Zerrick is available for hire
Hire ZerrickZerrick Bynum
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Charlotte, NC, United States
Toptal member since May 31, 2017
Bio
Zerrick majored in electrical engineering at Stanford (later earning an MBA from Harvard), but his professional career has been in business, primarily in finance/business development at high-growth companies. He enjoys freelancing because it exposes him to a breadth of companies and industries where he can add value and learn. Zerrick works best as a strategic CFO—managing the cash flow, fundraising, and providing mission-critical analyses.
Career Highlights
Owner | Fractional CFO | Principal Contractor
ABZerrick LLC
Fractional CFO
Party Reflections, Inc.
CFO
RolloverSystems, LLC (renamed Retirement Clearinghouse)
Education Highlights
Certified MBA (CMBA)
Harvard Business School
Bachelor's Degree
Stanford University (President's Award for Academic Excellence Winner — Given to the Top 40 Students in the Freshman Class)
Participated
Semester at Sea
Case Studies
Employee Engagement Internal Whitepaper
Banking & FinanceEmployee EngagementWhite PapersMarketingUnit PricingCommunication
Acquisition Financial Model and Debt Analysis
Debt FinancingValuation MultiplesMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Financial ModelingPrivate EquityThree-statement Modeling+ 4 more
Market Research and Positioning Strategy
Market ResearchMarketing StrategyWeb & Mobile ApplicationsUser Experience (UX)
Expertise
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Growth Capital Raising
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Private Equity
- Unit Pricing
- Web & Mobile Applications
- Working Capital Management
Work Experience
Owner | Fractional CFO | Principal Contractor
2017 - PRESENT
ABZerrick LLC
- Served as Finance Consultant at North Carolina A&T Real Estate Foundation, Inc., Fractional CFO at Party Reflections, Inc., and Interim CFO at Enviro-Master International Franchise.
- Collaborated with Foundation—managing a $180+ million student housing and university real estate portfolio—its board of directors, bond consultants, and bond ratings agency to address operational challenges and ensure long-term success.
- Developed SOPs for $40+ million bond financing compliance and created monthly financial reports.
- Built pro forma cash flow budgets for 2 bond-issuing entities in real estate format and reconciled financial statements to budgets.
- Hired by a private equity group owner and the management of this leading franchisor of commercial cleaning, disinfection, and bathroom cleaning services to address operational deficiencies and ensure long-term success.
- Identified compliance and security/controls concerns and created an action plan to rectify issues.
- Performed operational audit and created an action plan to migrate analog operating procedures (invoicing and receivables management, check processing, and weekly fee statements) to digital SOPs.
- Assisted in interviewing and onboarding the new CFO.
Focus areas: Bank Debt Raises, Bonds, Budgeting, Financial Modeling, Financial Reporting, Investor Relations, Fractional CFO, Interim CFO, Part-time CFO, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Debt Structuring, Unit Pricing, Growth Capital Raising, Working Capital Management, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Capital Structure Analysis, Capital Structuring, Risk Management, Financial Forecasting, Financial Operations & Processes, Consolidation, Business Analysis, Digital Product Management, Stakeholder Management
Founder | CEO
2011 - PRESENT
Viddles LLC DBA Be Seen
- Led the direct product development at this startup company, creating the coordination and accountability app Be Seen | No Cracks.
- Worked closely with the design team, back-end Ruby developer, and front-end React developer to design, develop, test, and refine Be Seen, including releasing the apps in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
- Raised $1 million in seed-financing from friends, family, and an institutional investor.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Investor Relations, Market Research, Angel/Seed Funding, User Testing, App Product Management, Product Management, Agile Software Development, Unit Pricing, Mobile UX, Web & Mobile Applications, Board Presentations, Three-statement Modeling, Design Thinking, User Experience (UX), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Slack, Business Analysis, Digital Product Management, Stakeholder Management
Fractional CFO
2018 - 2020
Party Reflections, Inc.
- Served as part-time CFO at the largest event rental company in the Carolinas, until COVID-19 caused in-person events to cease.
- Worked with the controller to streamline the monthly closing. Distilled monthly financials into new management reports, presenting them in regular executive management meetings and to middle managers to teach key business drivers.
