industrial control and automation equipment based in Houston, Texas. Under his financial leadership, the firm’s annual sales expanded from $15 million to over $60 million through a combination of five strategic acquisitions and organic growth. Mr. Cowdery’s responsibilities included strategic planning, financing, accounting & reporting, audits, taxation, risk management, bank relations and all compliance issues involved with management of a 100% ESOP owned corporation.
From 2001 to 2006 and 2012 to 2014, Mr. Cowdery was Founder and President of DNR Associates, a strategic CFO consultancy that specialized in assisting enterprises in their transitional change periods which included high growth situations, mergers & acquisitions and turnaround situations.
During these periods, Mr. Cowdery had several consultancy clients for whom he offered financial planning, accounting and strategic advisory services. As an interim CFO for a new private equity platform company, Mr. Cowdery managed the integration of three corporations and the establishment of internal controls, compliance procedures and a centralized treasury management system. He also sourced M&A targets for a London-based energy services firm where he negotiated and closed a lucrative transaction, thereby providing the client first-time access to the onshore US and Gulf of Mexico offshore O&G industry.
Previous to this, from 1997 to 2001, Mr. Cowdery was the CFO of a regional homebuilder in Houston and an international oilfield drilling services organization with operations in South America. For Royce Homes, he established over $50 million in credit facilities and implemented an innovative off balance sheet model home financing program that released over $1.0 million of cash flow.
Prior to this position, from 1994-1997, Mr. Cowdery was the Chief Financial Officer of Isotag LLC., an early-stage entity that was developing innovative microscopic identification, security and marking products for liquid processing industries. During this period, Mr. Cowdery prepared the strategic business plan and private placement offering memorandum resulting in over $4 million of capital from investors.
From 1988 to 1994, Mr. Cowdery held two positions at Inchcape Testing Services Inc., the US- subsidiary of a London-based FTSE-100 public company, including Regional CFO/Americas, and General Manager of Latin American Operations.
As Chief Financial Officer, he was responsible for the accounting, finance, administration and IT functions for more than a dozen companies that covered a geographic region stretching from Argentina to Canada. He was also responsible for the firm’s business development function during an aggressive M&A program, which resulted in a $20 million acquisition. As General Manager of Latin America, Mr. Cowdery assumed responsibility for a region that had recently lost over $2,000,000. Within 18 months under his leadership, the region was profitable and exceeded budgets.
From 1978 to 1988, Mr. Cowdery held various posts at Geosource Inc and its successor company, Moorco International, in the accounting and finance departments. As Treasurer at Moorco, he was part of a management group that executed a $125 million leveraged buy-out of the manufacturing assets from Geosource. In addition, under his tenure, senior debt was reduced by 45% and the firm later accomplished a successful IPO.
Mr. Cowdery holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston and is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England & Wales (ACCA).
Contact Information for Desmonde Cowdery
Mailing address: 5850 San Felipe, Suite 111, Houston, Texas 77057 email: dcowdery@championinvestments.com Telephone: 832.369.1019