COMPANY SUMMARY
Sapling Financial Consultants is a fast growing Toronto-based management consulting firm, founded in 2015. We seek to empower businesses to make better decisions through financial modelling and data analytics. By making best-in-class modelling and analytics more accessible, we can unlock value in a large number of mid-market businesses and bring more value to the world.
Sapling works with private equity firms, mid-market companies, energy developers and entrepreneurs across Canada and the US to design and build financial solutions tailored to meet specific company needs. Sapling’s areas of expertise include: financial modelling, data analytics, automation, and developing operating tools. Our services help companies to evaluate new business opportunities, secure financing for new projects, improve operational efficiency, obtain accurate valuations, generate actionable insights, and more.
POSITION SUMMARY, DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
Position Summary
We are looking for an ambitious Consultant with experience in either transaction advisory, corporate finance, private equity, public accounting, FP&A, or investment banking, who above all wants to do high quality, impactful work they can take pride in--work that creates real value for our clients.
As a Consultant, you will work together with our co-founders and consulting team to conduct buy-side or sell-side financial due diligence, develop quality of earnings reports and databooks, deliver comprehensive financial models, build KPI dashboards, conduct industry research, build presentation decks, and conduct in-depth analyses for management using financial data.
We are a boutique consultancy that differentiates itself from the big firms with best-in-class work and a strong functional expertise, and we have no interest in diluting our brand. The ideal candidate can not only keep up, but also win our respect through their work ethic, attention to detail, and high quality of work.
We’re looking above all for someone with a longer-term outlook who wants to join like-minded people in building a wildly successful company founded on that principle of creating high-impact value for clients.
This role will help you deepen and widen your due diligence, financial modelling, and data analytics skills and provide you with hands-on experience with client and business development. Ultimately, you will play a large role in a small but growing team with big ambitions for 2024 and beyond.
Our company is on a hybrid model, with the entire team in-office (Yonge/Sheppard) Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the balance of days at home. Our hybrid model is a reflection of the independence that our team is entrusted with in completing their work.
Responsibilities
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Assist with core financial due diligence, helping to identify key risks and potential deal breakers, assess the strengths and weaknesses of the business against industry benchmarks, and aid in the evaluation of the potential transaction
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Analyze detailed financial statement information including income statement, balance sheet, cash flow and key operational data. Combine the data into meaningful information that is used to drive discussions with target management and drive observations and conclusions
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Evaluate the quality of the target company’s reported earnings, net assets and cash flows
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Build deal-oriented reports and presentations for clients that highlight the key financial, commercial and other findings facing investments and the drivers behind maintainable profits and cash flows. Aid the team in further articulating how such findings should be incorporated into the client’s valuation and sale, purchase agreement and provide other negotiating points
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Develop quality of earnings databooks and reports, synthesizing financial, accounting, operational and other information from companies going through the M&A process (buy-side or sell-side) in order to normalize earnings, and provide assurance around claimed earnings
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Conduct in-depth market, industry and company research on clients, and develop decks and reports, for business plans, business cases, valuations, financial analyses and related documents
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Develop financial analyses/data analyses providing actionable insight to management through spreadsheets constructed with data from accounting/finance systems, operational systems, HR systems, web databases, etc.
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Build comprehensive and complex financial models covering client companies’ operations (revenue and expense drivers), capital structure (debt, equity and other related structures), working capital items (AR, AP, tax, etc.) and full financial statements (balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement) – LBO, debt/equity raise, budgeting models, plant expansions, project finance, roll-up strategies, etc.
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Develop, manage, oversee and implement dynamic spreadsheet “tools” covering a wide range of situations based on client needs. Examples of previous Sapling work in this regard include a manufacturing plant scheduling tool, a plant nursery harvest model, biological asset valuation models, financial statement consolidations, personal finance overviews, life insurance sales models, investment account tax and return calculations, etc.
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Build automated Key Performance Indicators Dashboards that drill down into a company’s financial and operational data to identify key business trends and assist with forming a short and long-term finance strategy
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Manage client relationships, ensuring overall satisfaction, and looking for pertinent opportunities to provide additional services to existing clients
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Oversee and conduct quality control on the work of the Analysts on the team
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As required, and depending on available billable work, assist with proposals (“live” client leads, government bids, etc.), marketing material development, writing of white papers and blogs, webinars and seminars to associations and prospective client firms, and help in the process of disseminating marketing materials (emails, webinars, etc.)
Skills & Qualifications
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A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (i.e., commerce, economics, business administration, computer science, mathematics, engineering, etc.) is required, though work experience in a relevant field coupled with a non-related Bachelor’s degree (humanities, social sciences, etc.) can substitute
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2-4 years of professional services experience in transaction advisory, assurance or accounting orientated roles, accompanied by experience in the preparation and/or analysis of financial statements, as well as experience in transaction or due diligence services, or other M&A focused roles
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CPA or CFA designation is highly desirable
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Master’s degree in a related field is considered an asset
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Strong accounting skills with detailed knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and/or IFRS
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Strong computer literacy with emphasis on advanced Excel skills, PowerPoint and Word presentation skills
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Knowledge of Power BI, SQL or MySQL databases, and/or programming (e.g., VBA, C#, Java, Python, etc.) is welcomed, but not a must
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Intellectual curiosity and passion for learning about new industries and new businesses, as well as new technical skills
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Ability to take ownership of responsibilities and see them through to completion
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Ability to work independently and manage time and multiple tasks/deadlines/deliverables at once
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Strong dedication to the team and excellent work ethic with a willingness to work for extended hours including weekends when called for by client needs
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Desire to contribute to the firm over the long haul, with the understanding that loyalty and hard work will be recognized in both compensation and responsibilities
APPLICATION DETAILS
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Start Date: We are looking for 1 full-time team member to start with us either in the spring or summer of 2025.
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Location: Toronto
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Application Materials:
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- Answering a couple of questions on our online form
Sapling Financial Consultants is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity.