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Kuk Yi

Verified Expert in Management Consulting

Management Consulting Expert

Minneapolis, MN, United States

Toptal member since August 18, 2020

Expertise

Financial Analysis Investment Banking Business Modeling Financial Forecasting Post-merger Integrations Growth Strategy Business Development Financial Reporting Financial Modeling Valuations Due Diligence M&A Corporate Finance FP&A Bankruptcy

Bio

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.

Career Highlights

CFO and VP of Technology

Transformco

Vice President | Corporate Development

Best Buy

Certification Highlights

CPA (Inactive)

State Board of Accountancy

Case Studies

Strategic Acquisition | End to End

M&A ModelingAcquisitionsFinancial ModelingIndustry AnalysisCapability AssessmentValuation+ 10 more

Long-range Planning Context for Enterprise

Industry AnalysisEconomic AnalysisConsumer TrendsVendor ManagementTechnology TrendsValue Chain+ 9 more

Investment Program | Corporate Venture Program

InvestmentsIRRVenture CapitalVenture InvestmentsInvestment FundsInnovation

Expertise

Corporate Development
Corporate Finance
Cross-border M&A
Financial Modeling
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
M&A (Buy-side)
Post-merger Integration
Strategy

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, Financial Analysis

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, Financial Reporting, Cash Flow Management, Financial Forecasting, Reporting, Financial Analysis

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, 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, Cash Flow Modeling, Financial Forecasting, Financial Analysis

Certifications

JANUARY 2003 - PRESENT

CPA (Inactive)

State Board of Accountancy

Skills

Finance

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Capital Budgeting, Budgeting, Cross-border M&A, Corporate Finance, M&A Modeling, Financial Modeling, Valuation, DCF Valuation, Comparable Company Analysis, Due Diligence, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Minority Investments, M&A (Buy-side), Forecasting, Cash Flow, Cash Management, Revenue & Expense Projections, Accounting, Financial Reporting, Cash Flow Modeling, Rollups, CFO, Fundraising

Output Software

Microsoft Excel

Industry Expertise

Venture Capital, Venture Investments, High-tech Startups

Other

Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Strategy, Business Development, Partnerships, Financials, Acquisitions, Industry Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Documentation, Share Purchase Agreements, Economic Analysis, Consumer Trends, Competitive Strategy, Competitive Intelligence, Investments, IRR, Microsoft 365, eCommerce, Post-merger Integration, Business Strategy, Growth Analysis, Growth Strategy, Asset Purchase Agreements, Startups, Consumer Electronics, Business Models, Business Planning, Cash Flow Management, Financial Forecasting, Reporting, Financial Analysis, IT Service Management (ITSM), Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Vendor Management, Technology Trends, Value Chain, Investment Funds, Innovation, Treasury, Inventory, International Growth, Business Structuring, Capability Assessment, Project Management, Manufacturing

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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.

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.

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.