Louise Forlenza is a NY State Licensed CPA and Senior Financial Executive with over 35 years of success assisting domestic and international companies in a diverse range of industries expand their businesses globally. Louise has a proven track record leading privately and publicly held companies from inception to growth and profitability. She is recognized for her complex problem-solving skills, strategic insight, and ability to engage critically important stakeholders to resolve issues and drive transactions to closure. Louise is frequently quoted in Corporate Board Member Magazine and is a financial expert that brings deep experience as Chair of the Audit Committee on corporate boards.
Since 2002 Louise has been a member of the Board of Innodata Inc. (NADAQ: INOD) where she serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee. She has served as a Strategic Advisor on the Advisory Committee of NED Biosystems since 2015 and previously served on the Board of the Acting Company as Treasurer and Chair of the Audit Committee.
Louise founded LC Forlenza Advisory Services in 1987 and continues to preside over the company where she provides strategic insight and expertise in global accounting and reporting, forensic accounting, auditing, foreign tax issues, turnarounds, and litigation support. She has built the business into a thriving practice of over 250 long-tenured reputable global clients in industries such as transportation, entertainment, real estate, life sciences, technology, and health & wellness.
From 1987 to 1992, Louise served as the COO, Director and Chair of the Audit Committee for Intercontinental Exchange Partners, an $80 million global foreign exchange brokerage firm operating in New York and Dusseldorf. She led operations and administrative support to all non-sales functions for 65 global brokers and 20 administrative staff and rolled out international operations in Dusseldorf. Louise also led the audit and tax relationships with independent audit firms to achieve most favorable tax treatment for worldwide operations and partnership structure.
In 1981 Louise joined Bierbaum-Martin Inc., a global brokerage firm specializing in foreign exchange, money market transactions, and options. As CFO, Louise managed all non-brokering activities in New York and rolled out international operations in Dusseldorf and London. Additionally, Louise restructured the firm’s capital in London as required by the Bank of England by trading hard assets for cash and increasing liquidity by 50%. She also led the audit and tax relationships with two “Big 8” international audit firms receiving most favorable tax treatment for worldwide operations and structure, supervised the preparation of financial statements for NASD-registered broker dealers acquired in the mergers, and provided infrastructure build-out through three company mergers with an expansion from 10 to 245 brokers.
Louise received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Iona College, a Certificate in Forensic Accounting from New York University, is a NY State Licensed CPA, and has completed Executive Training Programs at Harvard Business School and The Wharton School. Louise was the first and only female accounting major to graduate from Iona College in her graduating class.
