Dev Penn, Finance Expert in Dallas, TX, United States
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Dev Penn

Verified Expert  in Finance

Management Consulting Expert

Location
Dallas, TX, United States
Toptal Member Since
March 9, 2022

Dev is an Eagle Scout and CFA charterholder who seeks to make a significant impact. His goal is to help firms find, grow, and scale over $1 billion in opportunities. Dev's past experiences include working for two billionaires and more than ten years of acting as a strategic executive at blue-chip firms in VC, PE, and investments. He's also experienced as a fractional CFO and acts as a strategist, banker, marketer, and investor rolled into one person.

Market SizingInvestment StrategyBusiness TransformationGrowth StrategyManagement ConsultingFractional CFOBusiness Plan ConsultingFintechBusiness DevelopmentPricing ConsultingMarket SegmentationFintech ConsultantGrowth Strategy ConsultantsPitch Deck ConsultantFixed IncomeHuman Resources (HR)Expense ReportingFeasibility Study

Career Highlights

CEO
Brightlights Capital
Director of Finance | Fractional CFO | Investments
A Billionaire Family PE Office
Venture Associate
Schlumberger's Venture Fund

Certification Highlights

CFA
CFA Institute

Case Studies

Work Experience

CEO

2017 - PRESENT
Brightlights Capital
  • Created a revenue forecast for a Series-C unicorn that raised $100+ million.
  • Saved a $200M-to-300-million family office around $12 million by avoiding a bad investment.
  • Re-designed a pitch deck and built a business plan for seed fintech to raise $3.5 million.
  • Confirmed a $5+ billion global market size for a European startup and built all pitch materials like the model, valuation, forecast, pitch deck, and business plan.
  • Consulted C-suite for GTM, growth strategy, capital raising, revenue forecasts, and business planning, preparing teams for investor meetings on short notice—a week instead of a month.
  • Valued 100+ firm assets in 90% less time for the COO, CIO, and CEO of an $85+ million venture fund by developing a novel process and a tool for SAFEs and equity securities.
  • Met 100+ management teams with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenue, and the top recommendation went up 4x in 2021.
  • Made go and no-go biotech investment recommendations to the founder of $1 billion equity manager in two weeks where top recommendation outperformed.
  • Provided an FP&A underpinning case to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania with a successful appeal.
Focus areas: Startups, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Growth, Due Diligence, Growth Strategy, Launch Strategy, Product Launch, New Products, Early-stage Venture Capital, Venture Funding, Private Equity, Private Equity Consultant, Alternative Investments, Late-stage Funding, Fractional CFO, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Decks, Pitch Presentations, Voice of the Customer (VoC), Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Financial Modeling, Revenue Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Business Models, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, SaaS, B2B Sales Pipeline, B2B Partnerships, Go-to-market Plans, B2C, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Competitive Strategy, B2B, Project Finance, Renewables, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financing, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Management Consulting, Enterprise Software, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Board Presentations, Valuation Modeling, Excel 365, Waterfall Modeling, Software as a Service (SaaS), Fintech, Business to Consumer (B2C), M&A Modeling, CFO, Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Investment Strategy, Valuation, Deal Structuring, Seed Fundraising, Crowdfunding, QuickBooks Online, Solar, Consumer Products, People Management, Business Transformation, Cosmetics, Personal Care, Deal Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Shareholders' Agreement (JVA), M&A Earn-out Agreements, Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Growth Hacking, Growth Marketing, Digital Branding, Brand Management, Business Development, Telehealth, Pricing Consulting, Market Research, Pricing, Middle East, Strategic Partnerships, Market Fit, Product Growth, Market Segmentation, Health Insurance, Underwriting, Deal Analysis, Financial Services, Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Organizational Transformation, Idea Validation, Lead Generation, Sales, Marketing, Mobile Apps, Market Research & Analysis, Fintech Consultant, Growth Strategy Consultants, Pitch Deck Consultant, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Strategy, Consulting, Sales Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Blockchain, Marketing Leadership, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), SWOT Analysis, Digital Marketing Strategy, Sports, Marketing Mix, Fantasy Sports, Subscriptions, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Analytics, Data Analytics, Agile Product Management, Subscription Pricing, Roadmaps, Product Management, Customer Data, Cohort Analysis, Market Sizing, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Fashion, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Retail & Wholesale, Bonds, Investor Presentations, United Kingdom, Fixed Income, Lean Product Manager, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Operations, Software, Price Positioning, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, HR Tools, Human Resources (HR), Competitive Analysis, Company Strategy, Business Consulting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Chemicals, New Business Development, Deal Closure, B2B Lead Generation, Marketing Plans, Competitive Intelligence, Market Opportunity Analysis, Value Chain, Regulatory Analysis, Storytelling, Debt Raises, Debt, Data Visualization, Investment Banking, Equity, Technology, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Part-time CFO, Interim CFO, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Restaurant Operations, Restaurants & Dining, M&A Due Diligence (Technology), Data Rooms, Sales Growth, Chief Operations Officer (COO), CEO, Healthcare IT, Angel Investing, Fundraising Strategy, Healthcare, Organizational Design, COO, Board Reporting, Hiring, Fundraising Consultant, Stakeholder Mapping, Stakeholder Analysis, Climate Risk Mitigation, Apparel & Accessories, eCommerce, Clothing, Digital Marketing, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Market Research Analyst, PowerPoint Design, Analysis, Expense Reports, Data Reporting, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Reporting, ROI, Food & Beverage, Monetization, Account-based Marketing (ABM), Marketplaces, Strategic Planning, Web3, Strategic Planning & Execution, Performance Management, Business Operations, Team Leadership, Team Management, Risk Management, Management, Angel/Seed Funding, Three-statement Modeling, Customer Analysis, Executive Coaching, Project Management

Director of Finance | Fractional CFO | Investments

2020 - 2021
A Billionaire Family PE Office
  • Led due diligence, modeling, valuation, and deal preparation for a $150M+ buyout.
  • Developed plans to build a fintech from scratch, using $30-to-50 million in capital to scale into $1+ billion.
  • Created the firm's memo structure to co-lead a $65-million Series A round and blueprint for a pathway to $1+ billion across 20 to 25 strategic questions.
  • Recommended a $130 million asset development project and modeled monthly sales, costs, capital expenditures, and cash flow across three divisions in four years, providing due diligence, deal structure, valuation, modeling, and financials.
  • Led the preparation for a portfolio company to launch nationally in eCommerce.
  • Led due diligence on multiple bolt-on M&A targets that screened out poor fits.
  • Developed investment tools from scratch for strategic decisions and growth opportunities, including P&L projections for new firm divisions, expanding existing operations, potential asset purchases, and tax impacts.
  • Led make versus buy, what-if, and feasibility studies on projects with $10-$30 million in capital costs.
Focus areas: M&A (Buy-side), Due Diligence, Fractional CFO, Growth Strategy, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Private Equity, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity Consultant, Quality of Earnings, Taxation, Scenario Analysis, Feasibility Studies, Alternative Investments, Acquisitions, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), M&A Modeling, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Presentations, Voice of the Customer (VoC), Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Startups, Financial Modeling, Revenue Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Business Models, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, SaaS, B2B Sales Pipeline, B2B Partnerships, Go-to-market Plans, B2C, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), B2B2C, Competitive Strategy, B2B, Project Finance, Renewables, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financing, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Management Consulting, Enterprise Software, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Board Presentations, Valuation Modeling, Excel 365, Waterfall Modeling, Software as a Service (SaaS), Fintech, Business to Consumer (B2C), CFO, Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Investment Strategy, Valuation, Deal Structuring, Seed Fundraising, Crowdfunding, QuickBooks Online, Solar, Consumer Products, People Management, Business Transformation, Investments, Deal Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Shareholders' Agreement (JVA), M&A Earn-out Agreements, Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Growth Hacking, Growth Marketing, Digital Branding, Brand Management, Business Development, Pricing Consulting, Market Research, Pricing, Strategic Partnerships, Market Fit, Product Growth, Market Segmentation, Health Insurance, Underwriting, Deal Analysis, Financial Services, Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Organizational Transformation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Product Launch, Lead Generation, Sales, Marketing, Mobile Apps, Market Research & Analysis, Fintech Consultant, Growth Strategy Consultants, Pitch Deck Consultant, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Strategy, Consulting, Sales Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Blockchain, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Marketing Leadership, SWOT Analysis, Digital Marketing Strategy, Sports, Marketing Mix, Fantasy Sports, Subscriptions, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Analytics, Data Analytics, Agile Product Management, Subscription Pricing, Roadmaps, Product Management, Customer Data, Market Sizing, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Fashion, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Retail & Wholesale, Bonds, Investor Presentations, United Kingdom, Pitch Decks, Fixed Income, Lean Product Manager, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Operations, Software, Price Positioning, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, HR Tools, Human Resources (HR), Competitive Analysis, Company Strategy, Business Consulting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Chemicals, New Business Development, Deal Closure, B2B Lead Generation, Marketing Plans, Competitive Intelligence, Market Opportunity Analysis, Value Chain, Regulatory Analysis, Storytelling, Debt Raises, Debt, Data Visualization, Investment Banking, Equity, Technology, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Part-time CFO, Interim CFO, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Restaurant Operations, Restaurants & Dining, M&A Due Diligence (Technology), Data Rooms, Sales Growth, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Healthcare IT, Angel Investing, Fundraising Strategy, Healthcare, Organizational Design, COO, Board Reporting, Hiring, Fundraising Consultant, Stakeholder Mapping, Stakeholder Analysis, Climate Risk Mitigation, Apparel & Accessories, eCommerce, Clothing, Digital Marketing, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Market Research Analyst, PowerPoint Design, Analysis, Expense Reports, Data Reporting, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Reporting, ROI, Food & Beverage, Monetization, Account-based Marketing (ABM), Marketplaces, Strategic Planning, Web3, Strategic Planning & Execution, Performance Management, Business Operations, Team Leadership, Team Management, Risk Management, Management, Angel/Seed Funding, Three-statement Modeling, Customer Analysis, Executive Coaching, Project Management

Associate Vice President | Private Equity Valuation

2018 - 2020
IHS Markit
  • Created and modified hundreds of DCF, comparable transaction, and comparable company models for fixed-income and equity investments in the US, Europe, and Asia for leading private equity firms.
  • Assigned an innovation project by the CEO of the MarkitServ division and grew key accounts by 50% in the first year.
  • Valued hundreds of SPV, JV, holding companies, and operating companies financing structures in growth equity, distressed debt, structured finance, IG, and mezzanine loans—term loan, DDTL, and revolvers—and rated each loan for credit quality.
  • Led the delivery for Goldman Sachs of 100+ monthly DCF loan valuations in technology, healthcare, and industrial companies among 14 industries in a third of the time and expanded the project by more than 50%.
  • Developed a novel credit rating methodology for Swiss muni loans for a major European client´s RFP.
  • Created credit ratings for 40+ consumer and real estate firms in Southeast Asia for Deutsche Bank.
  • Valued 50+ infrastructure, ground lease, and HC loans in Canada, the UK, and the US for a large Canadian asset manager with $280+ billion assets.
  • Trained and managed two teams of four analysts in India and the US for a DCF project of the Shinhan Financial Group that won new business.
Focus areas: Private Equity, Private Equity Valuation, Private Placements, Private Equity Secondaries, Debt, Credit Ratings, European Credit Ratings, Loan Valuation, Distressed Assets, Special Assets, Growth Equity, Early-stage Venture Capital, Financial Analysis, Alternative Investments, Equity Valuation, Business Strategy, Employee Experience, Startups, Financial Modeling, Revenue Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Business Models, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, SaaS, B2B Sales Pipeline, B2B Partnerships, Go-to-market Plans, B2C, B2B2C, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), Competitive Strategy, B2B, Project Finance, Renewables, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financing, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Enterprise Software, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Board Presentations, Valuation Modeling, Excel 365, Waterfall Modeling, Software as a Service (SaaS), Fintech, Business to Consumer (B2C), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), M&A Modeling, Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Investment Strategy, Valuation, Deal Structuring, Seed Fundraising, Crowdfunding, Solar, Consumer Products, People Management, Business Transformation, Cosmetics, Personal Care, Investments, M&A (Buy-side), Deal Review, Term Sheet Advisory, Shareholders' Agreement (JVA), Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Growth Hacking, Growth Marketing, Digital Branding, Brand Management, Business Development, Telehealth, Pricing Consulting, Market Research, Pricing, Growth Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Market Fit, Product Growth, Market Segmentation, Health Insurance, Underwriting, Deal Analysis, Financial Services, Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Organizational Transformation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Product Launch, Lead Generation, Sales, Marketing, Market Research & Analysis, Fintech Consultant, Growth Strategy Consultants, Pitch Deck Consultant, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Strategy, Consulting, Sales Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Blockchain, SWOT Analysis, Digital Marketing Strategy, Sports, Marketing Mix, Fantasy Sports, Subscriptions, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Analytics, Data Analytics, Agile Product Management, Subscription Pricing, Roadmaps, Customer Data, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Fashion, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Retail & Wholesale, Bonds, Investor Presentations, United Kingdom, Pitch Decks, Fixed Income, Lean Product Manager, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Operations, Software, Price Positioning, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Competitive Analysis, Company Strategy, Business Consulting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Chemicals, New Business Development, Deal Closure, B2B Lead Generation, Marketing Plans, Competitive Intelligence, Market Opportunity Analysis, Value Chain, Regulatory Analysis, Storytelling, Debt Raises, Pitch Presentations, Data Visualization, Investment Banking, Equity, Technology, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Part-time CFO, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Restaurant Operations, Restaurants & Dining, Data Rooms, Sales Growth, Healthcare IT, Angel Investing, Fundraising Strategy, Healthcare, Hiring, Apparel & Accessories, eCommerce, Clothing, Digital Marketing, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Analysis, Expense Reports, Data Reporting, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Reporting, ROI, Food & Beverage, Monetization, Account-based Marketing (ABM), Marketplaces, Strategic Planning, Web3, Strategic Planning & Execution, Performance Management, Business Operations, Team Leadership, Team Management, Risk Management, Management, Angel/Seed Funding, Three-statement Modeling, Customer Analysis, Executive Coaching, Project Management

