John Lee
Verified Expert in Finance
Management Consulting Expert
Cascais, Portugal
Toptal member since February 4, 2020
John is a highly commercial, entrepreneurial, culturally intelligent leader who speaks six languages. His proudest achievement was founding his own travel technology startup, CultureMee, which won global awards in business and leisure travel. He is also proud to have led a Europe-wide, cross-functional supply chain project, which drove a €40 million reduction in working capital in CRH Plc, one of the largest construction companies in the world.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
CEO
The Work From Anywhere Team
- Negotiated a global partnership with Mercer, one of the largest global HR consultancies in the world, and onboarded a number of Fortune 500 clients.
- Built a brand from scratch, now recognized globally in the remote workspace, and has already been featured by global publications, such as The Economist with the article "Why Europe is a Great Place for Digital Nomads."
- Acted as a product owner for the tech stack, including identifying core tech architecture, APIs, and the right development partners.
- Led investment round with angels including raising an $80k SAFE.
- Developed our custom algorithm and enterprise SaaS tool to help companies identify how to hire or work from anywhere compliantly.
Business and Finance Strategy Consultant
Toptal Clients
- Worked with 40+ clients on various projects, from business consulting to financial advisory and executive coaching across 15+ countries.
- Transformed the finance department of a high-growth meal-kit business in Dubai from a backward-looking with a transactional focus to a forward-looking, commercial, and relationship-orientated one with a much broader cross-functional focus.
- Involved in a wide range of industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, technology, eCommerce, SaaS, fintech, and crypto.
- Transformed the finance department of a cryptocurrency platform in Europe, including rebuilding the finance model with token disposals from the ground up, building a highly sophisticated share options model, and selecting a new ERP platform.
Chief Operating Officer
CultureMee
- Created an award-winning technology platform that was one of the only travel startups to have won global awards in leisure and business travel.
- Built fully integrated financial and company valuation models for internal projections and external fundraising efforts, including a three-statement operating model.
- Actively built and executed own B2B sales funnel with large global corporates in Europe, the US, and South America.
- Managed all aspects of finance, tax, and legal from the day-to-day operations to the more strategic investor presentation decks.
- Successfully negotiated three global partnerships in Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK.
- Developed own proprietary organizational culture model to visualize and communicate the company culture, which was then used to hire and successfully onboard new employees.
- Advised a number of global startups in the travel industry on their fundraising strategies.
Group Controller
CRH Europe Distribution
- Served as the direct reporting line to €4.0 billion division CEO, playing key interface between business units and PLC. This division operated across six countries servicing wholesale B2B and retail B2C markets.
- Presented monthly results and key performance drivers to the divisional executive board, including M&A pipeline and post-acquisition M&A review. Actively reviewed a number of large-scale M&A deals.
- Handled all investor relations matters for the division including proactively anticipating investor needs and actively shaping external messaging for the division.
- Led a cross-functional project in the general merchants' business in Switzerland to implement a best practice branch operations framework including best-in-class branch dashboards for branch managers and the retraining of 400+ employees.
- Assisted the DIY business with the preparation of a six-month rigorous strategic review, including detailed performance initiatives to help drive a return to peak performance.
- Co-led a divisional KPI project for operating companies from development to implementation stages.
- Co-led a project to implement quarterly branch reporting KPIs across a network of 700+ branches.
- Served in a business challenger role for the development of strategic roadmaps to peak performance.
- Implemented process improvements to professionalize capital expenditure, idle assets, and forecasting processes.
- Represented the financial voice of the division in review meetings with the PLC group finance team.
Country Group Controller
CRH Europe Products & Distribution
- Supported the €2.0 billion division CEO and various country CEOs in a matrix organization. I was responsible for a division cluster of three platforms in three countries with a concrete manufacturing footprint with sales of over €0.8 billion.
- Led Europe-wide cross-functional working capital project that led to a €40+ million reduction in working capital across the division, including creating urgency, TWC self-assessment tools, encouraging competition, and focusing on poor performers.
- Led a post-acquisition M&A review which resulted in a €0.4 billion impairment for the division (Europe products).
- Reviewed valuation models and helped with post-acquisition integration for a mid-size manufacturing acquisition in Belgium.
- Worked with Benelux CEO and McKinsey as part of a strategic review within a broader divisional portfolio review.
- Represented the financial voice of the division in review meetings with the divisional CEO.
- Assisted the operating company and country management with major capital expenditure and restructuring proposals with cross-functional input from plant managers, sales directors, and operating company CEOs.
- Provided hands-on support to company finance directors and controllers, for example, helping with root cause analysis or coaching around the numbers).
Product Group Controller
CRH Europe Products & Distribution
- Supported a €2.0 billion divisional CEO of three concrete platforms (landscaping, civil, and structural) with a manufacturing platform of €1+ billion in sales operating across 11 countries.
- Represented the financial voice of the division in review meetings with the divisional CEO.
- Participated in the change management team for the 2012 finance reorganization which resulted in the removal of a finance layer in the division and significant changes to the role of finance in Europe.