- Collaborated with salespersons and the sales manager to create intuitive finance-based pricing tools that accounted for fixed and variable costs for each.
- Managed banking relationships to restructure and establish debt and equity structures, providing flexibility to pursue organic growth strategy and acquisitive growth strategy in a capital-intensive, seasonal industry.
Focus areas: Fractional CFO, Part-time CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Forecasting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Bank Debt Raises, Unit Pricing, Consolidation, Financial Operations & Processes, Growth Capital Raising, Working Capital Management, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Profitability Analysis, Capital Structure Analysis, Capital Structuring, CFO, Communication, Debt Raises, Employee Engagement, Business Analysis, IT Business Analysis, Stakeholder Management
CFO
2006 - 2011
RolloverSystems, LLC (renamed Retirement Clearinghouse)
- Directed finance with the CEO and board for a high-touch fintech serving 7,000+ retirement plan clients with 850,000+ 401(k) and 403(b) participants, handling $1+ billion annually, nearly doubling to 60 employees in 18 months.
- Conducted risk management. Analyzed the company's risk profile, ensured regulatory compliance, and mitigated financial liability through process reforms and a comprehensive insurance program across the corporate parent and subsidiaries.
- Spearheaded financial control by hiring a controller, then implementing and supervising a monthly closing process. Also initiated regular annual financial and FINRA audits. Neither monthly closes nor annual audits were previously performed.
- Managed the cash flow by creating detailed weekly, monthly, and yearly cash flow projections for the senior management discussions internally and for the regular board-of-directors meetings. Also signed the checks to the vendors.
- Created a dashboard for distributing key financial and operating metrics for internal consumption and regular board meetings.
- Supervised the legal drafting, closing, and funding of multiple private equity financing rounds exceeding $10 million in aggregate.
- Co-led technology projects related to selecting and onboarding an enterprise data hosting provider and determining reporting requirements for a consumer financial transactions platform.
- Maintained banking and external legal counsel relations before hiring a General Counsel, co-managed insurance with the HR director and GC, and served as primary investor relations contact for individual, family office, and institutional investors.
- Led the fold-in acquisition, via an Article IX sale, of a retirement industry technology platform company.
- Managed the company's conversion from a C corporation to an LLC. Drove the migration from QuickBooks to the Great Plains Dynamics accounting software package. Helped negotiate IRA, mutual fund, and money-market fund seller agreements.
Focus areas: Working Capital Management, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Capital Structure Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Board Presentations, Board of Directors, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Private Equity, Financial Forecasting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Financial Regulations, FINRA, Investor Relations, Consolidation, Financial Operations & Processes, Unit Pricing, Growth Capital Raising, Profitability Analysis, Three-statement Modeling, Capital Structuring, Risk Management, CFO, Communication, Employee Engagement, Business Analysis, IT Business Analysis, Fintech, Stakeholder Management, Broker Dealers, Financial Markets
Founding Principal
2003 - 2006
Charlotte Franchise Partners
- Started a company search firm to acquire, operate, and grow a small, multi-location operating company ($3 - $5 million enterprise value). Primary responsibilities included sourcing acquisition opportunities, conducting company and industry due diligence—arranging and structuring, financing, and supervising legal and tax advisors.
- Successfully negotiated and executed several letters of intent (LOI), including LOIs to purchase a niche home medical equipment company and a leading niche, consumer financial services company operating as an orphaned division of a NYSE-traded company.
- Provided operations improvement and growth strategy consulting services to a small behavioral healthcare company. Specifically researched and advised on implementing a new accounting and billing system to improve cash flow management and internal controls, and to bring the company into compliance with its bank debt. Supervised and coordinated the functional team to set, measure, and ensure an achievement of the defined metrics.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Private Equity, Capital Structure Analysis, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Market Research, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Three-statement Modeling, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Capital Structuring, Financial Forecasting, Budgeting, Business Analysis, Fintech, Stakeholder Management
Co-Founder | President
2000 - 2002
SAVA Systems
- Co-founded SAVA—a developer, marketer, and licensor of digital video technologies.
- Developed and executed a business plan. Managed the cash flow and maintained a strategic marketing focus.
- Conducted business intelligence and research on existing and emerging market trends and technologies.
- Handled the enterprise sales efforts which resulted in licensing technology to a leading Japanese industrial company and a Pennsylvania-based media systems integrator in the first year.
