Publication
Financial Forecasting When Modeling With Missing Data
https://www.toptal.com/management-consultants/financial-forecasting/granular-financial-forecasting
Sean is available for hire
Hire SeanSean Kae Siang Lim
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Toptal member since May 7, 2019
Bio
As a skilled CFA charterholder, Sean specializes in commercial modeling and growth strategy for startups and corporate innovations. With over five years of experience working in venture capitals, accelerators, and CVC, he has helped 20+ startups to develop their growth strategies, business plans, and financial models. Currently, Sean is working with the largest insurer in Australia to create an incubation ecosystem for insurtech, which includes industry, VC, academic, and government sectors.
Career Highlights
Commercial Architect
Firemark Collective
Venture Builder
Hampton Accelerate
Senior Associate
Netrove
Education Highlights
Master's Degree
University of Technology Sydney
Bachelor's Degree
University of New South Wales
Certification Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Case Studies
Five-year Three-scenario Financial Forecast and Business Plan
Financial ForecastingBusiness PlanningStartup FundingStartup Growth Strategy DevelopmentEarly-stage StartupsValuation
Comprehensive Business Plan for Fundraising
Business PlanningBusiness Plan ConsultingMarket ResearchForecastingStrategy
Industry Expertise
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
- Insurance
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supply & Personal Care Products
- Food & Beverage
- Real Estate
- Software
- Financial Modeling
- Fintech
Other Expertise
- Business Planning
- Business Strategy
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Market Research & Analysis
- Startup Consulting
- Valuation
Work Experience
Senior Economic Modeling Manager
2024 - PRESENT
CSIRO
- Worked at Australia's national science agency to identify economically viable solutions for addressing national challenges and harnessing opportunities across industries, using science and technology to drive strategic outcomes.
- Developed a comprehensive market sizing and opportunity analysis for hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturing in Australia, incorporating sensitivity analysis, benchmarking similar industries, and evaluating key economic and technological drivers.
- Researched the current literature on indoor air quality and economic analysis to assess the cost of indoor air pollution in Australia, identifying key health impacts and quantifying associated economic burdens.
- Established metrics to assess the current status of the alternative protein industry in Australia and defined key performance indicators to track progress toward achieving the desired future state by 2030.
Focus areas: Consulting, Economics, Market Sizing, Cost-benefit Analysis, Revenue Projections
Commercial Architect
2022 - PRESENT
Firemark Collective
- Discovered and validated eight new business opportunities with over $10 million value to the business using the Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability framework.
- Designed new business models using a human-centered approach with a focus on sustainability and profitability.
- Created new measurement methods to help monitor our innovation effort by synthesizing insights from diverse data sources and engaging with key stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand.
- Supported external startups in exploring the feasibility and viability of their use case within a corporate setting.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Commercials, Financial Modeling, Startups, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Venture Capital, Pitch Decks, Strategy, Market Research, Business Plan Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Early-stage Startups, Three-statement Modeling, Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Australia, Business Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Monetization, Business Research, Writing & Editing, Technology, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, SaaS, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Software
Venture Builder
2019 - 2022
Hampton Accelerate
- Created 20+ product strategies, roadmaps, business plans, and 5-year pro forma financial models and raised close to $9 million in pre-seed funding combined.
- Originated and investigated 60+ product ideas that turned into 20+ development approvals through in-depth research of existing problems and potential technology solutions.
- Conducted commercial due diligence for 20+ startups, including assessing industry trends, market sizes, and competitive landscapes.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Early-stage Venture Capital, Fundraising, Startups, Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Business Models, Pitch Decks, Strategy, Market Research, Business Plan Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Early-stage Startups, Three-statement Modeling, Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Australia, Business Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Monetization, Business Research, Writing & Editing, English-Chinese Translation, Technology, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, SaaS, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Fundraising Consultant, Software, High-tech Startups, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
Investment Analyst
2018 - 2021
Hampton Capital
- Conducted due diligence, evaluated investment opportunities, and negotiated deals with startups and other stakeholders.
- Performed a market scan to gain a deep understanding of emerging technologies, focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics, and IoTs.
- Collaborated with universities and research institutions to commercialize patents and other intellectual property.
- Developed positive relationships with investors and secured over $20 million of capital commitments.
