Michael E. Harbison, Finance Expert in Orlando, FL, United States
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Michael E. Harbison

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
Orlando, FL, United States
Toptal Member Since
February 20, 2017

After receiving his MBA from the Wharton School, Michael worked for a predecessor of KPMG in consulting and then for Seagram (almost 20 years). He progressed from a financial planning analyst to E.V.P. of The Seagram Beverage Company and Managing Director of Tropicana (Juice) International. He enjoys freelancing and working on a variety of client projects, just as his entire career has constantly shifted from one challenge to another.

Financial ModelingRevenue & Expense ProjectionsFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)FundraisingVenture CapitalMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)ValuationCommercial Real EstateInterim CFOPart-time CFOFinancial ForecastingFinancial ReportingReal EstatePrivate Equity

Career Highlights

President
Tranpac, Inc.
Managing Director
Tropicana International
EVP Strategy & Finance, CFO
The Seagram Beverage Company

Education Highlights

Master of Business Administration
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts
Vassar College

Case Studies

Work Experience

President

2007 - PRESENT
Tranpac, Inc.
  • Funded personally a startup medical device company; later raised a $500,000 round of equity.
  • Organized and structured all functions to begin operations—including production/sourcing partners, sales force, and distribution structure.
  • Established a combined direct, distributor, and broker network to sell to hospitals and physician practices.
  • Negotiated and completed the company sale to a public medical device company—receiving a significant initial payout and royalties over a 16-year period.
  • Built a financial model/business plan for internal projections and fundraising.
Focus areas: Distribution, Business Planning, Revenue & Expense Projections, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

CFO

2013 - 2017
YourOffice USA
  • Built a financial model for expansion from 7 to 30 operating units—presented to potential investors.
  • Secured a difficult-to-obtain $2.7 million bank mortgage to refinance a private mortgage.
  • Frequently built financial models to assess different structures based on operating projections and to evaluate pros/cons of decisions like purchasing vs. leasing parking facilities.
  • Evaluated and recommended enhanced methods for improving various processes—including cash management, payment processing, merchant services, and more.
  • Guided each of the company's operating units on implementing process improvements.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Financial Reporting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Growth Capital Raising, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

CFO | Director | Investor

1996 - 2000
New York Studios, Inc. (now, Steiner Studios)
  • Served as an investor, director, and CFO at a New York City film/TV production studio complex/real estate development in the Brooklyn Navy Yard (member of 6 person partnership)—from startup to successful exit, in partnership with a New York City government agency. Won the city contract over Vornado REIT and the Robert DeNiro team.
  • Developed a financial model and scenarios—convincing the New York City government to award our team the option securing the real estate and development funding.
  • Established strategic alliances with J.P. Morgan, Sony Pictures Studios, and Jones Lang LaSalle.
  • Used my contacts during a tense political negotiations period to secure the final contract.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Negotiation, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling

Managing Director

1991 - 1996
Tropicana International
  • Led the development and implementation of a strategy for international expansion—including brand, product, market, and business system strategies.
  • Negotiated, executed, and managed strategic alliances/acquisitions with strong local partners in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
  • Led the team that grew annual international sales from $50 million to $400 million in 3 years.
  • Gained cultural/business skills from experiences working in dozens of countries—including Japan, Taiwan, England, France, Belgium, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.
Focus areas: Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Partnerships, Strategic Planning

EVP Strategy & Finance, CFO

1978 - 1991
The Seagram Beverage Company
  • Initiated and managed operational programs such as a margin improvement process—generating $9 million in annual savings from a consumer-neutral product and package changes.
  • Developed and managed the test of a distributed manufacturing process with a soda bottler in Los Angeles. Enabled our products to fit into their customary business system, rather than be treated like specialty products by shipping a syrup (just like a soft drink) from our winery to the bottler, where they added CO2. The sales volume increased from +2 million cases in the first year.
  • Developed financial models to evaluate the costs/benefits of external co-packing production vs. using only company owned production facilities in limited locations.
  • Evaluated the profitability of adding various items to our list of products.
  • Worked in Seagram's Financial Planning & Analysis Department—growing from a junior analyst to the director of the department (1978 to 1985).
Focus areas: Capital Investment Appraisals, Budgeting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

Senior Consultant

1976 - 1978
KPMG (Predecessor Firm)
  • Learned important basics like working as part of a team and how to work with clients to best serve their needs; as this was my first job out of grad school.
  • Built financial/operational models for clients such as the New York City Fire Department and Olin Chemical to solve specific problems for the client companies.
Focus areas: Information Systems, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
1974 - 1976

Master of Business Administration in Finance, Management

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

1971 - 1974

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Vassar College - Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

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