- Supported the divisional CFO with monthly results reviews, investor briefing notes, presentations, and memos to the group CEO and the rollout of division-wide cost savings initiatives.
- Developed and implemented financial models to bring the best in group forecasting to the division.
Product Group Financial Controller
CRH Europe Concrete
- Supported the €1.2 billion product group CFO which consisted of three concrete platforms operating across 12 countries in Europe.
- Performed monthly reviews of financials, including product group management commentary preparation.
- Identified measures to turn around underperformers.
- Assisted companies through a group reporting chart of accounts conversion.
- Led strategic risk and opportunity workshops with senior management in different countries.
CRH Internal Audit
CRH Internal Audit
- Presented update meetings and report findings to management in French, English, and German.
- Conducted several operational audits noting operational best practices that I actively made use of later in my career.
- Carried out financial audits of operations across Europe.
- Assisted the group head of internal audits with group risk modeling and reporting.
- Conducted other audit types, e.g., IT audits, UK bribery act audits, etc.
Senior Auditor
Deloitte & Touche
- Collaborated with the corporate restructuring team for one of Ireland’s largest receivership, Newcourt, PLC.
- Served key audit clients, including CRH, Toyota Ireland, and Dunnes Stores.
- Prepared external financial statements for clients across multiple industries.
- Undertook numerous external audits of financial statements from different companies.
- Managed a number of small onsite audit teams during this time.
Education
Master's Degree in Accountancy
Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business - Dublin, Ireland
Bachelor of Commerce (International with German) Degree in International Business
University College Dublin - Dublin, Ireland
Certifications
Diploma in Artificial Intelligence
Growth Tribe Academy
Diploma in IFRS (Distinction)
Chartered Accountants Ireland
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants Ireland
Scholarship to Masters Program
Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business
Scholarship to Degree Program
University College Dublin
Skills
Finance
Trade Finance, Taxation, Financial Accounting, Cash Flow Modeling, Cash Flow, Projected Cash Flow, Risk, Control Audits, Data Analysis, Three-statement Modeling, Risk Models, Working Capital Management, Forecasting, Cost Reduction & Optimization (Cost-down), Cross-border M&A, Controller, Budgeting, Cash Flow Forecasting, P&L Forecasting, Performance Reports, Pricing Strategy, Finance Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Internal Audits, Management Accounting, Audit Management, External Financial Reporting, Financial Consolidation, Accounting, Big 4 Accounting, Financial Asset Impairment Models, Portfolio Analysis, Market Research, FX Risk Analysis, IFRS Adjustments, UK GAAP, Financial Modeling, Valuation, Valuation Modeling, Financial Model Auditing, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Restructuring, Financial Systems, CFO, M&A Reporting, M&A Modeling, M&A (Buy-side), Capital Investment Appraisals, Financial Management, Due Diligence, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Revenue & Expense Projections, Financial Reporting, Internal Financial Reporting, 13-week Cash Flow, International Taxation, Tax Compliance, Chartered Accountant (CA), Free Cash Flow (FCF), Cost-benefit Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Capital Budgeting, Growth Capital Raising, Acquisition Accounting, Startup Funding, Seed Fundraising, M&A (Sell-side), M&A Earn-out Agreements, Fundraising, Capital Raising, Credit Risk, Asset-based Finance, Crowdfunding, Operational Finance, International Finance, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Angel/Seed Funding
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Sheets, IFRS 3
Data & Analysis Software
Intuit QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Tableau
Industry Expertise
Building Materials, Building & Construction, Logistics, Construction, Retail & Wholesale, Global Economics, Health & Wellness, Small Business, Industrial & Manufacturing, Financial Services, CMT, Technology, Travel & Leisure, Institutional Investors, Sales & Marketing, Early-stage Startups, Startup Accelerators, Entertainment & Leisure, Hospitality, Venture Capital, Healthcare, Asset Management, Macroeconomics
Geographic Expertise
Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, United States, Thailand, Austria, Spain, Italy, Finland, Portugal, India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Middle East, China, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Denmark, Colombia, Greece, Estonia, Pakistan, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan
Other
Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Partnerships, Data Analytics, Virtual CFO, Finance, Financing, Database Research, Database Design, Public Speaking, Board Decks, Board Reporting, Cash Flow Analysis, Budget Management, Control & Cost Analysis, Corporate Restructuring, Operational Risk Management, Management Consulting, SWOT Analysis, Close Procedures, Supply Chain Optimization, Distribution, Warehouse Operations, Supply Chain, Business Modeling, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Business Planning, Operations, Team Leadership, Cash Flow Management, SaaS, Market Research Analyst, Market Sizing, Pitch Deck Consultant, Market Segmentation, Interim CFO, CAPEX Budgeting & Inventory Management, Travel, Culture Development, Cross-cultural Management, Cross-cultural Communication, Cross-functional, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Cross-border Projects, Investor Relations, Investor Presentations, Turnaround, Turnaround