George is available for hire
Hire GeorgeGeorge Gregory Sharp, CFA
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
December 13, 2017
George is a seasoned CFO with 22+ years of finance and banking experience, enabling rapid business growth for companies in e-mobility/EV charging, cleantech, blue tech, renewables, and technology (hardware and software). He helps clients with corporate finance, complex financial modeling and budget forecasting, capital raising, and M&A for growth, as well as turnarounds.
Career Highlights
Interim CFO
Zeem Solutions
CFO
Ford Pro Charging
CFO
Yva companies
Education Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA)
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Case Studies
Industry Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Consulting CFO
2015 - PRESENT
Eques Finance
- Served as the CFO for e-Mobility/EV charging, cleantech, BESS, and renewable energy companies. Advise on strategy, manage financial operations, and support fundraising.
- Advised an EVSE manufacturer and developed GTM, prepared financial strategy, long-range projections, and operating budget, including working capital management, and supported fundraising.
- Advised a US-based smart-grid and battery storage company on GTM, developed a financial strategy, and helped to prepare the company for acquisition by a strategic buyer.
- Advised an Australia-based company in virtual power plants (VPP) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for home and commercial solar on GTM, financial strategy, funding, and partnerships.
- Consulted the top autonomous driving company on fleet electrification, financing, and partnerships.
- Structured the transaction and built a cross-border acquisition model for a multibillion-dollar public domestic energy company (target). The buyer has engaged the target, and a deal is pending.
- Developed a leveraged acquisition model for a $100 million servicing company (target), resulting in its acquisition.
- Developed a sales projection and 5-year budget (three financial statements) for a SaaS company, resulting in Series A funding.
- Prepared a full operating model for a technology hardware company with a global supply chain, which enabled the fundraising process and resulted in VC funding.
Focus areas: Valuation, Risk Management, Project Finance, P&L Forecasting, Monte Carlo Simulations, Market Research, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Industry Analysis, Financial Statements, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Cash Flow Forecasting, Capital Structuring, Business Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Budgeting, Controls, Corporate Finance
Interim CFO
2023 - 2024
Zeem Solutions
- Advised the CEO and C-suite on Fleet/Depot-as-a-Service GTM strategy, corporate development, financial planning, and equity and debt funding, including vehicle lease financing, grants, subsidies, and Title 17 program.
- Prepared a strategic roadmap and long-range financial plan for opening 14 new depots in major transportation hubs nationwide.
- Developed a comprehensive corporate financial model to support decision-making and fundraising.
- Created a new pricing model reflecting all subsidies and incentives available for various locations.
- Prepared a financial plan for mobile batteries and stationary BESS to augment existing charging infrastructure and reduce charging costs.
- Evaluated business electric vehicle (BEV) financing options, including incentives and engaged lease financing firms.
- Prepared an investor deck with narrative and quantitative analysis and enabled Series C fundraising; engaged potential equity investors.
- Initiated and worked on the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program (DOE) loan application; interacted with governmental officials, consultants, and bankers.
Focus areas: Business Strategy, Forecasting, Budgeting, Corporate Development, Fundraising, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Grants, Debt Financing
CFO
2021 - 2022
Ford Pro Charging
- Served as a business partner to the executive team and board of directors and worked closely with and supported business teams to enable and drive business growth.
- Developed a strategic roadmap for managed charging business, including power utility services for a bidirectional charge, peak shaving, and demand management and load forecasting.
- Introduced the 2022 Global Budget to grow business in NA and EU, secured funding from Ford's Treasury, and implemented capital allocation controls for operating expenses and capital investments.
- Evaluated the economics of mobile batteries in charging and developed a financial plan and profitability analysis.
- Prepared a revenue sharing and cost allocation framework, including intercompany transactions, bundling of services and products, and internal profit margin requirements.
- Built strong FP&A capabilities, established robust monthly reporting cadence, introduced financial and operating metrics, and partnered with IT to implement executive and financial dashboards.
Focus areas: Business Strategy, SOX Compliance, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Fractional CFO
2021 - 2021
R.F. MacDonald Co.
- Facilitated and managed the generational transition in a family-owned business with $100+ million in sales and 250+ employees in nine offices.
- Managed the areas of financial operations, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), budgeting, compliance, risk management, HR, IT, and legal.
- Collaborated with regional general managers at nine offices in California and Nevada on FP&A and business analytics to provide actionable business insights for local management and the executive team.
- Controlled capital investments and operating expenses, as well as compensation, benefits, and hiring.
- Negotiated contracts with major clients and managed relationships with banks, partners, and vendors.
Focus areas: Business Strategy, Operational Finance, Accounting, Debt Financing, CFO, Technology
CFO
2019 - 2020
Yva companies
- Raised and closed a $5.5 million funding round; negotiated terms and conditions, prepared the company for due diligence and audit, managed the data room, answered investor questions, and worked on legal documents.
