Rick Ferrone, Finance Expert in Orlando, FL, United States
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Rick Ferrone

Verified Expert  in Finance

Management Consulting Expert

Location
Orlando, FL, United States
Toptal Member Since
July 4, 2022

Rick is a business strategy, financial planning, and operations expert with over 20 years of experience as a chief operating and strategy officer and a Big 5 management consultant. He has led three company turnarounds, including one for a $500 million multinational firm, growing revenue by 28% and increasing profitability by 21% within two years. Leveraging his experience with companies of all sizes and across industries, Rick is willing to start delivering value and results in new projects.

Career Highlights

COO
YLL
COO
RJ Henderson
Chief Strategy Officer
Attorneys' Title Fund Services

Education Highlights

Master's Degree
The University of Texas
Bachelor of Science Degree
The Ohio State University

Case Studies

Work Experience

Fractional COO

2023 - 2023
Primo Management Group Inc.
  • Conducted analyses of current operations, identified areas for improvement, and worked with the CEO to develop a revenue growth plan and optimize marketing spend.
  • Researched marketing firms and led the interview/selection process to hire a new firm. Worked with the marketing firm to create a new Google campaign and implemented software to block costly, malicious clicks.
  • Developed process maps to identify issues and redesigned processes to streamline operations.
  • Improved the sales operation, helping with sales training, hiring, performance evaluation, reporting, call monitoring, and developing sales support material.
Focus areas: COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Business Planning, Revenue Strategy, Marketing, Process Mapping, Process Design, Staff Management & Development, Hiring, Sales Training, Reporting, Strategic Planning, Zoho CRM, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Business Development

Interim COO

2022 - 2023
Alliance Investments Management LLC
  • Oversaw the acquisition of a new company adding over $2 million in revenue and $350,000 in net income to the company's portfolio; managed the sourcing team to build a pipeline of over $50 million in additional acquisitions.
  • Oversaw the operations of eight of the firm's portfolio companies. Developed business plan templates and worked with GMs to develop annual business plans, budgets, sales forecasts, KPIs, and reports.
  • Led internal company operations, overseeing the new business sourcing as well as the accounting and finance departments. Managed relationships with investment partners and led the development of performance dashboards.
  • Spearheaded the development of the firm's long-term vision, objectives, and business plan. Worked with the CEO to restructure the company along industry segments and present the vision and plan to the rest of the company.
  • Developed new compensation structures with bonus plans that tied to the achievement of the firm's goals.
Focus areas: CFO, Accounting, Financial Modeling, Investment Funds, Underwriting, Private Equity, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Implementation, Process Design, Business Strategy, COO, Business Operations, Logistics & Supply Chain, Performance Improvement, Strategic Planning, Data Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Business Development

Change Manager | Collateral Development

2022 - 2022
Toptal
  • Developed an end-to-end supply chain best practices document for an internal Toptal project.
  • Performed best practices to cover the technology needed to monitor and optimize manufacturing.
  • Developed the document that, in addition to the mechanics and processes of the supply chain, also covered supply chain strategies and optimizations.
Focus areas: Change Management, Business Strategy, Strategy, Consulting, Go-to-market Strategy

COO

2019 - 2020
YLL
  • Transformed the operations at this fast-growing, multi-office company, increasing profitability by 14% in the first year and resulting in the company's acquisition by a larger competitor.
  • Led and managed all business functions, except sales, heading the development of the 5-year financial and strategic plans, rebuilding the management team, redesigning processes and systems, installing KPIs, and establishing a new corporate culture.
  • Improved company-wide employee performance by 93%, working with each department head to define, monitor, and achieve a set of quantified, time-based financial and operational goals for their area.
  • Enhanced workforce quality and stability reducing employee turnover by 110% and achieving an employee satisfaction rating of 77%.
  • Restructured and streamlined the organization, reducing corporate overhead by $300,000 (20%) per year.
  • Developed a high-performing, cohesive management team by providing clear direction and support, cultivating a sense of team and collaboration, and implementing performance-based bonus plans.
Focus areas: Operations, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Organization Building, Leadership, Team Building, Process Design, Culture Development, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, Corporate, People Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), B2B, Pricing, Go-to-market Strategy, Growth Strategy, Value Proposition, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Sizing, Business to Business (B2B), Forecasting, Business Planning, Business Models, Product Growth, Go-to-market Plans, COO, Growth, Sales Growth, Revenue & Expense Projections, Market Research, Staffing, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Implementation, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Performance Improvement, Organizational Strategy & Design, Strategic Planning, TOM, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals, Business Development, Collaboration

COO

2012 - 2019
RJ Henderson
  • Served as a founding partner of this innovative consumer products startup, building from an idea to a $7 million business and creating the highest quality product on the market.
  • Led all strategic planning, financial planning, product ideation and development, and business development efforts.
  • Identified an untapped market opportunity and quickly established the brand as a market leader, delivering indisputable quality advantages and earning the most prestigious industry awards.
  • Grew the annual revenue by over 100% for four consecutive years, opening new markets, hiring and managing sales teams, partnering with complementary brands, and expanding marketing campaigns.
  • Reduced operating costs by 42%, simplifying product design, renegotiating vendor contracts, and gaining efficiencies in manufacturing, warehousing, and supply chain.
  • Managed the complex and time-sensitive supply chain process, coordinating the on-time delivery of perishable ingredients from over 20 suppliers and shippers.
  • Led the development and management of the operating budget and cash flow. Created financial models, reports, and KPIs to better inform and improve company processes, planning, and decision making.
Focus areas: New Product Business Cases, Strategy, Operations, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Profit & Loss (P&L), Market Research & Analysis, Vendor Management, Contract Drafting, Marketing, Publicity, Content Strategy, Product Branding, Brand Identity, Storytelling, Design Thinking, Branding, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, Brand Building, Public Relations (PR), Content Writing, Startups, Consumer Products, Corporate, People Management, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketing Strategy, B2B Partnerships, Pricing, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Partnerships, Strategic Partnerships, Growth Strategy, Value Proposition, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Sizing, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Product Marketing, Marketing Leadership, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Mobile User Acquisition, Mobile, B2C, Business to Consumer (B2C), Financial Modeling, Supply Chain, Logistics & Supply Chain, Pricing Consulting, Forecasting, Business Planning, Business Models, Product Growth, Market Fit, Go-to-market Plans, COO, CFO, Growth, Sales Growth, Product Launch, Sales, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Early-stage Startups, Sales Strategy, eCommerce, Product Strategy, Revenue & Expense Projections, Sales Operations, Market Research, United States, Lean Product Manager, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Purchasing, Procurement, Sourcing & Procurement, Implementation, Process Design, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Marketing Mix, Manufacturing, Performance Improvement, Strategic Planning, Product Design, New Products, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Luxury Industry, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), FMCG, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals, Food & Beverage, CPG, Business Development

Chief Strategy Officer

2009 - 2012
Attorneys' Title Fund Services
  • Guided the turnaround of this $100 million company, facing bankruptcy due to dramatic market changes. I also drove improvements throughout the company.
  • Increased profitability by 52% over three years by redesigning the business model, the pricing model, and the product offerings.
  • Spearheaded operational changes that led to a 45% growth in revenue. Partnered with sales leaders and staff to establish new metrics, improve tracking, and increase focus on the higher revenue customers.
  • Increased the ROI of corporate initiatives by 37% by leading a project portfolio analysis and prioritization leadership team and implementing improvements identified by the team.
  • Led the redesign of the customer support model, increasing profitability by 30% and increasing customer satisfaction by 45% within the first six months.
  • Developed high-performing teams, providing coaching, setting clear goals, and removing barriers that enabled people to take on greater responsibilities and deliver better results.
  • Led the design and implementation of executive dashboards with roll-up and drill-down capabilities, significantly improving leadership's ability to identify performance issues, successes, and trends.
  • Improved IT operations by 18%, eliminating costs, reengineering processes, and renegotiating vendor contracts.
Focus areas: Business Transformation, Operations, Business Process Re-engineering, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Customer Service, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research & Analysis, Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Reporting, Board Reporting, Portfolio Management, Project Management, Program Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Content Strategy, Product Branding, Brand Identity, Branding, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, Brand Building, Content Writing, Corporate, People Management, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketing Strategy, B2B, Pricing, Go-to-market Strategy, Brand Strategy, Customer Lifetime Value, Growth Strategy, Value Proposition, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Sizing, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Product Marketing, Financial Modeling, Business to Business (B2B), Pricing Consulting, Forecasting, Management Consulting, Business Planning, Board Presentations, Business Models, Product Growth, Market Fit, Go-to-market Plans, COO, Growth, Sales Growth, Idea Validation, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Revenue & Expense Projections, Sales Operations, Market Research, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Purchasing, Procurement, Sourcing & Procurement, Implementation, Process Design, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Marketing Mix, Performance Improvement, Organizational Strategy & Design, Strategic Planning, TOM, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals, Business Development

Director of Strategic Planning

2006 - 2009
Holland & Knight
  • Developed and implemented the plan to transform this $500 million, 1200-person business that was increasingly losing market share. Increased profitability by 21% in two years through more rigorous strategic planning and operational improvements.
  • Spearheaded the implementation of financial and operational plans, partnering with business unit (BU) leaders to develop budgets and tactics to achieve their BU goals and further the firm's goals.
  • Led the role in growing company revenue by 28%, partnering with Marketing to identify new services, target clients with the highest revenue potential, enhance client relationships, and implement metrics to track the success of marketing programs.
  • Headed the strategic planning process, working with senior leadership to define and communicate the firm's direction and performance goals.
  • Led a fourteen-team cost-reduction task force, uncovering $16.5 million in savings.
  • Developed reports and metrics, enabling executives and business unit leaders to track progress.
  • Facilitated a redesign of the marketing organization, helping the team assess and improve its service model, organizational structure, composite skill set, and return on investment (ROI).
Focus areas: Business Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Operations, Cost Reduction & Optimization, Change Management, Market Research & Analysis, Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Content Strategy, Product Branding, Brand Identity, Branding, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, Brand Building, Corporate, People Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Marketing Strategy, B2B, Go-to-market Strategy, Brand Strategy, Growth Strategy, Value Proposition, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Sizing, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Marketing Leadership, Financial Modeling, Business to Business (B2B), Forecasting, Business Planning, Board Presentations, Business Models, Product Growth, Market Fit, Go-to-market Plans, Strategy, Growth, Sales Growth, Product Launch, Sales Strategy, Revenue & Expense Projections, Market Research, Staffing, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Implementation, Process Design, Business Operations, Performance Improvement, Organizational Strategy & Design, Strategic Planning, Product Design, Data Analysis, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Legal, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Company Strategy, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals, Business Development

Principal

2002 - 2006
The Northhighland Company
  • Served as a management consultant leading several large, complex, and strategic initiatives.
  • Developed a $600 million restructuring plan for a $160 billion telecommunications company, defining a new operational model for ten departments and 34,000 employees that delivered a $700 million return in three years.
  • Led the development of a $6 million business case for a large telecommunications client, defining an approach for expanding services to an untapped $3 billion market and capturing tens of millions of dollars in new revenue.
  • Defined and implemented a process for managing the $100 million IT project portfolio of a Fortune 50 client. The process included assessing market demand and need for each project, solution options, development plans, and budgetary needs.
  • Developed a business case for the governor of Florida that defined a $30 million program to spur economic development by luring new businesses to the state. This business case became law and known as the Florida Opportunity Fund.
  • Created business plans enabling four high-tech startups to acquire their next round of funding. Each plan included the product value proposition, market and competitor analysis, pricing, market penetration strategies, and financial forecasts.
Focus areas: Business Plan Consulting, Organizational Design, Market Research & Analysis, Budgeting, Business Process Re-engineering, Project Management, Venture Funding, Management, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, People Management, B2B, Solar, Renewables, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Partnerships, Strategic Partnerships, Technology, Growth Strategy, Value Proposition, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Sizing, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Product Marketing, Business to Business (B2B), Forecasting, Enterprise Software, Management Consulting, Business Planning, Business Models, Market Fit, Go-to-market Plans, Strategy, Growth, Sales Growth, Sales, Idea Validation, Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Revenue & Expense Projections, Market Research, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Implementation, Process Design, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Performance Improvement, Organizational Strategy & Design, Strategic Planning, TOM, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals, Business Development

Manager

1994 - 2000
Arthur Andersen Consulting
  • Led efforts on several complex, multi-million dollar engagements, successfully delivering solutions for mid-size to Fortune 100 business clients.
  • Served as the program manager on a $60 million, 200-person reengineering initiative for a Fortune 100 client, identifying and driving resolution of critical project issues.
  • Led a $2 million business financial system and process reengineering initiative, finishing on time and achieving all objectives. Handled the whole product design, customization, release schedule, and rollout.
  • Spearheaded the product redesign strategy for a $50 million business unit facing a down market, identifying changing needs, assessing competitive strengths, and defining viable new product offerings.
  • Led the design and implementation of the financial management and program management business units for a $1 billion organization, directing work planning, staffing, task management, communication, time and budget management, and solution delivery.
  • Served as the financial lead on two different enterprise resource planning (ERP) selection efforts, assisting clients in defining financial processing needs, evaluating ERP alternatives, and selecting the best system.
Focus areas: Business Process Re-engineering, PeopleSoft ERP Application, Strategy, Organizational Design, Project Management, Program Management, Business Cases, Financial Controls & Processes, Change Management, Product Branding, Brand Identity, Storytelling, Branding, Business Processes, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Operating Models, Content Writing, Startups, People Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Marketing Strategy, B2B, Go-to-market Strategy, Product-market Fit, Business Partnerships, Brand Strategy, Partnerships, Strategic Partnerships, Technology, Market Sizing, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business to Business (B2B), Building Materials, Forecasting, Enterprise Software, Management Consulting, Business Planning, Sales, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Fintech, Fintech Consultant, United States, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Process Mapping, Competition Research, Growth Strategy Consultants, Revenue Strategy, Implementation, Process Design, Business Strategy, Business Operations, Tech Sales, SaaS, Software as a Service (SaaS), Software, Manufacturing, Performance Improvement, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Strategic Planning, TOM, Data Analysis, Trend Analysis, Insurance, Performance Management, Data Analytics, Pitch Decks, Business Proposals
1989 - 1990

Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)

The University of Texas - Arlington, Texas, USA

1981 - 1986

Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering

The Ohio State University - Columbus, Ohio, USA

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