Sergio Ermacora
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Toptal member since June 18, 2017
Sergio is an investment banker with 12+ years of experience in complex environments. He has advised company owners and C-level executives on M&A transactions as a partner at RSM International as well as on intellectual property and strategy for high-tech companies like Yahoo, Sony, and Panasonic while at Black Stone IP/Houlihan Lokey. Sergio enjoys freelancing at Toptal to continue working on interesting projects while starting his own company.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Case Studies
Patent Portfolio Valuation
Startup Investment Documents
Market Research for a Private Equity Group
Classified Ads Financial Model
Industry Expertise
- Advertising & Marketing
- Automotive Service & Collision Repair
- Finance
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
- Food & Beverage
- Plastic, Packaging & Containers
- Retail
- Transportation
Other Expertise
- Financial Modeling
- Fundraising
- Intellectual Property
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Pitch Decks
- Valuation
- Venture Funding
Work Experience
CEO
Koola
- Raised angel and seed funding from a corporate venture capital in the automotive industry.
- Built several investor and pitch decks tailored to different investor types and presentation lengths.
- Defined and implemented a go-to-market strategy.
- Conducted market and competition research in the connected car segment.
- Built a business development list; implemented several partnership agreements.
- Built a financial model for internal projections and external fundraising efforts.
- Implemented a 6-month pilot project with an automotive OEM.
Partner, M&A
RSM International
- Advised 10+ mid-sized companies and startups in their fundraising efforts with outside investors—including private equity firms, venture capital funds, and angel groups.
- Created 3-statement integrated financial models and valuations with trading comparables analysis, precedent transactions, discounted cash flow (DCF), and leveraged buyout analyses for acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.
- Identified hundreds of acquisition targets and potential buyers. Created lists using several tools like Capital IQ and Mergermarket.
- Built a financial model and presentation, and negotiated a debt restructuring deal valued at more than €30 million.
- Advised the leading website and classified ads site in the Balkans on the sell-side mandate. The company was eventually sold to Naspers.
- Performed company, industry, market, and competitor research.
Senior Financial Analyst
Black Stone IP (Part of Houlihan Lokey)
- Created a valuation model and sell-side strategy for the sale of Yahoo's patent portfolio.
- Helped build the licensing strategy model for HEVC Advance patent pool (includes companies such as Sony, Panasonic, and Dolby).
- Developed a patent portfolio valuation model and sell-side strategy for a segment of Broadcom's patent portfolio.
- Developed an intellectual property strategy for Dolby.
- Identified non-core patents for SAP and assisted with valuation and sell-side advisory.
- Led the intellectual property strategy and valuation for HID Global.
M&A Director | Head of Research
Ascendant Capital Advisors (Member of IMAP)
- Advised 3 of the largest private security companies in the South Eastern European region in their sell-side mandate with Securitas (valued at more than €30 million).
- Advised a German automotive company on the buy-side of a regional injection moulding company.
- Created research memorandums for different industries with a focus on Central Eastern Europe.
- Created several buy-side and sell-side long lists for international and regional clients.
- Led the fundraising process (both debt and equity) with a pool of local banks and IFC for a Bosnian automotive company in the total amount of €18 million.
- Created more than 30 financial models, teasers, and information memorandums for clients.
- Worked on mandates with a total value of more than USD $500 million.
M&A Director
Prevent DEV
- Screened several hundred potential acquisitions.
- Analyzed financials, operations, potential synergies, and conducted interviews with management for more than 20 potential acquisitions.
- Worked on 9 potential acquisitions, analyzing detailed financials, potential synergies, and negotiated share purchase agreements.
- Closed 4 acquisitions with a total value of more than USD $100 million and revenues exceeding USD $600 million.
- Led the team on the acquisition of Eybl International—an Austrian company with revenues exceeding USD $500 million in the automotive sector and more than 10 locations around Europe.
Financial Analyst | Portfolio Manager
Raiffeisen
- Built several financial and valuation models for listed companies including BHTelecom, Hrvatski Telekom, Elektroprivreda BiH, and Sarajevska Pivara.
- Advised on equity portfolios for different client types ranging from wealthy individuals, and international mutual and hedge funds.
Education
Certificate in Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
University of Michigan | Coursera - Online
Master of Science in Business Analysis
Staffordshire University - Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Bachelor's Degree in Finance
University of Rijeka - Rijeka, Croatia
Skills
Finance
Profit & Loss (P&L), Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Revenue & Expense Projections, Market Research, Capital Raising, Debt Restructuring, Three-statement Modeling, DCF Valuation, Forecasting, Valuation Modeling, Valuation Multiples, Valuation, Comparable Company Analysis, Venture Funding, Angel/Seed Funding, Fundraising, Financial Modeling, Finance Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Finance, Debt Raises, Bank Debt Raises, Project Finance, Financial Engineering, Equity Research, Portfolio Analysis, Intellectual Property Valuation, Convertible Debt, Investment Memoranda, Financial Model Auditing, Management Buyout Finance, Private Equity
Output Software
Microsoft Word, Prezi, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel
Data & Analysis Software
Capital IQ, Bloomberg
Industry Expertise
Retail & Wholesale, Automotive, Technology, Financial Services, Venture Capital, Transportation & Shipping, Food & Beverage, Plastics, Capital Markets
Geographic Expertise
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Eastern Europe, Europe, Central Eastern Europe, United States, Germany
Other
Business Development, Growth Strategy, Emerging Markets, Funding Presentations, Company Research, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Strategic Partnerships, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Target Sourcing, Buyer Lists, Industry Analysis, Pitch Decks, Early-stage Funding, Online Business, B2B, Startup Growth Strategy Development, S&P Capital IQ, Financial Statements, Acquisitions, Intellectual Property, Internet Protocols, Patents, IP Virtual Server (IPVS), Restructuring Consultant, Pitch Books, Debt Financing, Investor Presentations, Partnerships, Research Analysis, Presentation Design, Company Strategy, Business Strategy, Leveraged Finance, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Captial Sourcing, Deal Sourcing, SME/SMB Financing, Research, Presentations, Writing & Editing, Strategy, Pitch Preparation, Strategy Planning, Business Planning, Publishing, Technical Analysis, Lean Startups, Joint Venture Development, Startups, Proof of Concept (POC), Pastel, Portfolio Management, Transaction Advisory, Consolidation, Market Research & Analysis, Classified Posting, Advertising, Intellectual Property Licensing, Investor Agreements, Enterprise Startups, Private Placement Memoranda, Licensing
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
Share your needs
Choose your talent
Start your risk-free talent trial
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring