Corporate Conversations

Do you have the right financial information to make your business decisions? (10/05/2010 Show)

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Too many executives are using the standard balance sheet and profit & loss statements to manage their business.  In most cases, this is not going to give you the right information to see the real story behind your business’ financial health. Learn what you should be doing instead.

Debra Pauli, CPA/CFF, CTP, Founder Corporate Financial Solutions, LLC

Debra is a CPA, certified in Financial Forensics and a Certified Turnaround Professional with extensive experence with companies ranging from entrepreneurial companies to the Fortune 500.  In 1997, Ms. Pauli started Corporate Financial Solutions, LLC to consult with companies in addressing their most pressing financial problems.  Prir to starting her consulting firm, Ms. Pauli was Controller of Oxford Industries; CFO of the US subsidiary of a German-owned company and was a manager in Entrepreneurial Services for Arthur Young & Co, now Ernst & Young.  Mr. Pauli’s consulting projects have included transaction services including acquisition dure diligence for private equity groups; company integration post closing; cash managemetn for companies in decline; CFO services including developing business and cash flow plans; process improvement design and implementation and cost accounting.  As a Certified Turnaround Professional, she had conducted business assessments for investors and financial instiutions. The common thread in all of Ms. Pauli’s assignements is the need to quickly assess the company’s risk and opportunities, including its business model, processes, and management capabilities and recommend action for change. Debra Pauli Segment

Don H. Bravoldo, III, CPA, Principal, Practice Group Leader  Middle Market Group Walden Businesses, Inc.

Don Bravaldo is a CPA who specializes in M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory Services.  Don is a principal with Walden Businesses, an Atlanta based M&A firm that is focused on the southeastern US.  In 2001, he established a practice group within Walden to work on larger privately owned business deals for the smaller end of the middle market than a business brokerage focuses on.  This could equate to a revenue range of $3MM to $100MM depending upon the industry. The practice group is called The Walden Middle Market Group (WMMG).  WMMG is referral based, primarily comprised of privately held family run businesses where the hands on approach from start to finish is highly valued and beneficial.  Approximately 50% of the work is sell-side focused, 20% is buy-side for small to midsize corporate clients or high net worth individuals who have a specific buying target in mind, 20% is corporate finance debt restructuring and 10% is advisory related work with a deal already on the table.  Don has worked with many different industries including manufacturing, distribution and B2B service type clients but there is a sprinkling of technology (IT, software and SAAS).  Through WMMG, “Large private and closely held business clients now have a resource for the same level of service (if not more) and the same access to research and technical capabilities and the benefits of a process driven approach to sell side or buy side related activity as middle market businesses.  We refer to this level of service as a “boutique investment banking” level of service.  Don’s ability to be hands on from start to finish, drawing on public accounting experience makes a real difference in bringing a business to market and in closing a deal.  Don has over 10 years of auditor experience that provides insight into understanding and assessing risk.  This experience, along with Don’s deal making experience buying businesses for a public company has uniquely qualified him to package a business for sale and increase the odds of closing a successful transaction in today’s volatile private equity markets. Don Bravaldo Segment

Tyler Tatum, President & CEO, Brainlike, Inc.

Tyler Tatum is Chief Executive Officer of Brainlike, Inc., a technology company that delivers smart sensing solutions for real-time monitoring applications. Tyler’s career has been marked by quickly and effectively managing the transition of technology into valuable customer applications. His career began as a programmer with Netuitive (then known as Rapid Clip Neural Systems), in 1997. He went on to lead that company’s programming team as software engineering manager, then as product manager. In every new market that the company entered (electricity demand forecasting, energy price forecasting, and server performance management), Tyler took the lead in understanding customer requirements and delivering the best possible solution.

After leaving Netuitive in 2001, Tyler ran Project Planet, a leading hotel environmental services company. Starting with negative cash flow, he succeeded in bringing the company to profitability, raising its sales by 50%, and decreasing its debt structure within an otherwise depressed hotel market. At Brainlike, Tyler is focusing his strong technical abilities, project management skills, and leadership experience on delivering valuable solutions to satisfied customers very quickly, and ensuring Brainlike’s commercial success in the defense and homeland security sector. Tyler holds a B.S. in computer science from Cornell University.Tyler Tatum Segment