John Larsen
Verified Expert in Finance
Management Consulting Expert
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Toptal member since March 21, 2022
John is a pioneer and builder. He loves to identify, validate, and launch new business opportunities. At Ford, he helped create a new segment in China, convert the F-150 to aluminum, and identify two all-new products. He directed JV relations and the acquisition of a $1 billion assembly plant. He initiated and implemented a new mobility business unit. John has worked with High Alpha to launch two companies and founded two tech SaaS businesses: Weave Workforce and Vellum Wellness Inc.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Founder and CEO
Vellum Wellness, Inc.
- Established an enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) business, equipping frontline managers to engage employees in meaningful and consistent ways.
- Developed a clinically validated approach for employee check-ins and an AI-based coaching engine to deliver an 8.3ppt increase in leader satisfaction.
- Generated an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $175,000.
- Secured $2 million of seed funding. Acquisition in progress.
CEO and Co-founder
Weave Workforce
- Established an enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, helping service businesses reduce operating costs while improving customer experience.
- Introduced a full-fledged employee scheduling solution, achieving a labor cost reduction of 14% for clients by leveraging cutting-edge machine learning algorithms.
- Acquired an initial cohort of customers, generating annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $250,000.
- Achieved targeted business growth by developing a sales pipeline of >$2 million.
Strategy Director
Ford Motor Company
- Managed a billion-dollar portfolio of mobility businesses, products, and services; drove strategic choices and resource allocation with internal consulting studies.
- Led market entry strategies for mobility orchestration, ride hailing, and urban air mobility, leading to authorization of three projects for incubation.
- Accelerated implementation of digital vehicle services with agile development principles; facilitated user experience-driven prioritization of a $100 million+ digital vehicle services budget across 20+ product suite teams.
Director of Mobility Businesses
Ford Motor Company
- Assembled a high-performing exploration team of 40+ people and seeded future growth through breakthrough business models and partnerships; budget ownership of over $20 million.
- Secured an agreement to become a founding member of Apollo, an advisory group for Baidu’s autonomous driving platform.
- Cultivated a partnership opportunity with a major Chinese mobility player for joint development of an autonomous vehicle ride hailing business to provide >200,000 rides per day and IRR >20%.
- Piloted an on-demand shuttle service, attracting 600 riders and 170 daily orders in the first six weeks of operation.
Business Strategy Director
Ford Motor Company
- Accomplished a $1.1B acquisition of an assembly plant, including government incentive negotiation, manufacturing transition plan, environmental impact assessment, and employee transfer plans.
- Delivered a business case for local production of Lincoln vehicles yielding a net profit impact of hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Developed China's mobility strategy, touted as a global benchmark and fast-tracked for independent local implementation.
Education
Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Brigham Young University - Provo, Utah, USA
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
Brigham Young University - Provo, Utah, USA
Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Brigham Young University - Provo, UT
Skills
Finance
Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Research, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Cash Flow, Fundraising
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint
Geographic Expertise
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
Other
Strategy, New Product Business Cases, Business Validation, New Products, Portfolio Management, Leadership, Communication, Partnerships, Analytical Thinking, Business Cases, Strategic Planning, Business Strategy, Startups, Market Research & Analysis, Data Visualization, Management Consulting, Business Models, Investor Presentations, Pitch Decks, Product Development, New Product Development, Lean Startups, Market Fit, Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Product Management, Business Modeling, Lean Canvas, Marketing Strategy, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Marketing Plans, Domo, Machine Learning, Engineering, Asset Acquisition, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Circular Economy, Competitive Analysis
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