Focus areas: Pitch Decks, Strategy, Startups, Business Planning, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Startup Funding, Business Advisory, Deal Analysis, Fundraising, Revenue & Expense Projections, Venture Capital, Market Research, Business Plan Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Early-stage Startups, Seed Fundraising, Three-statement Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Australia, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Technology, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Fund Management, SaaS, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Term Sheet Advisory, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
Senior Associate
2017 - 2018
Netrove
- Increased sales by 100% for an F&B startup through user testing and product prioritization to reduce waste.
- Prepared and reviewed legal documents, including term sheets, shareholder agreements, MOUs, sales agreements, and distributor agreements.
- Originated new deals through networking and events and screened through over 100 deals.
- Conducted due diligence on new investments and advisory projects.
- Turned around a no-product, no-cash startup by helping them fundraise, hire, implement processes, and open up stores in prime areas, such as airports and one of Malaysia's largest and most popular shopping malls.
- Executed a merger of a portfolio company with AirAsia and represented Netrove in negotiating the terms of the deal.
Focus areas: Strategy, Startups, Startup Funding, Investment Memoranda, Pitch Decks, Due Diligence, Pricing Strategy, Investment Portfolio Management, Financial Modeling, Deal Analysis, Fundraising, Revenue & Expense Projections, Venture Capital, Market Research, Business Plan Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Early-stage Startups, Seed Fundraising, Three-statement Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Business Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Monetization, Food & Beverage, Franchises, Malaysia, Technology, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Term Sheet Advisory, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
Senior Investment Analyst
2015 - 2017
NAB Asset Management
- Managed the portfolio exposures of funds with over AUD 170 billion funds under management.
- Rebalanced currency exposures of the portfolio.
- Created macro to automated processes and brought down execution time from an hour to 15 minutes.
- Planned and executed financial restructuring of the portfolio to demerge the life insurance portfolios in preparation for its acquisition by Nippon Life.
Focus areas: Investment Portfolio Management, Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Australia, Asset Management, Fund Management, Cash Management, Wealth Management
Hedge Fund Manager
2008 - 2015
Trading Pursuits
- Co-managed a boutique hedge fund using a macro top-down and quantitative approach.
- Backtested strategies based on technical and fundamental analyses.
- Developed stock and option picking screeners based on quantitative models.
- Automated the portfolio risk report to calculate VAR, performances and sensitivity analysis.
- Prepared weekly and monthly reporting to investors.
Focus areas: Risk Analysis, Investment Portfolio Management, Portfolio Analysis, Investment Monitoring, Excel VBA, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Financial Services, Australia, Asset Management, Fund Management, Portfolio Management, Cash Management
Other Experience
Education
2008 - 2010
Master's Degree in Quantitative Finance
University of Technology Sydney - Sydney, Australia
2004 - 2007
Bachelor's Degree in Actuary and Finance
University of New South Wales - Sydney, Australia
Certifications
JUNE 2015 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Skills
Finance
Three-statement Modeling, Fundraising, Financial Modeling, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Forecasting, Revenue & Expense Projections, Market Research, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Cash Flow, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Startup Funding, Valuation, Pricing, Seed Fundraising, Fund Management, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Investment Monitoring, Portfolio Analysis, Investment Portfolio Management, Risk Analysis, Deal Analysis, Pricing Strategy, Due Diligence, Investment Memoranda, Business Advisory, Blockchain, Cash Management, Wealth Management, Cost-benefit Analysis
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
Industry Expertise
Financial Services, Venture Capital, Food & Beverage, Franchises, Technology, Asset Management, Software, High-tech Startups, Early-stage Startups
Geographic Expertise
Australia, Malaysia
Data & Analysis Software
R, Bloomberg
Other
Pitch Decks, Startups, Excel VBA, Business Planning, Market Research & Analysis, Business Research, Business Plan Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Competitive Analysis, Competition Research, SaaS, Fundraising Consultant, Strategy, Financial Forecasting, Business Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Monetization, Writing & Editing, Business Models, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Term Sheet Advisory, Information Technology, English-Chinese Translation, Microsoft, Early-stage Venture Capital, Commercials, Portfolio Management, Consulting, Economics, Market Sizing, Revenue Projections, Renewables, Techno-economics, Green Energy, Foodtech
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