Kuk Yi, Finance Expert in Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Kuk Yi

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
Minneapolis, MN, United States
Toptal Member Since
August 18, 2020

Kuk is a strategic financial leader with in-depth experience working across the spectrum of value creation ranging from innovation to partnership and business development, M&A, and strategic enterprise initiatives. Kuk's created new internal capabilities by founding M&A/corporate development and venture investment teams. Although not a technologist, Kuk has a deep understanding and appreciation of the technology ecosystem and has led analytics and technology teams during his career as a result.

Business DevelopmentFinancial ModelingValuationComparable Company AnalysisMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Revenue & Expense ProjectionsFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)Venture CapitalCross-border M&AFundraisingProject Management

Career Highlights

CFO and VP of Technology
Transformco
Vice President | Corporate Development
Best Buy

Certification Highlights

CPA (Inactive)
State Board of Accountancy

Case Studies

Expertise

Corporate DevelopmentCorporate FinanceCross-border M&AFinancial ModelingFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)M&A (Buy-side)Post-merger IntegrationStrategy

Work Experience

M&A Integration Expert

2021 - 2022
Airiam Holdings, LLC
  • Was responsible for M&A integration, including financial, business, and strategic.
  • Developed M&A playbook starting from overall strategy to post-merger integration.
  • Executed three acquisitions that added 20% of additional revenue for the company.
  • Asked to take on the CFO role to help the company do a strategic reset, including a new round of funding.
Focus areas: M&A (Buy-side), Post-merger Integration, Rollups, Investments, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Project Management, CFO, Business Models, Business Planning, Business Structuring

CFO and VP of Technology

2018 - 2020
Transformco
  • Reduced the operating expense budget of an IT organization by 60% while maintaining service levels for the organization.
  • Built a plan for the organization to reduce expenses by a further 50% while providing service levels necessary for the enterprise in the future.
  • Led a Chapter 11 reorganization process for the technology organization. Mainly led negotiations with key IT vendors, including telecommunications providers resulting in an over 70% reduction of owed amounts.
Focus areas: Budgeting, Capital Budgeting, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, IT Service Management (ITSM), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Cash Flow, Forecasting, Business Strategy, CFO, Financial Modeling, Financials, Strategy, Partnerships, Business Development, Corporate Finance, Industry Analysis, Capability Assessment, Inventory, Accounting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Treasury, Cash Management, eCommerce, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft 365, Minority Investments, M&A Modeling, IRR, Investments, Competitive Intelligence, Competitive Strategy, Value Chain, Technology Trends, Vendor Management, Consumer Trends, Economic Analysis, Share Purchase Agreements, Asset Purchase Agreements, Documentation, Comparable Company Analysis, Consumer Electronics, Business Models, Business Planning, Business Structuring, High-tech Startups

Vice President | Corporate Development

2004 - 2014
Best Buy
  • Joined the company to start and lead the corporate development team and all the acquisition and investment activities from 2004 through 2014.
  • Led the first controlling acquisition of a Chinese retailer by a foreign entity in 2006 as part of an overall assessment for international expansion.
  • Developed an internal venture investment program for the company generating both strategic and financial returns. Based on the analysis done by an investment bank, the program was in the top quartile of funds.
  • Oversaw the assessment of the company's operating model resulting in over $500 million in operating profit improvements.
  • Coordinated an assessment of the company's services business resulting in over $200 million in operating profit improvements.
Focus areas: Corporate Finance, Strategy, Minority Investments, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Development, M&A (Buy-side), Post-merger Integration, Rollups, Cash Flow, Forecasting, Budgeting, Business Strategy, Growth Analysis, Growth Strategy, Cross-border M&A, Financial Modeling, Valuation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Venture Capital, Financials, Partnerships, Business Development, Capital Budgeting, Investment Banking, IT Service Management (ITSM), Acquisitions, Industry Analysis, Capability Assessment, Inventory, Accounting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Treasury, Cash Management, eCommerce, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft 365, Due Diligence, DCF Valuation, M&A Modeling, Innovation, Investment Funds, Venture Investments, Corporate Venture Capital, IRR, Investments, Competitive Intelligence, Competitive Strategy, Value Chain, Technology Trends, Vendor Management, Consumer Trends, Economic Analysis, Share Purchase Agreements, Asset Purchase Agreements, Documentation, Comparable Company Analysis, Transaction Comparables, International Growth, Startups, Consumer Electronics, Business Models, Business Planning, Business Structuring, Fundraising, Manufacturing, High-tech Startups
JANUARY 2003 - PRESENT

CPA (Inactive)

State Board of Accountancy