August Fern, Finance Expert in Berkeley, CA, United States
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August Fern

Verified Expert  in Finance

Management Consulting Expert

Location
Berkeley, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
October 7, 2016

August has been an independent consultant for the last decade, helping venture capital, private equity, and family office investors screen, evaluate, and support investments in clean energy technology, industrial technology, advanced materials, and biotech. Independent consulting provides the flexibility to be actively engaged with both family and community. August enjoys helping investors, corporate or private, evaluate investment opportunities.

Venture CapitalFinancial ModelingValuationPrivate EquityProfitability AnalysisInvestment StrategyEquity ResearchRevenue & Expense ProjectionsMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Project Management

Career Highlights

Managing Member
August Fern Consulting, LLC

Education Highlights

Master's Degree
Harvard Business School
Bachelor's Degree
University of California at Berkeley

Case Studies

Work Experience

Managing Member

2003 - PRESENT
August Fern Consulting, LLC
  • Gained a decade of experience on long-term engagements with multiple venture capital firms focused on investments in energy and materials fields. Concurrent shorter engagements with private equity, family offices, angel investors, and corporate investors seeking expertise in early-stage technology investing.
  • Screened thousands of investment opportunities. Performed due diligence on investments of potential interest to firm. Industries covered include clean energy, sustainable technologies, advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, and some biotech.
  • Analyzed financial models, funding strategies and exit scenarios for both deals under consideration and portfolio companies. Developed financial models for investment and M&A opportunities.
  • Conducted market research using primary and secondary sources in order to guide business decisions.
  • Synthesized disparate sources and researched industries to write several business documents including private placement memoranda, blog posts, due diligence documents and investment memoranda.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Venture Funding

Manager - Business Automation

1999 - 2001
Utility.com
  • Led a team of project managers in the implementation of all systems. Spearheaded a project to define a sustainable process that addressed marketing, regulatory, customer service, operation, and technical issues.
  • Recruited by the COO for a three-person team to rapidly implement organization and process changes across the company.
  • Nominated by senior management to define and lead prioritization process for company. Facilitated discussions among management to decide on deployment of limited resources.
  • Designed and implemented reporting mechanisms used as key metrics throughout the company.
  • Was a key team member in a fast-paced internet startup through all phases of the company lifecycle.
Focus areas: Process Design, Key Performance Metrics, Project Management

Consultant

1997 - 1999
Andersen Consulting (a.k.a. Accenture)
  • Worked on multiple projects for public utilities undergoing deregulation.
  • Designed a financial system for a public utility to meet new retail sales requirements. Established relationships throughout the organization to identify business requirements and resolve organizational issues.
  • Designed, built, and operated a new system for financial accounting of market transactions for a large deregulating California Public Utility.
  • Performed organizational analysis for a utility operating in a new marketplace.
Focus areas: Technology, Utilities
2001 - 2003

Master's Degree in Business Administration

Harvard Business School - Cambridge, MA

1992 - 1997

Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear Engineering and Materials Science

University of California at Berkeley - Berkeley, CA

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