James is available for hire
Hire JamesJames Yang
Verified Expert in Finance
FP&A Expert
Location
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
September 16, 2016
James is a seasoned finance professional with broad experience in pricing and strategic analysis, FP&A, investment banking, and investment management. He is the CFO of AT&T Southern California. Previously, he was the lead finance partner for a $100+ million global capital project at Capital Group. James joined the Toptal network to work on challenging projects with talented people.
Career Highlights
Financial Strategist
Capital Group
Senior Director of Finance
Spark Networks
Education Highlights
MBA
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
BBA
Emory University
Certification Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
CFO of Southern California
2017 - PRESENT
AT&T
- Oversaw a portfolio of ~10 million subscribers in postpaid, prepaid, video, and broadband, and manage 350 stores in Southern California–the largest of 18 markets at AT&T—generating $3.6+ billion in the annual wireless service revenue.
- Saw the share of gross ads (SOGA) climb from third place to first place during my tenure while growing market share and being port positive to both Verizon and T-Mobile.
- Performed rigorous analysis on network spend ($500+ million per annum) to generate the highest return on invested capital by increasing subscribers and penetration rates in both wireless and fiber.
- Optimized staffing for 1,500+ in-store FTEs to reduce wait times and increase productivity per selling FTE from 45 to 55.
- Partnered closely with various product teams and business units across AT&T to drive growth and reduce churn.
- Bolstered performance through monthly reporting packages and weekly outlier calls with staff, addressing not only tonnage but also the quality of sales.
- Built in-depth battle plans and presented them to senior executives semi-annually.
Focus areas: LTV, Forecasting, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Price Analysis, CFO, Market Research, Strategy, Microsoft Excel, Business Planning, Data Centers, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Strategy, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Fundraising, Energy Storage, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Financial Strategist
2016 - 2017
Capital Group
- Created optimal pricing and cost models for American Funds Service Company, affecting millions of accounts responsible for generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue while minimizing impact to thousands of FTEs and fund expense ratios.
- Built a robust, complex model that runs scenario analysis for Project Falcon, a $100+ million company-wide fixed income project involving hundreds of people across IT and investment operations, saving the project team 400+ hours.
- Conducted an in-depth pricing strategy analysis for retirement plan services and implemented a comprehensive pricing change to increase the contribution margin by double digits within two years.
- Completed an in-depth cost study across five legal entities for strategic sourcing and procurement that is responsible for managing and influencing over $1 billion in annual third-party spend across Capital Group.
- Implemented a new global policy for identifying at-risk vendors and managed a team of five analysts to oversee all the financial assessments conducted by Global Finance (~3-5 per month).
Focus areas: Strategy, Price Analysis, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Budgeting, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Business Planning, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Strategy, Procurement, Fundraising, Fund Accounting & Administration, Fund Management, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Investments
Senior Director of Finance
2015 - 2016
Spark Networks
- Led the development of the company’s 2016 annual plan, supporting business leaders with analytics and insight to help define financial operating priorities.
- Built a five-year lender model and secured a new, more favorable $10 million credit facility than with the prior lender.
- Conducted due diligence and provided financial modeling and analysis for new initiatives and acquisitions. Acquired Smooch Labs, owner of JSwipe, for $7 million and successfully integrated the company’s financials.
- Spearheaded FP&A efforts at a global public company, owner and operator of ChristianMingle and JDate.
- Contributed key elements as the finance partner responsible for strategic and operations planning, investment planning, forecasting, insightful analysis, and timely reporting.
- Re-engineered company-wide planning processes to significantly improve forecasting accuracy and accountability.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, Price Analysis, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Senior Associate
2014 - 2015
Duff & Phelps, LLC
- Developed and communicated complex financial analysis through fairness opinions, solvency opinions, and other valuations to guide decision makers in corporate finance transactions.
- Created presentations summarizing the analysis and conclusions supporting the opinion being provided to the client.
- Performed company, industry, market, and competitor research and due diligence.
- Mentored, managed, and developed staff, including analysts and associates.
Focus areas: Transaction Structuring, Forecasting, Budgeting, Price Analysis, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Project Finance, Revenue & Expense Projections, Education Technology (Edtech), Private Equity, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Investments
Investment Associate
2012 - 2014
Sirius Partners, L.P.
- Supported the CIO and founder by analyzing equity and credit investments across sectors with a small to mid-cap and special situations emphasis.
- Created financial models and evaluated companies based on asset quality, normalized earnings, and free cash flow generation informed through proprietary industry research and frequent management interactions.
- Recommended and monitored portfolio positions that included CPG companies, REITs, pharmaceutical companies, payment service providers, etc., to senior partners on a weekly basis, resulting in a 61% return in 2013.
- Conducted industry and company competitive analysis and extensive third-party research with suppliers, customers, and competitors to identify attractive investment opportunities across assets globally.
- Developed and maintained new and existing analytical tools used for performance and portfolio analysis.
Focus areas: Distressed/Special Situations, Small Caps, Credit Investing, Equity Investment, Budgeting, Price Analysis, CFO, Equity Research, Microsoft Excel, Fund Accounting & Administration, Fund Management, Education Technology (Edtech), Private Equity, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Investments
Research Analyst Intern
2011 - 2011
Nuveen Asset Management
- Performed fundamental credit analysis on bond issues and sectors, and presented recommendations to senior research analysts and portfolio managers on a credit and price (spread) basis.
- Analyzed financial statements, collateral, structure, competitive and industry trends, and security provisions for new issues, and surveilled and updated information for current holdings.
- Interviewed all NAM business line managers in Chicago and Minneapolis to identify specific needs and processes, and implemented changes to NAM’s firm-wide business continuity plan.
Focus areas: Credit Analysis, Forecasting, Equity Research, Fund Accounting & Administration, Fund Management, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Investments
Education
2010 - 2012
MBA in Finance, Accounting, and Economics
University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Chicago, IL
2003 - 2006
BBA in Finance
Emory University - Atlanta, GA
Certifications
APRIL 2013 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Collaboration That Works
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