Venture Associate

2017 - 2017
Schlumberger's Venture Fund
  • Presented strategic recommendations to a C-suite executive and former treasurer.
  • Led valuation and on-site due diligence for a $50-$100 million potential UK acquisition presented to the CEO of a 30,000-person unit by meeting a target firm's CEO, senior engineers, and senior executives in engineering, sales, marketing, and accounting.
  • Conducted strategic and financial review of 20 investments—two UK and one Canadian—and a follow-on recommendation, which later became an IPO.
  • Built an investment framework that incorporated the firm’s strategic and financial requirements and led to sourced investment ideas.
  • Supported the commercial team with due diligence and the M&A team with deal process recommendations that changed the firm's processes.
  • Partnered with a vendor to create a custom ERP for reporting to C-suite and senior executives, reducing reporting time from weeks to seconds.
  • Recommended companies for follow-on investments where the firm later placed $20 million behind three of four suggestions.
Focus areas: Early-stage Venture Capital, Late-stage Funding, Software, Private Equity Secondaries, M&A (Buy-side), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Acquisitions, Corporate Development, Software as a Service (SaaS), Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Networks, Financial Modeling, Pitch Decks, Pitch Presentations, Pitch Preparation, Voice of the Customer (VoC), Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Startups, Revenue Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Business Models, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, SaaS, B2B Sales Pipeline, B2B Partnerships, Go-to-market Plans, B2C, B2B2C, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), Competitive Strategy, B2B, Project Finance, Renewables, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financing, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Management Consulting, Enterprise Software, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Board Presentations, Valuation Modeling, Excel 365, Waterfall Modeling, Fintech, Business to Consumer (B2C), Private Equity, Private Equity Valuation, M&A Modeling, Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Investment Strategy, Valuation, Deal Structuring, Seed Fundraising, Crowdfunding, Solar, Consumer Products, People Management, Business Transformation, Investments, Deal Review, Term Sheet Advisory, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Growth Hacking, Growth Marketing, Digital Branding, Brand Management, Business Development, Pricing Consulting, Market Research, Pricing, Middle East, Growth Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Market Fit, Product Growth, Market Segmentation, Health Insurance, Deal Analysis, Financial Services, Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Organizational Transformation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Product Launch, Lead Generation, Sales, Marketing, Mobile Apps, Market Research & Analysis, Fintech Consultant, Growth Strategy Consultants, Pitch Deck Consultant, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Strategy, Consulting, Sales Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Marketing Leadership, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), SWOT Analysis, Digital Marketing Strategy, Sports, Marketing Mix, Fantasy Sports, Subscriptions, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Analytics, Data Analytics, Agile Product Management, Subscription Pricing, Roadmaps, Product Management, Customer Data, Market Sizing, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Fashion, Retail & Wholesale, Bonds, Investor Presentations, United Kingdom, Fixed Income, Lean Product Manager, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Operations, Price Positioning, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, HR Tools, Competitive Analysis, Company Strategy, Business Consulting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Chemicals, New Business Development, Deal Closure, B2B Lead Generation, Marketing Plans, Competitive Intelligence, Market Opportunity Analysis, Value Chain, Regulatory Analysis, Storytelling, Debt Raises, Debt, Data Visualization, Investment Banking, Equity, Technology, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Part-time CFO, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Restaurant Operations, Restaurants & Dining, M&A Due Diligence (Technology), Data Rooms, Sales Growth, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Healthcare IT, Angel Investing, Fundraising Strategy, Healthcare, Alternative Investments, Organizational Design, COO, Board Reporting, Hiring, Fundraising Consultant, Stakeholder Mapping, Stakeholder Analysis, Climate Risk Mitigation, eCommerce, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Market Research Analyst, PowerPoint Design, Analysis, Expense Reports, Data Reporting, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Reporting, ROI, Food & Beverage, Monetization, Account-based Marketing (ABM), Marketplaces, Strategic Planning, Web3, Strategic Planning & Execution, Performance Management, Business Operations, Team Leadership, Team Management, Risk Management, Management, Angel/Seed Funding, Three-statement Modeling, Customer Analysis, Executive Coaching, Project Management
2015 - 2017

MBA in Project Finance, Healthcare, and Energy

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School - Chapel Hill, NC, USA

2006 - 2009

Post-baccalaureate Degree in Finance, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA, USA

2000 - 2004

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics

University of Chicago - Chicago, IL, USA

OCTOBER 2021 - PRESENT

CFA

CFA Institute

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