John Kahn

John has been CFO of, and provided interim CFO services to, a variety of private equity-backed, going public, and publicly traded companies. His industry expertise includes: life sciences (e.g., medical devices, pharma, healthcare supplies); aerospace, defense, and government contracting; technology (e.g., technology enabled services, software, software as a service (SaaS), data as a service (DaaS), call centers, cybersecurity, fintech, blockchain, telecom, hardware); other manufacturing; e-commerce and traditional retail and distribution; e-sports; financial services; business services; professional services; construction; and infrastructure.

John is an author and speaker on topics such as completing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC), and implementing new regulations. He has experience with over 30 M&A buy/sell-side projects, carveouts, and post-merger integrations, and has also led more than 30 debt/equity financings. John’s skills include effecting turnarounds in challenging financial situations, improving forecasting processes, and identifying strategic synergies and cost reductions, plus extensive negotiation experience working from inferior negotiating positions. He works with or without investment bankers as appropriate.

John’s professional experience includes:

• Interim CFO services for a private equity-backed, global, European Union-headquartered, IFRS basis accounting, medical device carveout, establishing day one finance and treasury operations, including transition services agreement negotiations. Achieved desired B credit agency ratings and $670 million debt syndication.
• Relationship leader for $3 billion revenue public software company and $2.4 billion revenue private equity-backed infrastructure company clients.
• Led work with $800 million revenue private equity-backed multi-location roll-up to improve working capital and liquidity.
• CFO bandwidth expansion and value creation initiatives for $400 million revenue U.S.-based international aerospace and defense private equity portfolio company and subsidiaries, carved out of United Kingdom (UK)-based parent.
• Interim CFO services for unicorn valuation life sciences company, facilitated rapid resolution of complex issues to enable timely Big Firm audit. Led finance team for over 12 months, concluding with successful merger transaction.
• Interim CFO services, led CFO tasks, technical accounting, and Securities and Exchange Commission reporting for UK/U.S. cross-border pharmaceutical deSPAC target, including resolving complex open audit items to complete a private investment in public equity and go-public.
• Interim CFO services, sale/debt/equity raise readiness for dual IFRS/U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles global DaaS company.
• Interim CFO / Chief Accounting Officer services for a $500 million revenue private equity-backed deSPAC target. Consumer-facing via its own and third-party e-commerce marketplaces. Key aspects included: 13-week cash forecast process and liquidity improvement; asset-based lending (ABL) debt renegotiation; debt and equity fund raises; co-leader SAP S4/HANA enterprise resource planning six-month accelerated pace implementation; facilitated re-audit by a Big Four firm of three years of predecessor audits in three months; and managed bi-lateral due diligence work.
• Interim CFO services and closed loan for middle-market international e-sports, business-to-consumer (B2C) media, and SaaS group. Led revenue/cost recognition accounting, initial public offering / deSPAC / audit readiness, corporate structure and transfer pricing reviews, M&A diligence, post-merger integrations, and introduced and/or enhanced KPI tracking/reporting.
• Interim CFO services and enhanced supply chain debt/ equity capital for medical device/supplies importer with B2C e-commerce, business-to-business (B2B) clients.
• As CFO for turnaround of 25-entity global industrial products group, led successful renegotiation and expansion of distressed multi-national syndicated ABL debt facility. Introduced a mezzanine debt tier, kept existing lenders, and expanded senior syndicate. Optimized taxes, achieved 31%-56% general and administrative cost reductions, mitigated risk, and facilitated growth. Instrumental in corporate development, secured and solidified eventual strategic buyer’s interest.
• As CFO, turned around government contracting publicly-listed company, achieving a 271% one-year stock price lift.
• As CFO, achieved over 50% internal rate of return for private equity investors via carveout with simultaneous parallel exit transactions.
• As Controller, established greenfield corporate financial reporting and treasury operations for multi-entity carveout.
• Experienced Audit and Business Advisory Manager for a global accounting firm, member of firmwide technologies industry and U.S. retail and distribution industry teams. Joined in UK, transferred to Silicon Valley, California.