John K. Griffin, Finance Expert in Washington, DC, United States
John is available for hire
Hire John

John K. Griffin

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
Washington, DC, United States
Toptal Member Since
December 5, 2022

John is a talented financial professional with vast and unique experience. His 15-year career includes positions of significant responsibility on Wall Street and providing in-house financial expertise at a large government organization. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, a PhD in financial economics, and a CFA designation. Passion for solving challenging financial issues and a desire to help clients through impactful work led John to join Toptal.

Excel ExpertEconomicsChartered Financial Analyst (CFA)Financial ModelingFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Portfolio Performance Modeling

Career Highlights

Financial Analyst
United States Government
Senior Equity Analyst
Nomura Asset Management

Education Highlights

Doctorate
Fordham University
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor's Degree
Colby College

Certification Highlights

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute

Case Studies

Work Experience

Financial Analyst

2016 - PRESENT
United States Government
  • Provided in-house financial expertise for a large organization as a highly valued and sought-out resource by key decision-makers.
  • Established the organization's position on vital financial questions in large and complex matters, authored memos, and presented in-person arguments that shaped impactful decisions and actions.
  • Employed various financial and economic techniques, analyses, and methods in a fast-moving and high-pressure environment.
Focus areas: Finance, Excel Expert, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Risk

Industry Economist

2014 - 2016
U.S. Department of Defense
  • Served as lead analyst for many strategic and critical materials, including basic materials and specialized downstream applications.
  • Initiated, managed, and supervised research projects. Identified potential defense vulnerabilities related to supply issues in a national emergency or conflict scenario.
  • Designed economic models to address new concerns or improve upon legacy methods.
  • Created qualitative and quantitative assessments of industries and product segments. Evaluated and projected factors relating to potential supply shortfalls.
  • Supervised research teams consisting of contractors and DoD researchers.
  • Developed and justified recommendations to Congress to purchase and sell materials for the National Defense Stockpile.
Focus areas: Supply Chain, Risk

Senior Equity Analyst

2007 - 2009
Nomura Asset Management
  • Led a small team as a senior analyst in North American and European consumer staples equities. Coverage included retail, food, beverage, personal care, household, and tobacco.
  • Provided in-house expertise as the go-to resource in my subject area within one of the world's largest financial services companies.
  • Collaborated on decisions for global equity portfolios with more than $10 billion in assets.
  • Interviewed C-level managers of Fortune 500 companies, implemented sophisticated DCF models, authored reports to internal managers, and led internal meetings to present investment conclusions and supporting arguments.
Focus areas: Investing, Financial Modeling, Investment Committee Advisory, Investments, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Portfolio Management, Portfolio Analysis, Risk, Equity Investment

Equity Analyst

2000 - 2006
Wedge Capital Management
  • Served as an analyst on one of the country's largest institutional small-caps portfolios. During tenure, the fund outperformed relevant benchmarks and competitors in five out of six years.
  • Completed purchase and sale recommendations that consistently outperformed coverage universe and provided written and oral presentations to portfolio manager and investment committee.
  • Interviewed executive management to determine strategy, focus, and shareholder orientation.
  • Generated alpha for clients and recommendations outperformed relevant benchmarks in five out of six years.
Focus areas: Value Investing, Investment Memoranda, Investments, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Portfolio Management, Portfolio Analysis, Risk, Equity Investment

Research Associate

1997 - 1998
Credit Suisse
  • Performed statistical research on trade and budget deficits, interest rates, mutual fund flows, and other relevant topics for weekly reports to clients.
  • Advised industry analysts and clients on relationships between macroeconomic variables and the U.S. equity markets.
  • Assisted the US Economist on one of the largest financial institutions worldwide.
Focus areas: Economics
2011 - 2016

Doctorate in Economics

Fordham University - New York, NY, USA

1999 - 2000

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA, USA

1991 - 1995

Bachelor's Degree in Economics

Colby College - Waterville, ME, USA

SEPTEMBER 2001 - PRESENT

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

CFA Institute

Collaboration That Works

How to Work with Toptal

Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.

1

Share your needs

Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2

Choose your talent

Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3

Start your risk-free talent trial

Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.

Top talent is in high demand.

Start hiring