Hi! I’m Laura Outlaw

I help companies bring clarity and structure to their finances.

With over a decade of experience in consulting and corporate finance, I work with organizations of all sizes on strategy consulting projects. For smaller e-commerce companies, I also provide outsourced controller services, from quarterly reviews to a fully managed finance function.

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Work with me

 

Some companies come to me with a specific challenge, such as a merger to integrate, a compliance system to implement, or a financial model to build. That is where strategy consulting projects come in: one-time, focused engagements where I lead or support finance initiatives for companies of all sizes.

Other businesses do not need a full-time finance leader but want regular oversight and clarity. For them, I offer Outsourced Controller Lite, which provides quarterly reviews that ensure their financials are accurate, compliant, and decision-ready.

For e-commerce companies that are ready to fully hand off their finance function, there is Outsourced Controller Plus, which provides monthly, ongoing support that covers everything from books close and compliance to dashboards, cash flow, and board reporting.

1

Strategic Finance Projects

One-time support for major financial initiatives

Targeted financial consulting for high-impact initiatives.

  • Finance process improvement and controls redesign

  • Due diligence and financial modeling for M&A or capital raises

  • Post-merger integration and implementation support

  • Sales tax compliance projects and automation rollouts

  • Business and customer analysis to uncover cost savings or margin improvement opportunities

  • Project management for strategic finance initiatives, audits, and transformations

Ideal for: Companies navigating transactions, transformations, or finance-specific challenges that require experienced project support.

2

Outsourced Controller Lite

Quarterly financial clarity and oversight

A periodic engagement model for companies needing structured financial oversight and insights without full monthly support.

  • Quarterly close review and financial statement analysis

  • Expense and margin reviews with recommendations

  • Cash flow and working capital dashboards

  • Compliance check-ins, including sales tax and payroll

  • Quarterly board or investor-ready reporting

Ideal for: Businesses with internal bookkeeping that need higher-level financial clarity and expert oversight each quarter.

3

Outsourced Controller Plus

Full monthly finance function, outsourced

Full-service finance leadership delivered every month.

  • Complete month-end close within 10 business days

  • Payroll, contractor compliance, and 1099 filings

  • Sales tax compliance oversight and coordination

  • Cash flow forecasting and KPI dashboards

  • Ongoing financial analysis and cost optimization

  • Coordination with CPAs on tax filings (federal, state, property)

  • Board and investor-ready reporting each quarter

Ideal for: Small e-commerce companies ready to outsource their full finance function for consistent, reliable support.

To get started, please book a free 15-minute introduction call to discuss your needs and whether we would be a good fit.

Need help specifically with sales tax? Visit Sales Tax Outlaw for specialized expertise.

Email me to set up a call

Experience

Here are selected projects and roles that highlight my experience across consulting, corporate finance, and independent client work.

Independent Consultant — Outlaw Global Projects

  • CX/Data Analysis (Fortune 500): Analyzed customer survey and operations data for a $5B company; mapped future-state processes for six customer segments.

  • Retention Improvement: Conducted cancellation analysis for a $100M company; improved repeat-customer lifetime value.

  • Sales Tax Nexus Implementation: Modeled state-level economic nexus post-Wayfair; implemented automated compliance for four companies ($2M–$23M revenue). ROI 25–140%.

  • Post-merge Integration: Managed post-merger integration for $24M annual revenue merge ($11M company + $13M company), consolidating and streamlining processes within finance, operations, sales, and marketing. Improved operational efficiency and strengthened internal controls, enabling client teams to scale without added administrative burden. 

  • Due Diligence: Led seller-side operational and financial due diligence for $82M sale of a U.S. e-commerce company. Served as primary point of contact for PE teams, legal counsel, and insurers, coordinating documentation requests, reviewing company operations across all functions, and ensuring a smooth transaction while minimizing risk.

  • Financial Dashboards: Built monthly/quarterly dashboards for six e-commerce clients (sales, expenses, inventory, marketing).

  • Expense Analysis: Delivered cost savings of 4–16% across nine companies through multi-year expense reviews.

  • Sales Data Modeling: Improved quote-to-sales ratios for a $26M company; achieved 16% sales growth across three product lines.

  • Audit Leadership: Directed response to state audit for $15M company, ensuring smooth resolution.

Senior Program Manager — Amazon (London, UK)

  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams across Operations, Technology, and Finance to standardize global best practices for van dispatch and station load-out, improving delivery efficiency worldwide.

  • Expanded Amazon Business’s complex delivery program (white-glove delivery for strategic enterprise clients) from North America into Europe and Japan, collaborating across regional leadership teams.

  • Redefined First Time Delivery Success (FTDS) metric logic globally, improving the accuracy of reporting and executive decision-making.

  • Authored and presented whitepaper on Two-Piece Flow process innovation.

Brand Manager — Amazon (Seattle, USA)

  • Owned a $30M P&L, managing forecasting, vendor negotiations, and inventory planning to drive growth and profitability.

  • Led Shoes & Luggage selection parity initiative, developing a process for competitor tracking that achieved 98% adoption across category teams.

  • Managed “Deals of the Day” for Shoes & Luggage ($25M in 12 months).

Management Consultant — EY (Charlotte, USA)

  • Rebuilt the risk governance framework for a multinational financial services firm, including strategy, roadmap, operating model, and policy documentation; delivered a structure adopted firmwide to strengthen oversight and regulatory compliance.

  • Designed and implemented compliance framework for Volcker Rule at a top U.S. financial institution, developing training modules, testing controls and processes, and creating a policy and ownership matrix to strengthen oversight and regulatory readiness.

  • Conducted industry research and data analysis on investor retirement asset outflows for a leading pension provider; identified key drivers and built recommendations that improved investor retention.

  • Oversaw $16M budget and contributed to $20M+ in new business wins.

  • Designed pilot recruiting program at UNC Charlotte.

Education

Master’s Degree

M.S. in Accounting & Finance, Queen Mary University of London

  • Grade: Distinction

  • Dissertation: U.S. Sales Tax Compliance for SMEs

Undergraduate Degree

B.S. in Finance and B.S. in International Business, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  • Grade: 3.9

  • Concentration: Accounting

  • Levine Scholarship Program recipient

  • International study at the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of Salamanca, Spain

Other certifications

CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)

  • Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting

  • Currently completing final Strategic level exams toward CGMA designation

CPA (U.S. Certified Public Accountant)

  • Candidate; preparing for initial exam

About me

I founded Outlaw Global Projects to help companies bring order and insight to their finances. With a background in management consulting at EY, brand and operations leadership at Amazon, and years of independent consulting, I bring both strategic perspective and hands-on execution to finance projects. My experience spans e-commerce, technology, and mid-market companies, where I’ve led initiatives in process improvement, due diligence, system implementations, and post-merger integration.

Today, I partner with companies that want financial clarity without the overhead of a full-time finance team. Some engagements are one-time projects, such as preparing for a transaction or standing up new compliance processes. Others are ongoing outsourced controller relationships, where I manage the monthly close, reporting, and analysis so leaders can make confident, data-driven decisions. Across every project, my goal is to give leaders confidence in their numbers so they can focus on running and growing their business.

Contact me

I’d love to hear about your project or finance needs. Reach out below to start a conversation.

 
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