- Oversaw all financial operations of the company including FP&A, budgeting, reporting, KPI dashboard, investor relations, risk management, compliance, legal, HR, and compensation.
- Achieved $350,000 in incremental annual cash savings by using R&D tax credits and introducing treasury management practices.
- Built a new budget model incorporating four business entities in three countries, different business segments, different tax regimes, aggregation into a global P&L, variance analysis, and reports.
- Worked closely with the sales team on major accounts management, partnerships, profitability evaluation of marketing campaigns, pipeline management, and revenue forecasting.
- Managed five team members directly under a Matrix structure and introduced a professional development plan for each.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Fundraising, SaaS, Operations Analytics, Governance, Legal, Compliance, Controls, Budgeting, Risk Management, Strategy, Finance, CFO
Chief Investment Officer | Chief Financial Officer
2016 - 2018
PONO Capital
- Developed an investment strategy for a new $1 billion fund sponsored by Japanese institutional investors focused on power utility investments in the US, driven by EV adoption and grid modernization.
- Structured M&A transactions up to $6 billion for cross-border acquisitions of US publicly traded utilities.
- Modeled assets spin-offs of up to $1.8 billion and assets divesture of up to $700 million for utilities, including analysis and modeling for asset step-up and tax consequences.
- Analyzed investments up to $500 million into smart grid technologies, including energy storage (BESS) and EV charging.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Investments, Clean Energy, Energy Storage, Electric Vehicles, Energy Utilities
Vice President
2010 - 2015
Citibank
- Structured the $450 million debt financing for a private multinational company with more than $1 billion in sales.
- Modeled and structured a $650 million syndicated debt financing for a domestic public consumer company.
- Analyzed and structured four M&A transactions for acquisitions of private companies operating in the service, retail, and energy industries with up to $100 million in value.
- Performed a business analysis by assessing the corporate strategy and competitiveness, researching industry dynamics and cycles, identifying the value creation mechanisms, and reviewing the regulatory landscape.
- Evaluated the earnings quality and operating cash flow sustainability based on GAAP and IFRS financial reports, assessed the reporting quality, and rebuilt the statements to identify misclassifications and irregularities.
- Prepared the balance sheet and the income and cash flow statements to forecast future cash flow for public and private companies in the industrials, service, energy, consumer goods, and technology sectors with $200 million to $2 billion in revenue.
- Valued companies using discounted cash flow, comparable company, acquisition precedents, and sum-of-the-parts analyses.
Focus areas: Valuation, Transaction Structuring, Risk Management, Project Finance, P&L Forecasting, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research, Lending, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Industry Analysis, Financial Statements, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Debt Structuring, Credit Risk, Cash Flow Forecasting, Capital Structuring, Capital Markets, Business Strategy
Risk Management Consultant
2005 - 2007
Experian Decision Analytics
- Consulted banks on portfolio risk management and helped clients prevent a combined total of $350 million in potential losses.
- Modeled the portfolio performance and risks using Monte Carlo simulation which consisted of developing risk management frameworks and decision analytics processes.
Focus areas: Valuation, Risk Management, Quantitative Analysis, Portfolio Analysis, Monte Carlo Simulations, Lending, Investment Portfolio Management, Investment Analysis, Due Diligence, Credit Risk, Business Strategy
Project Finance Manager
2004 - 2005
Rosan Finance
- Organized and managed three $3-6 million debt financing transactions for infrastructure projects in telecommunications and transportation; was involved in all parts of the process from the preparation of the initial investment proposal to the closing financing with banking syndicate.
- Built project financing models and performed financial analysis for debt repayment and profitability; forecasted the cash flow and identified the default risk.
Focus areas: Valuation, Transaction Structuring, Risk Management, Project Finance, P&L Forecasting, Market Research, Investment Analysis, Industry Analysis, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Credit Risk, Cash Flow Forecasting, Capital Structuring, Capital Markets
Financial Analyst
2003 - 2004
Bank Elektronika
- Analyzed the financial statements of companies in the construction, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors and performed due diligence on them. Prepared projections for the companies’ ability to service debt.
- Monitored the performance of the portfolio companies and adjusted the risk ratings based on the qualitative assessment and quantitative analysis.
- Assessed credit risks and monitored the covenant compliance of the portfolio companies.
Focus areas: Transaction Structuring, Risk Management, Portfolio Analysis, P&L Forecasting, Market Research, Lending, Investment Portfolio Management, Investment Analysis, Industry Analysis, Financial Statements, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Debt Structuring, Credit Risk, Cash Flow Forecasting, Capital Structuring, Capital Markets, Business Strategy
Education
2015 - 2017
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in Finance
CFA Institute - Charlottesville, VA, USA
2008 - 2010
Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) in Finance
Darden School of Business, University of Virginia - Charlottesville, VA, USA
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