Publication
Cash Flow Optimization: How Small and Medium Businesses Can Unlock Value and Manage Risk
https://www.toptal.com/finance/cash-flow-consultants/cash-flow-optimization
Emilio is available for hire
Hire EmilioEmilio Parente
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
Toptal Member Since
March 5, 2018
Emilio is a former Deloitte consultant and CFO with experience in optimizing finance departments, supporting growth plans, and creating strategic roadmaps for startups and small and medium enterprises. He has worked with and advised more than 50 clients worldwide, including global corporations such as Swissport International in Switzerland.
Career Highlights
Vice President Finance — M&A
Trilogy
CFO
Filmmaster Mea
Senior Consultant
Deloitte
Education Highlights
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree
London Business School
Master's Degree
Bocconi University
Expertise
Work Experience
Fractional CFO and Advisor
2016 - PRESENT
Freelance Work
- Supported startups and SME's as a part-time in-house CFO or as an advisor in the areas of strategic planning, pricing, financial modeling and valuation, fundraising, cash flow planning, and finance department optimization.
- Performed an advisor role for financial modeling and fundraising at in5 Tech, the leading incubator for startups in Dubai.
- Carried out M&A advisor roles for SMEs, helping them with valuation, preparation for a sale, and due diligence process.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Business Planning, Financial Reporting, Budgeting, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Finance, M&A (Sell-side)
Vice President Finance — M&A
2018 - 2019
Trilogy
- Completed 16 acquisitions, including one listed company (take-private) and one carve-out of $100 million revenue, managing the process of due diligence and finance integration through to completion.
- Managed the financial due diligence with a detailed examination of the quality of earnings and confirmation of price (including financial modeling and valuation).
- Defined a playbook of integration for all finance areas: order to cash (O2C), procure to pay (P2P), treasury, tax, and FP&A.
- Enforced controls for data import in CRM (Salesforce) and ERP (Netsuite) systems.
- Improved performance of the team by upgrading staff skills and re-designing the process of acquisition (productivity improved by 25% QOQ).
Focus areas: DCF Valuation, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
CFO
2013 - 2016
Filmmaster Mea
- Built and ran the regional finance organization across three countries. Responsible for P/L and accountable for the financial strategy and risk management of the company.
- Created competitor and market analysis to find growth opportunities and manage business risk. The insights helped shape corporate strategy and contributed to revenue growth of 60% per annum over three years.
- Improved the capital structure by determining the optimal debt level to fund growth and integrated the capital allocation process with the proposed corporate strategy.
- Implemented Sage 300, a new ERP system, securing board sponsorship for the initiative, and developed a reporting dashboard that incorporated key performance indicators.
- Opened a new branch in Qatar, selecting a finance team and formulating new company processes aligned with group policies.
- Cooperated with senior lawyers to resolve legal disputes in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates while also managing audit and tax activities.
- Redesigned the CRM process, selecting and customizing Salesforce software.
- Led bank negotiations, structuring project financing facilities of $20 million.
Focus areas: Management, Audits, Financial Reporting, Corporate Finance, P&L Forecasting, Cost Management, M&A Modeling, Private Equity, Revenue Optimization, Operational Finance, Financial Systems, Cash Flow Modeling, CFO, Profitability Optimization, Profit & Loss (P&L), Project Finance, Finance Strategy
Regional Manager
2011 - 2013
Filmmaster Mea
- Developed a strategic plan for the Middle East market with the CEO, creating a new organization that was able to reposition and expand a business that had previously been in decline.
- Restructured the regional organization achieving expense reductions of 30%.
- Implemented tighter management and financial controls, developing a detailed 13-week cash flow plan and arranging short-term bank refinancing.
- Improved working capital by negotiating payment terms with suppliers and re-drafting commercial agreements with clients resulting in a 10-day improvement in days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding.
- Re-engineered critical processes including bidding process, job budgeting and procure to pay (P2P) and order to cash (O2C), obtaining gross margin improvements of 10%.
- Redefined the marketing strategy and developed cohort analysis to retarget marketing efforts resulting in increases in revenue of more than 100% in two years and retention improvement of 50%.
- Designed the performance management process and a new executive bonus plan aligning performance metrics and bonus achievement with revised corporate strategy.
- Reorganized operations in Saudi Arabia, allowing the company to operate within a more stringent legal and social environment.
Focus areas: Debt Raises, Debtor & Creditor Management, Recapitalization, Project Finance, Business Planning, Market Research, Working Capital Management, Cost Efficiency, Bank Debt Raises, Revenue & Expense Projections, Revenue Optimization, Revenue Modeling
Financial Controller
2010 - 2011
Filmmaster television
- Managed the finance department and reported directly to the CEO and Board of Directors. Responsible for strategic planning as well as treasury, accounting, budgeting, tax and audit functions.
- Implemented a new JD Edward and Oracle ERP system, defining finance and business processes and policies.
- Created a cost allocation methodology and built a customer-level profitability model discovering operational and profit enhancement improvements that enabled the company to become EBITDA positive in three months.
- Prepared business plan, financial model and investor materials to support the CEO in the fundraising process.
- Worked with legal and financial advisors to analyze debt arrangements and asset valuations during the restructuring process.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Finance Process Improvement, Accounting, Fundraising, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Systems
Senior Consultant
2004 - 2010
Deloitte
- Provided consulting services to mid-market and blue-chip companies focusing on finance transformation and value creation activities including; FP&A; forecasting; management reporting and analysis; business partnerships; ERP implementations; mergers and acquisitions; business transformation; turnarounds.
- Conducted financial due diligence including driving the analysis of the target’s historical financial statements and projections, quality of earnings, working capital, and potential liabilities and risks which could impact the valuation.
- Built complex three statement operating models for strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting. Leveraged model outputs to perform discounted cash flow valuation analysis and to create a comprehensive M&A model.
- Worked across different industries with leading clients including; Maire Tecnimont, an engineering firm that needed to determine its readiness for an IPO and prepare for an IAS and IFRS transition; Alitalia Airlines, an airline that needed a financial model for strategic planning and asset impairment testing; Luxottica Group, a luxury brand that needed help with IAS and U.S. GAAP financial reporting; Bracco, pharmaceutical company that required an accounting audit.
Focus areas: Financial Asset Impairment Models, Valuation, Financial Reporting, Financial Modeling, Finance Strategy, Strategic Planning & Execution, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Other Experience
Education
2015 - 2017
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in General Management
London Business School - London, England
1999 - 2004
Master's Degree in Business Administration
Bocconi University - Milan, Italy
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