The following are representative examples of my consulting work across financial management, strategic planning, growth, financing, and operational improvement. Client names are not disclosed because of confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements.
Growth/Expansion
- A $6B provider of electrical products and systems needed assistance with a go-to-market strategy for their newest line of high-end products. Evaluated market-entry economics and growth potential, informing the commercial launch and risk-mitigation strategy for a new product line.
- A chain of convenience stores was facing stiff competition and needed assistance in improving customer retention. Structured a customer loyalty program, projected to improve customer retention by 30% and increase revenue.
- An imitation jewellery business in Ahmedabad was about to be awarded a contract from a major media network, provided it could scale up its design and manufacturing capacity to meet the media company’s requirements. Developed a growth plan that would allow the business to streamline operations and scale significantly from its existing base.
- A financial advisory firm in New York was struggling to cater to the varying needs of their clients. They needed assistance in expanding to other regions and developing a more efficient structure for their offerings.
Facilities Financing
- A charter school network had been funding a facilities project with internal funds and they would run out of cash if the financing was not closed in three months. An existing loan portfolio of 22 loans from 9 different banks further complicated the financing transaction. Assisted with the financing transaction, ensured optimal cash utilization in the interim, and successfully closed financing in under three months.
Staff Transitions
- A charter school network had multiple staff transitions during which federal reimbursements fell under the radar. The reimbursement deadline was in 9 days and the organization was about to lose $6 million in federal funding when they reached out for assistance. Prevented a lapse in federal funding by stepping into a grant manager role during this critical staffing transition.
- A charter school network was in a frenzy when their Director of Finance quit unexpectedly. Their CEO and CFO had already announced their departure and the organization had been struggling to find their replacements. Supported the organization during these staffing transitions to ensure timely communication with critical stakeholders, implementation of internal controls during and after transition, and appropriate training of new staff members.
Subsidiaries/Multi-entity Structures
- A non-profit organization worked as a real-estate incubator for schools, purchasing the ideal buildings for schools and renting it out to them until they had the financial strength to own the buildings themselves. They needed assistance in strategic and financial planning for the subsidiary companies and facilities financing for this project.
- A charter school network was part of a financing transaction where they were provided a loan to cover 90% of the facilities project cost. The parent organization was willing to cover the rest but could not do so directly due to the complexity of existing loans and tax credits. Assisted the organization in divesting a portion of a business and creating a subsidiary, which then loaned the funds to the corresponding subsidiary involved in the facilities project.
Internal Audit
- A non-profit client with $45M in annual revenue and more than 80,000 annual transactions required ongoing financial and retirement plan audit support. I helped ensure six consecutive years of clean audits, with no findings or adjustments.
Technology Migration
- A nonprofit organization was using paper-based purchase orders for its accounts payable process and a single-license desktop accounting system, both of which it had long outgrown. The largely manual processes resulted in cluttered documentation and delayed monthly reporting, making it difficult for senior management to make informed decisions. The organization needed assistance transitioning to online accounts payable and accounting systems while ensuring migration of legacy data and minimal disruption. Evaluated system options and developed a migration plan, presenting recommendations to senior management to guide the transition.
Cash Flow/Liquidity Management
- A construction company in New York was facing severe cash flow issues, which forced it to hire temporary workers and take on debt at higher than market rates. The company was headed towards insolvency and needed assistance in managing these liquidity issues.
- A non-profit organization with multiple schools, residential facilities and hospitals needed assistance with a divestiture of one of their schools. They also wanted an investment policy and cash management plan that would generate reasonable returns from their idle cash.