Graeme is available for hire
Hire GraemeGraeme Geoffrey Macdonald
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Toptal Member Since
April 10, 2020
Graeme is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in middle-market, high-growth private equity, and direct lending. While working with boutique investors, Graeme led transactions across Africa, Australia, the United States, and Europe, spanning the financial services, retail, manufacturing, and insurance sectors. As a freelancer, he leverages his experience to assist and advise management teams in achieving their goals.
Career Highlights
Finance Manager and Deal Support
Greenpoint Capital
Finance and Operations Manager
Imazi (Mauritius) Limited
Senior Consultant
CrossCountry Consulting
Education Highlights
Bachelor’s Degree with Honors
University of the Witwatersrand
Certification Highlights
Chartered Accountant
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Finance Manager and Deal Support
2017 - 2020
Greenpoint Capital
- Modeled investment scenarios to assess the transactions for suitability and subsequent preparation of investment memorandums for multiple debt lead transactions with a value of up to $15 million.
- Implemented formal investment valuation policies for three investment funds, incorporating IFRS 9.
- Created complex fund models for three debt-lead investment funds. Incorporated equity options linked to debt, preference shares, live share prices, complex tax, detailed investor reporting, live forecasting, and complex fee calculations.
- Prepared investment memorandums for presentation to the investment committee, seeking approval for transactions of up to $15 million.
- Designed and implemented a tax-efficient internal group structure. Approved the structuring of investments for tax efficiency.
- Created and maintained detailed rolling forecasts for multiple linked investment funds and group companies to enable the efficient management of the group. These forecasts were fully linked, allowing for rapid scenario analysis across the group.
- Designed and implemented a hybrid debt-equity fund in a rapid time frame. This fund incorporated a live share price allowing for capital gains to investors, leading to a highly complex yet robust model, allowing the fund's management.
- Prepared financial records in the form of a "closed" 3-statement operating model and a board report highlighting relevant areas on a monthly basis for three funds and two group companies.
Focus areas: Investment Committee Advisory, Board Reporting, Board of Directors, Budgeting, IFRS Financial Reporting, Due Diligence, Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Fund Management
Finance and Operations Manager
2015 - 2017
Imazi (Mauritius) Limited
- Worked alongside the board of directors, reporting directly to the director. My responsibilities included investment identification, valuation, negotiations, due diligence, and obtaining investment committee approval.
- Performed due diligence for targets in the United Kingdom, Zambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa, with responsibilities that included managing financial, tax, and legal diligence workstreams, as well as third-party diligence advisors.
- Performed detailed forecasting for potential acquisitions, most notably on a group-company competitor and three large insurers in Ghana, Zambia, and Mozambique.
- Performed valuations on target companies using various pricing methods, including earnings multiples, discounted cash flows, and comparable transactions. Was responsible for the investment committee's approval of investments.
- Participated in negotiations alongside the CEO and communicated the financial viewpoint with the stakeholders of potential acquisition prospects.
- Established the finance function for the Imazi group, responsible for managing foreign and local subsidiaries, joint ventures, forex accounting, associates, and cell captive arrangements.
- Prepared monthly management reporting packs, including financial statements, budgets, and commentary surrounding the group activities for monthly board presentations.
- Managed relations with investors and investees, the majority being corporate executives.
- Reviewed and drove reporting between subsidiary companies, insurance cell captives, and reinsurers.
- Managed and grew Imazi's relationship with international A-rated reinsurance providers, which required a measured approach while maintaining a transparent data flow.
Focus areas: Target Screening, Negotiation, Financial Accounting, Investor Relations, Management, Budgeting, Legal Structuring, Valuation, Business Strategy, Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis
Senior Consultant
2014 - 2014
CrossCountry Consulting
- Served as a senior consultant based in Washington DC at CrossCountry Consulting, which was involved in the provision of assurance services for a big four accounting firm in the United States that serviced NYSE and NASDAQ listed entities.
- Managed audit engagements for subsidiaries of companies listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ with minimal or no partner oversight.
- Reviewed and commented on trainee work to ensure the quality of the audit and provide on-the-job training to the trainees wherever possible.
- Assessed and reviewed compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley in multiple companies.
- Evaluated the accounting treatment of clients to ensure compliance with US GAAP, as well as for the correct conversion to IFRS.
- Managed multiple audit engagements simultaneously, incorporating the remote management of teams.
- Established engagement timelines and an automated workflow to ensure that teams managed against tight schedules during the busy season.
Focus areas: Management, Client Management, Team Management, SOX, US GAAP, External Audits
Auditor
2011 - 2013
Deloitte
- Obtained the competencies established by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
- Managed multiple audit engagements with teams ranging from three to 10 people.
- Interacted with client employees, including executives of multiple entities listed on the JSE and LSE. This client engagement required a highly professional manner and detailed knowledge of the topic at hand.
- Performed complex pricing, stock, and wastage analysis for intricate inventory systems for manufacturing entities.
- Audited acquisitions and disposals ranging from $1 million to $100+ million for publicly-traded accounting clients.
- Audited and re-constructed financial statement consolidations for listed multi-national entities, including a leading JSE-listed logistics group headquartered in South Africa.
- Reviewed and tested covenant compliance across a listed multi-national group with a highly complex capital structure.
- Assessed the application of IFRS and US GAAP terms within various companies domiciled in South Africa and the United States.
- Lectured and trained future employees of Deloitte on topics that included technical and soft skills.
Focus areas: Project Management, Planning, Team Management, IFRS Financial Reporting, External Audits
Education
2010 - 2010
Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Accountancy
University of the Witwatersrand - Johannesburg, South Africa
2006 - 2009
Bachelor's Degree in Accounting Science
University of the Witwatersrand - Johannesburg, South Africa
Certifications
APRIL 2021 - PRESENT
Deep Learning Specialization
Deeplearning.ai
SEPTEMBER 2020 - PRESENT
Machine Learning
Stanford University - Online
AUGUST 2020 - PRESENT
Financial Solutions Consultant
Syspro
DECEMBER 2013 - PRESENT
Chartered Accountant
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)