Jake is available for hire
Hire JakeJake LaJoie
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Atlanta, GA, United States
Toptal Member Since
August 7, 2020
Jake has a unique combination of private equity, investment banking, corporate finance, and operations experience. Over the course of his career, he has completed 16 principal investments totaling $480 million of equity and more than $15 billion of M&A and corporate finance transactions. He enjoys the excitement of freelance consulting because each engagement is different and intellectually stimulating.
Career Highlights
President and Managing Director
Panton Equity Partners
Chief Financial Officer
Shakey's USA, Inc.
Associate
Roark Capital Group
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Managing Member
2020 - PRESENT
Sileo Capital, LLC.
- Founded the firm and launched in March 2020. Recruited and assembled a team of private equity and operating professionals.
- Established a consulting practice that includes financial, strategic, and operational consulting across a wide array of industries.
- Negotiated the firm's first LOI leading to a $25 million capital raise to acquire a majority interest in an infrastructure construction services firm.
- Secured the firm's first consulting engagement advising a restaurant start-up on strategic and financial initiatives, including capital-raising structure and valuation.
Focus areas: Private Equity, Consulting
Partner
2016 - 2019
Corlex Capital, LLC.
- Structured and led the acquisition of a $3.0 million licensing agreement to franchise a 35-year old restaurant concept based in the Southeastern US.
- Led four restaurant consulting engagements that included strategic, operational, and financial advisory work with an average tenor of six months. Identified growth initiatives, operational inefficiencies, and opportunities.
- Sourced over 20 investment opportunities and led the firm's Investment committee judging the viability of over 75 potential transactions.
Focus areas: Investment Consulting, Investing
President and Managing Director
2012 - 2016
Panton Equity Partners
- Partnered with another private equity firm and sourced and led the acquisition of a $225 million infrastructure construction services firm.
- Completed all phases of an acquisition of a utility and construction services firm in a $16 million transaction including modeling and analytics, due diligence, transaction documentation, and sourcing, structuring, and negotiating debt capital.
- Involved in post-acquisition management of four platform investments (serving on the boards of each). Acted as liaison with investors and lenders. Sourced and led an accretive add-on acquisition for one of the platform companies.
- Led the sale of a utility and telecommunications construction firm that generated a 5.1x ROIC (235% IRR). Worked closely with the sell-side advisor to develop forecast projections, marketing materials, and participated in management presentations.
Chief Financial Officer
2009 - 2012
Shakey's USA, Inc.
- Directed finance and accounting operations for a 65-unit restaurant company with over 650 employees. Budgeting, forecasting, FP&A, accounting, managing business metrics, IT, procurement, tax, treasury, insurance, and all general accounting functions.
- Analyzed revenue composition that led to two new revenue streams; wholesale sale of product and delivery. Negotiated wholesale terms and developed pricing, cost, and IT strategy for delivery roll-out, including the online platform and profit matrix.
- Analyzed and worked with other members of senior management to rationalize overhead, reducing G&A margin by 170 basis points while growing system unit count and sales by 15% and 32%, respectively.
- Managed relationships with investors, including significant contributions to quarterly reports and annual shareholder meetings. Led annual financial audits. Provided all diligence materials to third-party valuation firm for annual equity valuation.
- Conceptualized and oversaw the development of a new prototype with an investment cost of 50% of the existing prototype, which became part of concept re-positioning and principal franchise growth vehicle.
Focus areas: Marketing, Human Resources (HR), IT, Operations, Accounting, Financial Analysis
Vice President
2007 - 2009
Argonne Capital Group, LLC.
- Sourced and closed a family-owned restaurant franchisor with $30 million of system sales. Led analysis, due diligence, and post-acquisition management. Assisted in raising debt and equity. Served as interim CFO—hired permanent management.
- Performed transaction analysis and executed an acquisition of a 143-unit restaurant chain. Sourced and negotiated debt financing. Assisted in audit, tax, legal, and environmental due diligence.
- Served as a member of the board of advisors for two portfolio companies.
Focus areas: Investing, Principal
Associate
2003 - 2007
Roark Capital Group
- Served as a part of the investment team that raised the largest, first-time fund in the Southeast ($415 million of equity commitments).
- Developed all aspects of and presented investment memoranda for committee approval of over $175 million in equity capital. Made recommendations on hundreds of investment opportunities.
- Secured debt capital commitments and negotiated documents for a $30 million revolving line of credit, $100 million warehouse facility, and a $15 million working capital line for portfolio company.
- Served as a member of the board of directors for a specialty finance portfolio company.
Analyst
2002 - 2003
MapleWood Partners
- Analyzed and modeled four add-on acquisitions for a $250 million auto parts wholesaling company.
- Modeled and structured transactions in the restaurant, consumer goods, packaging, and distribution industries.
- Sourced potential investment opportunities through networking with intermediaries and corporate executives.
Focus areas: Private Equity
Associate
1998 - 2002
Bank of America
- Promoted from analyst to senior analyst, then one of only two senior analysts promoted to associate.
- Developed corporate finance solutions for clients including a $650 million privatization of a packaging company resulting in an LBO of the company.
- Built projection models to assess viability of long-term financial plans, historical performance trends, and capital structure.
- Prepared and delivered presentations offering in-depth company, industry, capital, and advisory market analyses.
- Performed transaction and trading comparable analyses to validate purchase or sale multiples for M&A transactions.
- Developed accretion/dilution models to check sensitivities of offering prices, deal structure, and potential interlopers.
- Conducted credit analysis, portfolio management, and wrote internal approval memoranda for a portfolio comprised of ten companies in six different industries.
- Completed analyst training program with a specific focus on credit products and highly leveraged transactions.
Focus areas: Debt, Credit Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Education
1995 - 1997
Bachelor of Science Degree (Cum Laude) in Finance
University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida, USA
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