Gary Calnan, Finance Expert in Denver, CO, United States
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Gary Calnan

Verified Expert  in Finance

Bio

Gary is a serial entrepreneur with CEO and CFO experience. Before co-founding an aerospace startup in 2017, Gary was the director of finance at a $120 million revenue SaaS company, where he was responsible for the financial management of multiple departments and supported three mergers. Gary leverages his unique blend of finance and entrepreneurial experience across early and growth-stage businesses to add value to Toptal clients.

Career Highlights

Co-founder and CEO/CFO
CisLunar Industries

Education Highlights

Certificate
International Space University
Bachelor's Degree
University of Colorado Boulder

Certification Highlights

CFA Charterholder
CFA Institute

Case Studies

Work Experience

Co-founder and CEO/CFO

2017 - PRESENT
CisLunar Industries
  • Created the concept and led a small team of engineers to develop the first Space Foundry in Earth's orbit on the International Space Station. It will process metal by melting it down and extruding it into new metal products for use in space.
  • Led the team, set the vision, and responsible for non-engineering functions, including business and partnership development, public relations, government relations, presentations, and finance.
  • Managed the development and execution of the company’s fundraising strategy, focus on the pursuit of both public and private sources of investment.
  • Built multiple detailed financial models for internal projections and external fundraising efforts.
Focus areas: Presentations, Public Speaking, Aerospace & Defense, Manufacturing, Innovation, Business Planning, Design Strategy, FP&A, Fundraising, Business Development, Interim CEOs

Director of Finance

2013 - 2017
Beeline
  • Oversaw the financial management for EMEA, as well as the global account management department, and led all sales forecasting for a software-as-a-service workforce management company with $120+ million revenue.
  • Developed and delivered comprehensive revenue reporting that provided both high-level and detailed insights into trends as well as economic and industry drivers.
  • Supported Beeline's M&A initiatives, including the company’s merger and subsequent integration with its second-largest competitor.
  • Led the selection, installation, and integration of a new financial management software solution and delivered phase 1 of a multi-stage rollout to the entire organization on-time and within the budget.
  • Supported the divestiture of a services division and the acquisition and integration of a competitor’s vendor management services division.
Focus areas: Sales Compensation Structuring, Price Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Sales Analysis, Revenue Modeling, M&A, FP&A

Investment Analyst & Portfolio Manager

2011 - 2013
Dunn Warren Investment Advisors
  • Created and evolved investment strategies at a boutique portfolio management firm with $100 million of assets under management.
  • Led sales and marketing functions, improved core processes and managed client and vendor relationships.
  • Invented, tested, marketed, and managed five financial products based on a proprietary quantitative investment strategy tailored to client demands for increased market exposure while adhering to the firm’s philosophy on systematic risk management and long-term investing.
  • Executed all trades for client portfolios.
Focus areas: Client Presentations, Portfolio Reporting, Portfolio Management, Investment Analysis

Finance Manager

2006 - 2010
Convergys
  • Managed financial planning and analysis for $35 million in revenue across three business lines.
  • Created pricing models, scenario analyses, as well as ROI analysis for new business lines and was sought out for fact-based business recommendations to reduce spending and optimize revenues.
  • Awarded the assignment of a $22-million line of business, stepping into a leadership role to ensure consistent product delivery while re-engineering a manual accounting financial close process.
  • Reduced resource load by 75% and dramatically improved the accuracy via the development and implementation of automated accounting processes integrating Access, Excel, PeopleSoft, and Essbase.
  • Spearheaded multiple ad-hoc projects that included pricing and contract negotiation, performance measures, bonus payout forecasting, sales pipeline, and revenue forecasting.
Focus areas: Price Analysis, Design Consulting, Budgeting Consulting, Financial Modeling, FP&A

Co-founder and CEO/CFO

2001 - 2005
NightRiders
  • Founded and retired this startup that provided on-demand designated drivers who drove customers home in their cars.
  • Led the company from founding to 40+ employees in less than four years and managed the company’s growth, financials, investor relations, marketing, and training programs.
  • Raised more than $350,000 from local angel investors.
  • Negotiated sponsorship agreements with Coors Brewing Co. and Old Chicago and partnered with more than 100 Denver-area bars and restaurants to jointly promote NightRiders.
  • Recognized with multiple awards including National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) Corporate Leadership Award 2003, and the Innovation Quotient (IQ) Award—Boulder County Business Report 2005.
Focus areas: Innovation, Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, Trading, Marketing Design, Entrepreneurship, Investor Relations, Interim CFOs, Interim CEOs
2017 - 2017

Certificate in Space Studies

International Space University - Cork, Ireland

1999 - 2001

Bachelor's Degree in Economics

University of Colorado Boulder - Colorado Springs, CO, USA

SEPTEMBER 2012 - PRESENT

CFA Charterholder

CFA Institute

Finance

FP&A, Financial Modeling, Interim CFOs, Chartered Financial Analysis, Revenue Modeling, Price Analysis, Budgeting Consulting, Forecasting, P&L Forecasting, Seed Fundraising, Pricing Strategy, Fundraising, Stock Trading, Exchange-traded Funds (ETF), Feasibility, Startup Funding, M&A

Output Software

Microsoft Word, Excel Development, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Docs Development, Google Slides, Google Sheets Development

Industry Expertise

Aerospace & Defense

Geographic Expertise

United States, European Union (EU)

Data & Analysis Software

Microsoft Access Development, Tableau Development

Other

Excel Development, Interim CEOs, Co-founder, SaaS, NewSpace, Business Development, Business Strategy, Design Strategy, Business Planning, Recurring Revenue Modeling, Sales Analysis, Sales Compensation Structuring, Financial Forecasting, Portfolio Reporting, Client Presentations, Investor Relations, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Space Debris, In-space Manufacturing, Cost Modeling, Rolling Forecasts, Trend Forecasting, Training & Training Content Development, Investment Modeling, Workforce Management (WFM), Pricing Analysis, Investment Analysis, Portfolio Management, Training, Public Speaking, Presentations, Sales Forecast Management, Manufacturing, Trading, Stock Analysis, Quantitative Analysis, Quantitative Development, Investment Strategy, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Systematic Trading, Feasibility Studies, Interactive Dashboards, Business Proposal Writing, Database, Design Consulting, Marketing Design, Economics

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