Alen is available for hire
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Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Toptal Member Since
November 9, 2022
Alen's career began at Morgan Stanley, and he has worked for bulge-bracket and boutique investment banks in London, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, and Sarajevo. He's executed over 20 M&A, equity, debt, and restructuring transactions and has evaluated over 100 more with a strong focus on fintech, eCommerce, and SaaS. Freelancing enables Alen to leverage his expertise to help clients solve complex challenges and meet remarkable individuals whose diverse knowledge helps him become a better consultant.
Career Highlights
Consultant
Freelance Clients
Managing Director and External Advisor
Olympia Capital Partners
Analyst
Morgan Stanley
Education Highlights
Master's Degree
Amsterdam Business School
Master's Degree
University of Amsterdam
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Consultant
2019 - PRESENT
Freelance Clients
- Produced a complete fundraising presentation for a UK-based crypto startup that aims to raise €10 million.
- Developed a detailed financial model and contributed to a successful refinancing of $50 million for a US-based adult wellness business.
- Created a comprehensive investor deck and secured €800,000 in growth capital for a Balkan-based smart parking startup.
- Produced a complete pitch deck and helped raise €1 million in venture capital for a Balkan-based fintech loyalty startup.
- Conducted several market research studies and analyzed European digital identity, payments, and money transfer industries.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Fundraising, Investor Presentations, Pitch Deck Consultant, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, SaaS, Business Models, Pitch Decks, Seed Fundraising, Venture Capital, Market Segmentation, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Client Presentations, Loyalty Programs, Loyalty Management, Reporting, Data Analytics, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Fractional CFO, Financial Services, Banking & Finance, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Digital Banking, Financing, Financial Products, Real Estate, Pitch Books, Pitch Preparation, Investments, Financial Analysis, Financial Markets, Strategic Planning & Execution, Fundraising Strategy, Fashion, eCommerce, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Profitability Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Technology, Platforms, Funding Strategy, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Foreign Subsidiaries, Marketplace Platforms, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Managing Director and External Advisor
2019 - PRESENT
Olympia Capital Partners
- Helped launch a new advisory and investment firm as its first employee and recruited, trained, and managed a team of analysts.
- Managed a $100+ million refinancing transaction for a SaaS client and produced all financial analyses and required marketing materials, including complete CIM.
- Developed a comprehensive operating model with detailed profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow projections to quantify the effects of multiple COVID-19 scenarios, contributing to the successful restructuring of $130 million.
- Created a detailed private equity fundraising presentation and helped secure €15 million in pre-commitments.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Fundraising, Carve-out Analysis, Restructuring, Private Equity, Early-stage Venture Capital, Cross-border M&A, Market Sizing, Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Valuation, Comparable Company Analysis, Market Research, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Project Management, Investor Presentations, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, SaaS, Business Models, Pitch Decks, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Business Planning, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, CFO, Financial Services, Banking & Finance, Market Research & Analysis, Financing, Financial Products, Real Estate, Investments, Financial Analysis, Financial Markets, Strategic Planning & Execution, Fundraising Strategy, eCommerce, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Profitability Analysis, Technology, Funding Strategy, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Foreign Subsidiaries, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Strategic Analyst
2021 - 2022
Trilogy
- Joined a newly-formed team requiring exceptional problem-solving skills with a CCAT score of over 45, 99th percentile. Tasked with deep diving into different functions, including operations, CS, finance, HR, and M&A, to analyze operational gaps.
- Diagnosed inefficiencies' root causes by utilizing tools like NetSuite, Salesforce, AWS, Jira, and Zendesk and synthesized data into actionable insights.
- Cooperated cross-functionally to dissect thousands of software vendor payments, leading to more than $10 million in annual savings.
Focus areas: Cross-border M&A, Due Diligence, Process Improvement, Data, Finance Strategy, Business Planning, Capital IQ, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, SaaS, Business Models, Business Strategy, Strategy, Reporting, Data Analytics, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning & Execution, Profitability Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Technology, Foreign Subsidiaries, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
2016 - 2018
Movida
- Founded an eCommerce startup and directed 11 employees, efficiently growing the business to 100 daily orders within six months.
- Developed highly effective advertising campaigns and grew the fanbase to 110,000 loyal followers with a 4.9-5.0 rating, becoming one of the country's largest eCommerce platforms.