- Co-drafted and filed 2 patents. Negotiated the technology assignment and development agreement, the option agreement, the convertible note, and the security agreements in that technology asset purchase.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Business Intelligence (BI), Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Research, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Analysis, Stakeholder Management
Investment Banking Associate
1997 - 1999
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (acquired by Credit Suisse)
- Modeled the restructuring proposals, performed debt and equity returns analysis, and negotiated with bondholders. Drafted private placement preferred stock offering memorandum for a $50 million de-inked pulp mill.
- Structured lead high-yield and equity underwriting transactions. Clients included an $80 million international automotive parts repair chain, a $200+ million stock image distributor, and a $100 million satellite launch company.
- Prepared bids through a 2nd round to acquire a $100 million Tier-II defense contractor. Conducted market and financial due diligence, assessed the management, and provided financial analyses and investment memos.
Focus areas: Valuation, Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Private Equity, Debt Raises, Capital Raising, Restructuring, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), DCF Valuation, Working Capital Management, Board Presentations, Corporate Restructuring, Growth Capital Raising, Three-statement Modeling, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Capital Structuring, Financial Forecasting, Business Analysis
Investment Banking Analyst
1993 - 1995
Bowles Hollowell Conner (Acquired by First Union; now part of Wells Fargo)
- Served as a generalist at the preeminent investment bank specializing in providing structured finance and mergers and acquisitions advisory services to middle market companies ($20 to $500 million annual sales). Worked closely with client CEOs and CFOs.
- Created financial models and subsequent analyses of the following: comparisons to publicly held companies, recently completed mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and discounted cash flows.
- Performed due diligence, conducted industry and competitive research, and drafted select portions of confidential information memoranda.
- Produced management presentations, conducted on-site visits, and advised clients during final purchase and sale agreement negotiations.
Focus areas: Debt Financing, Capital Structure Analysis, Executive Presentations, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Private Equity, DCF Valuation, Working Capital Management, Board Presentations, Growth Capital Raising, Three-statement Modeling, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Capital Structuring, Financial Forecasting, Business Analysis
Education
1995 - 1997
Certified MBA (CMBA) in Business Administration
Harvard Business School - Boston, MA, USA
1988 - 1992
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
Stanford University (President's Award for Academic Excellence Winner — Given to the Top 40 Students in the Freshman Class) - Palo Alto, CA, USA
1990 - 1990
Participated in A study abroad (General Studies)
Semester at Sea - The World
Skills
Finance
Valuation, DCF Valuation, Private Equity, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Growth Capital Raising, Capital Structure Analysis, Capital Structuring, Working Capital Management, Profitability Analysis, Three-statement Modeling, Valuation Modeling, Valuation Multiples, Financial Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research, Budgeting, CFO, Financial Reporting, Unit Pricing, Bank Debt Raises, Debt Raises, Credit/Debt, Financial Regulations, Angel/Seed Funding, Fundraising, Capital Raising, Market Opportunity Analysis, Business Intelligence (BI), Price Analysis, Debt Structuring, Equity Raises
Industry Expertise
Financial Services, Venture Capital, Nonprofits, Banking & Finance, Financial Markets
Geographic Expertise
United States
Output Software
Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel
Other
Web & Mobile Applications, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, Investor Agreements, Investor Relations, Communication, Financial Forecasting, Fractional CFO, Part-time CFO, Financial Operations & Processes, Business Analysis, Digital Product Management, Stakeholder Management, Executive Presentations, Employee Engagement, User Experience (UX), Mobile UX, Slack, Employee Stock Options, Restructuring, Corporate Restructuring, Risk Management, Facebook Ads, Facebook Marketing, Instagram Marketing, Debt Financing, Boards, Board Presentations, Operations, Instagram Ads, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Excel Modeling, Investor Presentations, Communication Strategy, Investor Reporting, Pitch Decks, Consolidation, IT Business Analysis, Fintech, Board of Directors, Business Planning, White Papers, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Design Thinking, Trello, Microsoft Dynamics GP, FINRA, User Testing, App Product Management, Product Management, Agile Software Development, Bonds, Interim CFO, APIs, Cash Flow Analysis, Unit Economics, Broker Dealers
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