Management, Large-scale Turnaround & Transformation, Cost Control, Controllership, Financial Controlling, Controlling, Corporate Controller, CAPEX, Budget Modeling, Annual Budgets, Rolling Forecasts, Macroeconomic Forecasting, Trend Forecasting, Performance Analysis, Performance Optimization, Key Performance Metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Strategy, Global Strategy, Strategy Planning, Growth Strategy, Business Strategy, Global, Global Business, Global Operations, Manufacturing Productivity Improvement, Divestitures, Acquisition Analysis, Internal Control, Internal Control Evaluation, Internal Audit Function, Change Management, Change Leadership, Leadership, Leadership Development, Transformational Leadership, Finance Reports, Risk Management, Sales Forecast Management, Audits, External Audits, IFRS Consolidation, Scenario Analysis, Executive Coaching, Portfolio Management, Portfolio Optimization, Macro Driver Analysis, Board Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Presentations, Financial Presentations, Presentation Design, Client Presentations, Executive Presentations, Market Research & Analysis, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Group Reporting IFRS, German-English Translation, French-English Translation, Dutch-English Translation, Projects, Project Planning, Project Analysis, Project Delivery, Internationalization, International Expansion, Fintech, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Joint Ventures, Joint Venture Development, Business Consulting, Startup Consulting, Cash Flow Consultant, Financial Controls & Processes, Financial Statement Preparation, Financial Ratios, IFRS Financial Reporting, Program Management, Program Coordination, M&A Pipeline Management, Corporate Sales & Divestitures, Divestiture Planning, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Contract Negotiation, Sales Forecasting, Financial Forecasting, Lean Startups, Inorganic Growth, Investor Reporting, Post-merger Integration, Acquisitions, Merger Benefits, Marketing Research & Analysis, Business to Business (B2B), B2B Partnerships, B2B, Business Models, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Dashboard Design, Interactive Dashboards, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Analysis, Business Process Analysis, Solution Architecture, Business Services, Business Agility, Sales Effectiveness, Sales & Channel Enablement, Sales Funnel, Funnel Optimization, Manufacturing, Pitch Decks, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Remote Work, Procurement, Process Flows, IT Projects, Cryptocurrency, Risk Systems, Software as a Service (SaaS), Storytelling, Brand Building, Content Writing, Communication, Business Plan Consulting, Systems, Enterprise Software, Turnaround Consultant, Restructuring, Restructuring Consultant, Organizational Restructuring, Compliance, Corporate Income Tax, Logistics & Supply Chain, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Disclosures for IFRS Reporting, Fractional CFO, ERP Implementation, Competitive Analysis, Customer Research, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Financial Writer, SME/SMB Financing, Excel Expert, Dashboards, Management Reports, Excel Macros, Business Transformation, Process Transformation, Financial Analysis, Excel 365, Transportation & Logistics, Revenue Strategy, Copywriting, Records Management, Liability Insurance, Compliance Training, Databases, Business Development, Sales Operations, eCommerce, Marketplaces, eCommerce Platforms, Loans & Lending, Product Management, Sales Pipelines, Sales, IT Strategy, Growth Hacking, Lean Manufacturing, Startups, Plant Accounting, Funding Presentations, Investment Presentations, Go-to-market Plans, FX, US GAAP, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Technology, Fundraising Consultant, Tourism, COO, Term Sheet Negotiations, Enterprise Startups, Sales Growth, Growth, Apps, Mobile Apps, App Design, Mobile UX, Web App UX, UX Design, User Experience (UX), Asset Acquisition, Transaction Advisory, B2B Sales Pipeline, B2C, Deal Structuring, Product Owner, Cryptocurrency Exchanges, Public Relations (PR), Amazon FBA, Healthcare Services, Cost Accounting, Healthcare IT, Medical Software, Shopify, QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Go-to-market Strategy, Stock Market, Legal, Growth Marketing, International Commerce, Hiring Process Development, Strategic Planning & Execution, Performance Management, Performance Improvement, Project Tracking, Forex, Cost Cutting (Cost-out), Porftfolio Strategy, Board of Directors, Monthly Close Process, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory Management, Sales Strategy, Company Strategy, Talent Strategy, Project Lifecycle, Mentorship & Coaching, Operations Reviews, Analytical Review, Independent Business Reviews, Consolidated Reporting, Fixed Costs, Scenarios, Portfolio Analytics, Market Commentary, Chart of Accounts, Financial Closing, Risk Assessment, Risk Reporting, Corporate Governance, IT Audits, Operational Risk, Operational Control, Operational Audits, Project Controls, Financials, Financial Records, Financial Statements, HR Tools, Human Resources (HR), Onboarding, Coaching, Data Rooms, Strategic Planning, Strategic Initiatives, Graphs, Performance Evaluation, Markets, Google Analytics, APIs, API Development, REST APIs, SAP, Xero, SAP ERP, HubSpot, Subscription Pricing, Marketing, SEO Marketing, Branding, User Testing, Early-stage Venture Capital, Competitive Intelligence, Crypto, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Algorithms, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Odoo, Acumatica, Process Redesign, IFRS 9, Business, Enterprise SaaS, Solar, Clean Energy
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
Share your needs
Choose your talent
Start your risk-free talent trial
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring