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James Yang
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
FP&A Expert
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal member since October 24, 2016
Bio
James is an executive with financial, strategic, and operational experience in emerging growth and Fortune 500 companies. He has a proven track record of creating value and establishing market-leading positions. With expertise in FP&A, strategy, M&A, and financial reporting, he effectively communicates with investors and boards. His early career in investment banking and investment management enhances his strategic perspective. James holds an MBA from Chicago Booth and is a CFA Charterholder.
Career Highlights
Fractional CFO
Freelance Clients
Strategic Finance Business Partner
Capital Group
Education Highlights
MBA
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
BBA
Emory University
Certification Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Case Studies
Solvency Analysis
Financial ModelingFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)Communication
Key Performance Indicators
Financial ReportingFinancial ModelingFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
TripAdvisor
Stock AnalysisFinancial ModelingValuation
Turo Operating Model
Financial ModelingOperations
Expertise
- Budgeting
- Cash Management
- CFO
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Forecasting
- Fractional CFO
- Price Analysis
Work Experience
Fractional CFO
2016 - PRESENT
Freelance Clients
- Spearheaded pricing, strategic finance, and FP&A initiatives, driving financial and operational plans that resulted in a 50% annual revenue increase, a 200% growth in contribution margin, and a 400% rise in EBITDA.
- Developed and maintained financial and operating models, improving forecasting accuracy by 30%.
- Achieved a 25% reduction in operating expenses by negotiating vendor contracts and streamlining internal processes.
- Managed the implementation of a dynamic 12-month rolling forecast model, improving cash flow visibility and enabling strategic decision-making that reduced burn rate by 25% within six months.
- Secured $100 million in debt financing to support strategic M&A initiatives.
Focus areas: Startups, Startup Consulting, Enterprise Startups, Finance, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Budgeting, Pricing Models, Modeling, Forecasting, Sales Forecasting, P&L Analysis, Rolling Forecasts, EBITDA, Advisory, Fractional CFO, Cash Flow Modeling, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Expense Management, Budget Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Investment Capital Raising, Capital Raising, QuickBooks Online, Business Models, Consolidated Reporting, Fintech, Trade Finance, Blockchain, Debt Raises, B2C, Shopify, Consumer Products, Finance Director, Cash Flow Management, Marketplaces, Financial Reporting, Market Diligence, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Pitch Decks, Reporting, Cash Flow, Series A, Pricing Strategy, Paid Media, P&L Management, Paid Advertising, Contribution Margin Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Intelligence (BI), Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
CFO of Southern California
2017 - 2023
AT&T
- Led Southern California’s financial and accounting operations, including budgeting, strategic and operational planning, forecasting, strategic projects, and monthly financial review process.
- Managed a portfolio of around 5 million postpaid, 1 million prepaid, 2 million video, and 2 million broadband subscribers.
- Oversaw 320+ stores in Southern California, generating over $3.6 billion in annual wireless service revenue and $2B+ in EBITDA.
- Established competitive quotas and efficiently staffed 1,500+ FTE’s across AT&T stores to reduce wait times and increase productivity per resource from 45 to 55.
- Increased EBITDA by $175 million and EBITDA margins from 53% to 57% through retail distribution optimization efforts.
- Drove Share of Gross Adds (SOGA) to 1st place, growing market share and achieving positive port ratios to competitors.
- Performed rigorous analysis of network spend ($700+ million per annum) to generate the highest return on invested capital.
Focus areas: Lifetime Value (LTV), Forecasting, Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Price Analysis, CFO, Market Research, Strategy, Microsoft Excel, Business Planning, Data Centers, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Strategy, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Fundraising, Energy Storage, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Controller, Microsoft Excel, Asana, Financial Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Cash Flow Modeling, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Expense Management, Budget Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Investment Capital Raising, Capital Raising, Business Models, Consolidated Reporting, Working Capital Management, Debt Raises, B2C, Consumer Products, Finance Director, Cash Flow Management, Marketplaces, Financial Reporting, Market Diligence, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Reporting, Cash Flow, Pricing Strategy, P&L Management, Contribution Margin Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Intelligence (BI), Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
Strategic Finance Business Partner
2016 - 2017
Capital Group
- Created optimal pricing and cost models for American Funds Service Company, affecting millions of accounts responsible for generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue while minimizing impact to thousands of FTEs and fund expense ratios.
- Built a robust, complex model that runs scenario analysis for Project Falcon, a $100+ million company-wide fixed income project involving hundreds of people across IT and investment operations, saving the project team 400+ hours.
- Conducted an in-depth pricing strategy analysis for retirement plan services and implemented a comprehensive pricing change to increase the contribution margin by double digits within two years.
- Completed an in-depth cost study across five legal entities for strategic sourcing and procurement that is responsible for managing and influencing over $1 billion in annual 3rd-party spend across Capital Group.
- Implemented a new global policy for identifying at-risk vendors and managed a team of five analysts to oversee all the financial assessments conducted by Global Finance (around 3 - 5 per month).
Focus areas: Strategy, Price Analysis, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Budgeting, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Business Planning, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Strategy, Procurement, Fundraising, Fund Accounting & Administration, Fund Management, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Investments, Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Financial Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Cash Flow Modeling, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Expense Management, Budget Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Capital Raising, Investment Capital Raising, Business Models, Consolidated Reporting, Fintech, Working Capital Management, Debt Raises, Cash Flow Management, Marketplaces, Financial Reporting, Market Diligence, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Reporting, Cash Flow, Pricing Strategy, P&L Management, Contribution Margin Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Intelligence (BI), Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
Head of FP&A
2015 - 2016
Spark Networks
- Spearheaded FP&A efforts at a global public company, owner and operator of ChristianMingle and JDate.
- Served as a strategic business partner to the CEO, CFO, and CMO to drive organic and acquisition growth and improve LTV, SAC, conversion rates, and retention rates.
- Developed a rolling forecast model that enabled the executive team to better adapt to market changes, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue growth YoY.
- Led the development of the company’s 2016 annual plan, supporting business leaders with analytics and insight to help define financial operating priorities.
- Built a five-year lender model and secured a new, more favorable $10 million credit facility than with the prior lender.
- Conducted due diligence and provided financial modeling and analysis for new initiatives and acquisitions. Acquired Smooch Labs, owner of JSwipe, for $7 million and successfully integrated the company’s financials.
- Re-engineered company-wide planning processes to significantly improve forecasting accuracy and accountability.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Budgeting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, Price Analysis, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Financial Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Cash Flow Modeling, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Expense Management, Budget Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Investment Capital Raising, Capital Raising, Business Models, Consolidated Reporting, Working Capital Management, Debt Raises, Finance Director, Cash Flow Management, Marketplaces, Financial Reporting, Market Diligence, Reporting, Cash Flow, Pricing Strategy, Paid Media, P&L Management, Paid Advertising, Contribution Margin Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Intelligence (BI), Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
Senior Associate
2014 - 2015
Duff & Phelps, LLC
- Developed and communicated complex financial analysis through fairness opinions, solvency opinions, and other valuations to guide decision makers in corporate finance transactions.
- Created presentations summarizing the analysis and conclusions supporting the opinion being provided to the client.
- Performed company, industry, market, and competitor research and due diligence.
- Mentored, managed, and developed staff, including analysts and associates.
Focus areas: Transaction Structuring, Forecasting, Budgeting, Price Analysis, CFO, Microsoft Excel, Project Finance, Revenue & Expense Projections, Education Technology (Edtech), Private Equity, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Investments, Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Financial Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Investment Capital Raising, Capital Raising, Business Models, Debt Raises, Market Diligence, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Pitch Decks, Cash Flow, Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
Investment Associate
2012 - 2014
Sirius Partners, L.P.
- Supported the CIO and founder by analyzing equity and credit investments across sectors with a small to mid-cap and special situations emphasis.
- Created financial models and evaluated companies based on asset quality, normalized earnings, and free cash flow generation informed through proprietary industry research and frequent management interactions.
- Recommended and monitored portfolio positions that included CPG companies, REITs, pharmaceutical companies, payment service providers, etc., to senior partners on a weekly basis, resulting in a 61% return in 2013.
- Conducted industry and company competitive analysis and extensive third-party research with suppliers, customers, and competitors to identify attractive investment opportunities across assets globally.
- Developed and maintained new and existing analytical tools used for performance and portfolio analysis.
Focus areas: Distressed/Special Situations, Small Caps, Credit Investing, Equity Investment, Budgeting, Price Analysis, CFO, Equity Research, Microsoft Excel, Fund Accounting & Administration, Fund Management, Education Technology (Edtech), Private Equity, Financial Analysis, ROI, Pricing, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Investments, Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Financial Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Excel Expert, Microsoft PowerPoint, Investment Capital Raising, Capital Raising, Business Models, Debt Raises, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Pitch Decks, Cash Flow, Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics
Education
2010 - 2012
MBA in Finance, Accounting, and Economics
University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Chicago, IL
2003 - 2006
BBA in Finance
Emory University - Atlanta, GA
Certifications
APRIL 2013 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Skills
Finance
Budgeting, Forecasting, Lifetime Value (LTV), Financial Reporting, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Three-statement Modeling, Price Analysis, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Cost Reduction & Optimization (Cost-down), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Equity Research, Market Research, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Data Analysis, CFO, Accounting, Cash Management, Project Finance, Revenue & Expense Projections, Fundraising, ROI, Pricing, Profit & Loss (P&L), Cash Flow Modeling, Operating Expenses (OPEX), Capital Raising, Working Capital Management, Debt Raises, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Cash Flow, Series A, Pricing Strategy, Contribution Margin Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Business Intelligence (BI), Fund Management, Private Equity, Controller, Trade Finance, Transaction Structuring, Credit Investing, Credit Analysis, Blockchain
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint
Data & Analysis Software
Tableau, QuickBooks Online
Industry Expertise
Telecommunications, Financial Services, Technology, Apparel & Accessories, Retail & Wholesale, Education Technology (Edtech), Consumer Products
Geographic Expertise
United States
Other
Strategy, Communication, Media, Digital Media, Business Planning, Finance, eCommerce, Business Services, Virtual CFO, Fractional CFO, Interim CFO, Business Strategy, Financial Analysis, Pricing Models, Pricing Plans, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Investments, Cash Flow Analysis, P&L Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Startups, Financial Forecasting, Teams, Zoom, Slack, Advisory, Expense Management, Budget Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Excel Expert, Investment Capital Raising, Business Models, Consolidated Reporting, Fintech, B2C, Shopify, Finance Director, Cash Flow Management, Marketplaces, Market Diligence, Pitch Decks, Reporting, Paid Media, P&L Management, Paid Advertising, Predictive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics, Data Centers, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Fund Accounting & Administration, Energy Storage, Fundraising Strategy, Asana, Equity Investment, Small Caps, Distressed/Special Situations, Stock Analysis, Operations, Startup Consulting, Enterprise Startups, Modeling, Sales Forecasting, Rolling Forecasts, EBITDA
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