Gillian is available for hire
Hire GillianGillian Li
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
San Francisco, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
November 28, 2017
Gillian has over ten years of experience in finance, with a strong focus on M&A, business strategy, and financial planning in the food and beverage and consumer goods industries. She has been involved in buy-side and sell-side transactions totaling over $6 billion. She enjoys working with a variety of clients from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, looking for strategic and transaction advice.
Career Highlights
Principal
Nest2 Advisory
Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
The Clorox Company
Corporate Development Manager
Constellation Brands
Education Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Venture Capital Executive Program
University of California - Berkeley
Master of Business Administration Degree
University of Rochester
Industry Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Principal
2017 - PRESENT
Nest2 Advisory
- Consultant with a focus on strategic planning, financial analysis and modeling, growth strategy, fund raising and exits. Examples of projects include:.
- Advised on the successful sale of a prominent wine company through phases of planning, diligence and contract negotiation;
- Advised a celebrity owned consumer start-up on financial planning, growth strategy and successful fund raising;
- Managed a restructuring project for an established consumer company impacting all areas of operations;
- Provided financial analyses, business valuations, and strategic reviews to numerous companies for purposes of understanding strategic options;
- Created a strategic planning tool for an international education nonprofit, enabling business model transition and fund raising;
- Developed a go-to-market strategy and resources for training and service delivery for a national accounting firm in a new practice area.
Focus areas: Investments, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Growth Strategy
Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
2016 - 2017
The Clorox Company
- Led and oversaw the financial planning processes for the Charcoal and Cat Litter businesses through quarterly and annual planning cycles. Delivered accurate financial forecasts and valuable insights on actual results.
- Led functional learning and training development initiatives, including revisions of more than 30 online learning modules and desktop help manuals and the development of new guides on difficult and function-specific topics.
- Coached and developed two direct reports. Conducted weekly coaching sessions and supported them with career exploring opportunities within the company. Both were subsequently promoted to new roles within short timeframes.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
Corporate Development Manager
2011 - 2015
Constellation Brands
- Owned end-to-end M&A process as a key member of a three-person team in charge of Identifying and pursuing strategic acquisitions and overall corporate strategy. Select closed transaction experience include the acquisition of a 50% interest in Ruffino, Mark West Wine acquisition, acquisition of 50% interest in Crown Imports and Brewery, China Joint Venture and Distribution agreement, Casa Noble Tequila acquisition, Glass Plant acquisition and Joint Venture, and Meiomi Wine acquisition.
- Owned complex valuation models for acquisition, Joint venture and divestiture opportunities.
- Managed cross-functional teams on projects involving business case formation, due diligence, and post-acquisition integration. Contributed significantly in deal negotiation and contracting.
- Led initiatives involving long-term strategic partnerships, owned business plans, acted as a key participant in partner selection and negotiation and managed external consultants.
- Led several long-term operations strategy projects involving big stake multi-year investment decisions on supply sourcing and production footprint expansion and consolidation.
- Reviewed vineyard acquisition analyses, asset rationalization, route to market strategy, and new business opportunities.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Consulting, Strategy, Corporate, Valuation, Business Development, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Negotiation, Due Diligence, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Financial Analyst
2009 - 2011
Forensic Economics
- Partnered with project Vice Presidents to provide support for expert witness testimonies on over 30 litigation cases in areas of M&A appraisals, public company securities litigation, and high profile insider trading cases.
- Prepared economic analysis and draft documents for expert witness testimonies.
- Conducted empirical studies and academic research in support of expert witness testimonies.
Focus areas: Forensics, Litigation Support, Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Consulting, Litigation
Audit & Internal Control Associate
2006 - 2008
Deloitte
- Led internal control assessments for various business processes for nine NYSE/NASDAQ listed companies; advised management on improvement plans which were later implemented.
- Performed detailed financial analysis and reviews for 13 local and multinational companies operating in manufacturing, power, trading, and restaurant industries and advised management of financial issues.
Focus areas: Management, Audits, External Financial Reporting, Internal Audits
Education
2014 - 2018
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in Finance
CFA Institute - Virginia
2015 - 2015
Venture Capital Executive Program in Venture Capital
University of California - Berkeley - Berkeley, CA
2008 - 2009
Master of Business Administration Degree in Finance
University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
2004 - 2007
Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting
Fudan University - Shanghai, China
2002 - 2006
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature
Fudan University - Shanghai, China