Publication
How to Build a Budget That Lasts the Full Year
https://www.toptal.com/finance/budgeting/quantitative-tools-for-the-budgeting-process
Erik is available for hire
Hire ErikErik Warren
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Yorktown Heights, NY, United States
Toptal Member Since
September 29, 2017
Erik's built and managed finance functions for global companies, with responsibilities ranging from reporting to managing capital raises for $200+ million infrastructure projects. As a freelancer, he can apply his broad set of financial skills to the challenges growing companies face. He has significant experience with mid-tier companies seeking to apply finance best practices, M&A due diligence and ready themselves for financing.
Career Highlights
Co-founder | Head of Financial Data Analytics
Rational Pilot
Director of Financial Planning and Analysis
Hibernia Networks
Senior Valuation Consultant
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Education Highlights
Master's Degree
Temple University
Bachelor's Degree
University of Florida
Case Studies
Software Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Co-founder | Head of Financial Data Analytics
2015 - PRESENT
Rational Pilot
- Developed and implemented a cloud-based statistical platform that was used to identify economically significant trends in business planning and forecasting. The platform used Django, Python, Pandas, NumPy and StatsModels.
- Created financial and operational metrics dashboards, integrating Power BI and Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains to track sales performance, customer and product revenue, and financial performance for a $10 million chemical company. The dashboard helped enable the company to reduce working capital needs by 15% and pending order slippage by 25%.
- Developed and integrated a proprietary econometric financial analysis screening tool, leveraging Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, for a hedge fund client with $700 million of assets under management. The tool allowed the fund to broaden its investment opportunity set.
- Employed statistical regression analysis to improve revenue forecasting by 50% for a Canadian publishing company. This allowed the company to allocate existing capital more effectively and prevented the company from needing to raise $2 million of equity funding.
- Created proprietary momentum metrics to identify weakness in a client's largest customer (68% of sales), which allowed the company to engage with the customer and mitigate sales unit reductions.
- Integrated client's Salesforce CRM data with proprietary Monte Carlo analysis to improve sales forecasting accuracy by 20%.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Data Science, Financial Data, Forecasting
Director of Financial Planning and Analysis
2011 - 2015
Hibernia Networks
- Trained and managed a multinational finance team that delivered budgets and long-term financial models for a $150+ million revenue telecommunication network provider with fifteen subsidiaries and $600+ million of submarine and terrestrial assets.
- Completed $42 million debt refinancing with Fortress, reducing interest expense and increasing corporate operational funding. Delivered models and investor presentations while managing due diligence and investor requests.
- Created scenario models, investor presentations, and managed due diligence for successful financing of Hibernia’s $200+ million transatlantic fiber optic system, Project Express.
- Created models, board presentations, and scenario analysis for a North American fiber-optic network transition project, successfully reducing capital expenditures by $8 million.
- Evaluated and implemented cloud-based financial software, Host Analytics, transitioning from an Excel-based environment.
Focus areas: Investments, Budgeting, Project Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Capital Structuring, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Vice President, Private Placements
2005 - 2011
Westminster Securities
- Prepared more than 20 companies for private equity and private investments in public entity (PIPE) investments, creating financial models, coordinating due diligence and managing senior management presentations. Worked with funds such as D.E. Shaw, Ospraie, and Viking Global.
- Managed the sell-side due diligence process for wind energy client that successfully raised $800 million in private equity investment.
- Led a $20 million sell-side process for a Chinese coal blending company, creating the investor presentation and driving deal negotiations to a successful close.
- Advised a hedge fund client on a successful investment in a $12 million and gas drilling company.
- Created a Bloomberg-based client screening tool to identify companies that the firm could target for capital structure advisory.
Focus areas: Investment Banking, Capital Structuring, Private Equity
Senior Equity Analyst
2000 - 2005
Kaufman Brothers
- Led the coverage as well as built full financial statement and valuation models of telecommunication service and infrastructure providers including Verizon, AT&T, Quanta Services, and MasTec.
- Created equity research reports, industry research studies, and economic impact reviews for all covered companies.
- Executed short and long-term financial forecasts, incorporating primary and secondary research, including meetings with senior management and industry contacts, as well as channel checks.
- Supervised equity research team of eight as the Supervisory Analyst/Compliance Officer. Reviewed and edited all written research for content, quality, and compliance with SRO, Finra, and SEC regulations.
Focus areas: Investments, Equity Research
Senior Valuation Consultant
1998 - 2000
PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Executed valuation and capital structure optimization client engagements for some of PwC's top 100 clients including Apple, Verizon, AT&T, GE, and Vodafone.
- Implemented a comprehensive shareholder value analysis for Verizon's option on Vodafone's ownership in Verizon Wireless. The analysis included discounted cash flow (DCF), economic value added, comparable company and real option valuations.
- Delivered sum-of-parts and DCF scenario valuation analysis and created senior management presentation for Bell Atlantic/GTE merger.
- Created and executed business unit-level portfolio merger/acquisition/spin-off valuation analysis using Capital IQ, regression, and Monte Carlo analysis for GE's Corporate Treasury Structure group.
- Served as valuation consultant for PwC consulting teams in industries such as IT, Telecom, Lodging & Leisure, Automotive, Pharmaceutical and Consumer Goods.
- Integrated PwC's proprietary internal shareholder value analysis model with Capital IQ, reducing analyst setup time from 12 hours to 2 hours for a completed model.
Focus areas: Capital Structuring, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation
Senior Financial Analyst
1995 - 1998
Metromedia International Telecommunications
- Budgeted and tracked performance of wireless telecommunications joint ventures with revenue of $60 million in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China.
- Created detailed operational and financial models for 40 joint ventures, managing the budgeting process with field personnel and joint venture partners.
- Evaluated and performed due diligence on 15+ acquisition targets and proposed projects, presenting diligence results to senior management.
- Built an Excel-based management reporting system which combined actual, budgeted, and forecasted financial and operational metrics, tracking over 40 joint ventures on a monthly basis.
- Evaluated and implemented a $120,000 Hyperion ERP package for reporting and financial consolidations.
Focus areas: Capital Structuring, Capital Budgeting
Other Experience
Education
1993 - 1995
Master's Degree in Economics
Temple University - Philadelphia, PN, USA
1987 - 1991
Bachelor's Degree in Economics
University of Florida - Gainesville, FL, USA
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