- Secured €100,000 in seed capital and successfully applied for USAID Grant, receiving expert consultancy services and €12,500 in funding.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Logistics & Supply Chain, Logistics & Warehousing, Procurement, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Operations, eCommerce Platforms, Investor Presentations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Pitch Decks, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Business Planning, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financing, Investments, Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning & Execution, Fundraising Strategy, Fashion, eCommerce, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Profitability Analysis, Valuation, Platforms, Funding Strategy, Marketplace Platforms, Grants, Grant Proposals, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Country Manager and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
2014 - 2015
Rocket Internet
- Launched the Sarajevo office for one of Rocket internet's ventures in Bosnia and Herzegovina and assumed full country responsibility.
- Spearheaded the setup of operations in sales, marketing, content, logistics, distribution, and customer service and oversaw 12 employees at two different locations.
- Collaborated with functional and regional leaders and developed performance objectives, contributing to strategic direction and overall growth.
Focus areas: Board Reporting, Sales Growth, Operations Analytics, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Business Strategy, Strategy, Business Planning, Reporting, Data Analytics, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning & Execution, Fashion, eCommerce, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Profitability Analysis, Platforms, Marketplace Platforms, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
2014 - 2014
Symphony
- Leveraged strategic finance experience to help the founders through various business inflection points, including high-growth periods, resource allocation, investments, and ownership changes.
- Initiated the launch of the finance function and built reporting infrastructure by establishing internal data analytics, policies, processes, and systems best practices.
- Defined and implemented business performance metrics and created a KPI dashboard to help track, measure, and report relevant KPIs.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Presentations, Financial Controls & Processes, Board Reporting, Investor Presentations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Business Planning, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, CFO, Interim CFO, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financing, Real Estate, Investments, Financial Analysis, Strategic Planning & Execution, Profitability Analysis, Valuation, Technology, Foreign Subsidiaries
Associate
2010 - 2012
Kempen
- Joined as a financial institutions valuation expert to help launch a new industry coverage team in the Corporate Finance division.
- Mapped the entire banking and insurance market, including life, health, and non-life, and created and maintained segment-focused valuation models and marketing materials.
- Managed E2E transaction planning and execution, including target sourcing, business case creation, and roadshow coordination, helping execute two financial institutions and six life sciences transactions, including one initial public offering (IPO).
Focus areas: Corporate Finance, Initial Public Offerings, Equity Capital, Debt Raises, Investor Presentations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Fundraising, Pitch Decks, Healthcare, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Services, Banking & Finance, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financing, Financial Products, Real Estate, Investments, Financial Analysis, Financial Markets, Profitability Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Foreign Subsidiaries, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Associate
2009 - 2010
ACHMEA
- Advised executive board on strategic initiatives and led transaction-related valuation processes, including the €200 million loan portfolio sale.
- Created standardized asset valuation and impairment test models and actively interacted with senior management by supporting financial reporting, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), and accounting processes in 10 countries.
- Designed and developed a financial model and quantified the economic damages of seven Slovak law changes that adversely affected the company, helping obtain a favorable ruling of €22 million.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Valuation, Investor Presentations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Business Strategy, Strategy, Three-statement Modeling, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, Financial Services, Banking & Finance, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financial Products, Investments, Financial Analysis, Financial Markets, Profitability Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Foreign Subsidiaries, Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Analyst
2007 - 2008
Morgan Stanley
- Joined the Central Eastern Europe team in London and supported deal origination and execution, including the NWR IPO of $2.5 billion.
- Rotated into the Sub-Saharan Africa team in Johannesburg and supported the execution of Telkom's Vodacom share sale of $2.7 billion and Standard Bank's Liberty Holdings minority buy-out of $500 million.
- Co-developed financial models and effectively rationed South Africa's electricity shortage, contributing to stable commodity prices.
Focus areas: Corporate Finance, Investor Presentations, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Fundraising, Pitch Decks, Business Strategy, Strategy, Client Presentations, Reporting, Data Analytics, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Financing, Financial Products, Investments, Financial Analysis, Financial Markets, Profitability Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Education
2006 - 2007
Master's Degree in Business Administration (Cum Laude)
Amsterdam Business School - Amsterdam, Netherlands
2001 - 2006
Master's Degree in Business Economics (Cum Laude)
University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Certifications
JANUARY 2009 - PRESENT
Mergers & Acquisitions
The Wharton School Executive Education
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