Wen Hu
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Paris, France
Toptal member since February 6, 2020
Wen is a self-driven and creative professional who has consistently created value and bridged gaps in various multicultural environments, particularly in France, the Middle East, and China. Sustainability and energy transition are at the core of her work. She is passionate about building trust, fostering collaboration within multicultural teams, and delivering high-impact solutions.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Synthetic Biology Industry Investment Research
Valuation of a Private Security Company
HR Software Company M&A Alternatives
Financial Model for a Car Park Leasing Contract
London-based Online Platform for a Startup Looking to Expand into France
Expertise
- Business Plan Consulting
- EU regulations
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Market Assessment
- Market Research
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- PRINCE2 Project Management
- Sustainability Strategy
Work Experience
Project Manager
Roland Berger
- Evaluated EU market strategy for a Chinese EV manufacturer, integrating China HQ priorities with forthcoming EU regulatory frameworks (sustainability, battery compliance).
- Evaluated water health issues in Europe using the theory of change, assessing environmental impacts, reviewing EU regulations (CEAP, WFD, UWWTD), and prioritizing intervention levers and over €220 billion investment potential for a water-positive future by 2040.
- Developed 2 climate finance projects worth €1 billion in Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Morocco over 2 months, embedding passive cooling, sustainable desalination, and urban heat mitigation while assessing macroeconomic and social impacts aligned with national NDC pathways.
- Advised a UAE utility on the €1 billion acquisition of a desalination platform business (GS Inima), boosting profitability by 10% and strengthening technical capabilities with 30% lower energy consumption.
- Executed a productivity plan across 6 sites for a French steel manufacturer, enabling fixed cost savings equivalent to 400 FTE within less than 2 months and structuring the consultation process with social partners.
Freelance Finance Consultant (via Toptal)
Toptal Clients
- Reviewed and improved grant applications of 30+ UK technology startups in a variety of sectors: real estate, education, cloud solutions, retail, and financial services. Conducted market research to explain product-market fit and market dynamics.
- Advised 30+ early-stage technology startups in Europe—conducted in-person mentoring by giving expert views on projects and business models, and improved their investor deck. Technologies cover self-sovereign identity, blockchain, robotics, and more.
- Improved the pitch deck for a robotics startup in Israel. Provided guidance on key areas of interest to prospective investors and ensured that the business model was clearly articulated. Helped with investor targeting and introductions.
Strategy Manager
Indigo Group
- Reviewed and developed financial forecasting models and presentations for €30+ million investments in greenfield and brownfield construction projects of car parks with business development managers in Europe, Brazil, and North America.
- Updated the group’s 2025 strategic plan and financial forecasting model in support of the annual investor presentation with shareholders and the rating agency, S&P.
- Conducted detailed financial analysis, operating performance review, budgeting, and forecasting analysis on 40 newly acquired or constructed car parks in Belgium, Spain, and Brazil, as well as bike-sharing mobility solutions in France.
- Improved internal reporting guidelines with regional finance teams in six countries and oversaw financial impairment tests on car parks with a total net present value reaching €200 million.
- Delivered 2 annual financial communications and ESG reporting, collaborating across finance, strategy, and operations teams for presentations and management reports.
Strategy Consultant
Accenture
- Built methodology and toolkits to support the post-merger integration processes for acquisitions in the energy industry, including milestones, day one readiness assessments, operating model design, and project management tools.
- Built a competitive equity story with the management and developed a market model outlining market sizes and growth rates on critical applications, technologies, as well as geographies, for the sale of a €100 million commercial lighting company.
- Developed a market map outlining the market size, detailed segmentation, competitive dynamics, product trends, and M&A transactions for a €100 million investment in an automotive returnable packaging company by a French investment fund.
- Performed detailed analysis of the high-tech campus industry in Europe and similar competitors for validating an investment thesis in a Dutch high-tech campus by a Chinese investment fund.
- Prepared a benchmark analysis report detailing best practices in structuring corporate venture capital across the world for a French telecom company.
- Helped senior management draft commercial proposals and approaches to potential corporate clients as part of business development activity. Developed narratives to sell the services of Accenture Strategy.
M&A Analyst
Ekapartners
- Sold a French premium food brand to Danone for €60 million: performing financial modeling, preparing information memorandum and management presentations, screening and selecting acquirers, analyzing acquisition offers, and coaching the management.
- Developed a 5-year business plan and discounted cash flow model for the €40 million sale of a French-Belgian pledge inventory service provider to a pan-European private equity fund. Facilitated investor discussions with the acquired company.
- Sourced, screened, and approached target companies in the packaging industry with revenue ranging from €10 million to €30 million in support of a ‘buy-and-build’ strategy of a French investment fund.
- Led due diligence process on a financial services company with three investors and helped the management respond to requests.
- Performed analysis of nine consensus broker estimates and analyst recommendations for the investor relations director at an industrial company to ensure post-IPO value creation.
- Reviewed the structure and assumptions of a three-year business plan for a chain of hamburger restaurants seeking a €10 million investment to fund their ongoing international expansion.
- Reviewed valuation of a French dental equipment distributor for a PE investor.
Corporate Relationship Manager
HSBC
- Oversaw a portfolio of 10 large industrial groups with related corporate financing needs to support their business growth.
- Managed onboarding process for new clients, including KYC execution.
- Supported annual credit reviews of 30 large industrial groups across manufacturing sectors.
PE Analyst Intern
MBO & CO
- Built a discounted cash flow and leverage buyout model on a marketing research company with a €30 million turnover.
- Performed market research and analysis of the retirement housing industry for a potential investment.
- Built a market map of the pharmaceutical distribution sector in France.
Education
Master's Degree in Finance and Strategy
EM Lyon Business School - Lyon, France
Bachelor's Degree in Electronics
Tongji University - Shanghai, China
Certifications
Prince2 Project Manager
PeopleCert
Skills
Finance
Fundraising, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), M&A (Sell-side), M&A (Buy-side), Market Research, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Three-statement Modeling, Five-year Projections, Financial Asset Impairment Models, Financial Reporting, Due Diligence, Corporate Finance, Financial Modeling, Private Equity, Investment Monitoring, Forecasting, Statement of Cash Flows, Valuation, Comparable Company Analysis, Profit & Loss (P&L), Credit Risk, Credit/Debt
Output Software
Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel
Data & Analysis Software
Capital IQ
Geographic Expertise
France, Belgium, China, Spain, Singapore
Industry Expertise
Early-stage Startups, Venture Capital, Financial Services, Consumer Products, Automotive, Paper & Packaging
Other
Financial Ratios, Investment Cases, Investor Presentations, Financial Forecasting, Business Plan Consulting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), PRINCE2 Project Management, Sustainability Strategy, Business Strategy, Business Modeling, Market Assessment, Investor Relations, Early-stage Venture Capital, Management Consulting, Foodtech, Investment Banking, Investment Analysis, Investments, Dashboard Design, Change Management, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Battery Management Systems, EU regulations, Business Development, Partnerships, Board of Directors, Board Presentations, Credit Ratings, S&P Capital IQ, Company Strategy, Pitch Books, Negotiation, Business Planning, Strategy, Post-merger Integration, Market Studies, Project Management, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Benchmarking, Pitch Decks, Coaching, Dashboards, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Financial Analysis, Independent Business Reviews, Market Research & Analysis, Investment Research, Transaction Comparables, Company Accounts, Company Screening, Finance, Engineering, M&A Strategy, M&A Due Diligence (Commercial), Operations, Restructuring, Thematic Research, Strategy Planning, ChatGPT, Perplexity, B2B Partnerships, PRINCE2, Process Design
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