Expertise: Due Diligence
Stephen Blunck
Senior Consultant, Maven Associates
VP, Serent Capital
Associate, Advent International
Senior Associate Consultant, Bain & Company
MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business
BS, Brigham Young University
Representative Projects
- Developed and implemented procurement and cost reduction initiatives for multi-billion-dollar public retailer
- Designed organizational growth strategy and decision-making framework for charter school network expanding across regions
- Led the merger of two human capital management enterprises to consolidate market share and drive growth synergies
- Created strategy to accelerate company growth for data center company
- Implemented value creation initiatives for at-risk healthcare entity, including leadership build-out, growth strategy, and new geography expansion
- Supported ed-tech company with merger integration, financial operations, capital structure, and tracking against key performance indicators
- Negotiated with lenders to obtain ~$600M in financing to facilitate company recapitalization
- Led due diligence workstreams for multiple potential private equity transactions, with combined enterprise value of ~$6B
Expertise
Industries
- Business Services
- Healthcare
- Financial Services
- Retail
- Education
- Technology & Software
- Human Capital Management
- Pharmaceuticals
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Finance
- Profit Improvement
- Organizational Design
- Due Diligence
Representative Clients
Companies
- JCPenney
- Uplift Education
- TalentWave
- Professional Health
- Care Network
- KEV School Solutions
- Data Center Co.
- ATI Physical Therapy
- InVentiv
PE Firms
- Serent Capital
- Advent International
VP Strategy, Blucora
AVP Corporate Strategy & Development, AT&T
Case Team Leader, Bain & Company
Ops Officer, U.S. Intel Community
MBA, Duke University
BS, Electrical Engineering, Missouri S&T University
Representative Projects
- Planned and executed multiple domestic and international high-stakes telecommunications auctions with $18B+ acquisitions
- Developed growth strategy for recently-acquired specialty insurance company resulting in customer acquisition of $30B anchor client
- Led development of wealth management M&A growth strategy with $20B in asset growth potential
- Established and led annual strategic planning process for Fortune 10 firm
- Formed and led program management of new global joint venture for five major telecommunications firms achieving technical prototypes in 6 weeks
- Established program management organization and governance committee for $81B in wireless radio spectrum assets
- Conducted due diligence of $1.4B U.S. Government subsidy auction, identifying significant flaws in auction and program design, and advocating for change with FCC
- Led due diligence team of new 5G technology and resulting deployment cost model
- Managed creation of wealth management profit improvement plan with new pricing to realize $45M in incremental gross profit
Expertise
Industries
- Financial Services
- Military & Intelligence
- Speciality Retail
- Technology
- Telecommunications
Expertise
- Growth Strategy
- Auction Planning & Execution
- Strategic Planning & Program Management
- Due Diligence
- Profit Improvement
Representative Clients
Companies
- AT&T
- Blucora, Inc.
- $10B Speciality Insurer
- Fortune 10 Financial Services Firm
- $15B speciality retailer
- Top 5 private equity firm
- Top 20 private equity firm
- U.S. Intelligence Community Agency
Founder, Corbett Consulting
COO, Array Marketing
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Leader, Wiremold Company
Toyota Motor Company
Manager, CIBC
MSc, Chaminade University
BComm, Carleton University
Representative Projects
- Integration of 3 “bolt on” acquisitions in electrical conduit manufacturing
- Led development of Strategy to consolidate and relocate manufacturing in Mexico reducing labor costs by 80% for an Auto supplier
- Developed and implemented post-acquisition consolidation plan generating over $2MM COGS reduction and multiple real estate opportunities
- Improved product flow in Hydraulic Systems that reduced labor by 15%, inventory by 30% and Leadtime by 50%
- Improved call center operations resulting in 20% reduction in required staff and an improvement in the Net Promotor Score (NPS)
- Created evaluation/audit process to drive continuous improvement across range of businesses that delivered 2 points of EBITDA 3 years in a row
- Optimized retail store operations that reduced store labor reduction of 20%
- Redesigned order sequencing and processing to increase “On Time In Full” by 12 points
Expertise
Industries
- Manufacturing
- Machining
- Aerospace and Defense
- Automotive
- Call Centers
- Hospital Operations
- Retail Operations
- Purchasing
- Supply Chain Optimization
- Mortgage Processing
- Insurance
Project Types
- Operations Optimization
- Due Diligence
- M&A Strategy
- Post Merger Integration
- Organizational Design
- Profit Improvement
Representative Clients
Companies
- Caterpillar
- IBM
- Livingston
- International
- CHS
- Intercos
- Thrivent Financial
- Cobham
- Argyle Investments
- Minute Maid
- Textron
PE Firms
- TorQuest
- Carlyle
- TPG
- Birchill
- Sun Capital
- L Catterton
Advisor, Redstone Road LLC
Executive, Palantir Technologies
Founder, Pure Growth Partners
Principal, Bain & Company
MBA, Wharton School of Business
BA, Economics, Princeton University
Representative Projects
- Transformed of one of America’s leading luxury brands, resulting in 25% profit uplift, 4x EBITDA increase, and 70% reduction in outstanding debt
- Drove digital transformation of portfolio of media brands, driving >$20MM savings by integrating edit teams, developing new digital products, transforming customer acquisition, and eliminating under-performing publications
- Conducted 30 diligences across multiple industries, ranging from 2 weeks <$100MM to multi-month, multi-billion dollar highly complex acquisitions
- Led diligence process for the Singapore Ministry of Finance to select a best-qualified developer to build the world’s largest casino resort
- Led successful bid for large regional payments processing system, including developing proprietary forecasts for evolution of credit and debit markets, and extensive diligence of legacy internal IT systems
- Developed 100-day plan for successful post-merger integration of two, multi-site heavy industrial manufacturers
- Created new opportunity screen for one of the nation’s leading CPG manufacturers
- Created, launched, and marketed celebrity-backed beverage, from initial concept through formulation, testing, and successful distribution in 40k doors
Expertise
Industries
- Media
- Technology
- Luxury
- Consumer Products
- Retail
- Data & Analytics
- Payments
- Financial Services Technology (Fintech)
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Marketing
- Business Development
- Organizational Design
- Due Diligence
Representative Clients
Companies
- Meredith Company
- Mack Weldon
- David Webb
- Conde Nast
- Anomaly Corporation
- American Kennel Club
- Dresser-Rand
- Vocativ
- MTV Viacom
- NASDAQ
- SourceMedia
Companies
- Blackstone Group
- Bain Capital
- Advent International
- Warburg Pincus
- Silver Lake
Founder, Galileo Preschool
Co-Founder & Director of Strategy, EarlySpark
COO, Identified
PE Associate, H.I.G. Capital
Consultant, BCG
MBA, Stanford University
MA, Education, Stanford University
MS, Comp Sci / Electrical Engineering, M.I.T.
BS, Comp Sci / Electrical Engineering, M.I.T.
Representative Projects
- Created a 5-year roadmap for a global non-profit to solidify their change model and scale their organization
- Implemented a global restructuring of a Fortune 500 company through several worldwide workshops, redesigning the organization layer-by-layer starting with the CEO down to the front-line workers
- Designed and executed a successful sales strategy workshop for Sales VPs and Executive Leadership to boost global revenue
- Conducted multiple PE due diligence projects in the craft, healthcare, manufacturing and transportation spaces
- Developed and implemented the user growth blueprint and analytics platform for a B2C Internet platform
- Designed a large-scale research study (RTC) and secured Stanford faculty to oversee the study and publish the findings
- Developed a profit improvement plan for autobody chain
- Built a growth strategy for a national home décor company
- Designed educational assessments for preschool and elementary school students, following global assessment standards
- Developed a data pricing model for a biotech company
Expertise
Industries
- Consumer Products
- Financial Services
- Manufacturing
- Technology
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- FP&A
- M&A
- Profit Improvement
- Organizational Design
- Due Diligence
Representative Clients
Companies
- Global Fortune 100 Bank
- Fortune 500 Biotech Company
- Fortune 500 Materials Manufacturing Company
- EarlySpark, a global non-profit focused on transforming education in India
- Top Systems, the leading banking systems provider in Latin America
- DCWV, leading paper craft company and numerous acquisition targets
Managing Director, MHT Partners
Senior Consultant, Bain & Company
Communities Product Manager, AOL Netscape
MBA, Stanford
BA, Humanities and Managerial Studies, Rice University
Representative Projects
- Evaluated investment and divestiture opportunities to manage cashflow strategy for a public company in a rapidly consolidating news media industry
- Developed detailed post-merger integration plan to identify operational and financial synergies and to maximize revenue in a $120 million merger of business logistics services companies
- Managed buy side program with multiple add-on acquisitions for SaaS education platform resulting in successful $300 million portfolio exit
- Led due diligence for $100+ million acquisition of a high margin niche business, radically expanding the services portfolio of a tax services company
- Developed valuation model enabling one of largest deals in UK history, a $35 billion merger of global consumer goods conglomerates
- Performed detailed long-term scenario modeling for global beverages M&A during a period of intense industry consolidation, enabling development of growth and defensive strategies for a $5 billion alcoholic beverages producer
- Led profitability study to segment market, prioritize customer base, and evaluate channel economics for a US automotive manufacturer.
- Developed detailed analysis of top 50 acquisition targets for a geopolitical/ macroeconomic think tank influential in governments and institutional investors
Expertise
Industries
- Consumer Products
- Financial Services
- Food and Beverage
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Due Diligence
- Market Analysis
- Post-merger Integration
- Market Segmentation
Representative Clients
Companies
- Blackboard (Archipelago Learning)
- Freeman Company
- A. H. Belo
- Ryan LLC (tax services)
- Diageo (Guinness)
- FEMSA (Heineken)
- Ford
- Navistar
- Hewlett Packard
- Del Monte Royal
- Norton Rose (law M&A)
PE Firms
- Providence Equity Partners
- Carlyle Group
- BV Investment
- Castanea Partners
- JH Whitney
- CDO, LA Promise Fund
- Manager, Mattel Corp. Strat.
- Consultant, Bain & Company
- Business Advisor, Peace Corps
- Analyst, JP Morgan
- MBA, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania
- BA, Business Economics, Brown University
Representative Projects
- Developed a three-year strategic plan for a financial services client (1.5 years+) with ~$45B in managed assets. Worked on product development, strategic planning, advisor productivity, Salesforce effectiveness, and organizational design engagements
- Completed five acquisitions for a PE-backed industrial goods company. Identified targets in adjacent markets, led prospecting, and prepared investment memorandums
- Identified additional revenue opportunities for a leading ridesharing platform by assessing the market size of the music and sporting event industries
- Led strategy and implementation of key organizational turnaround initiatives at LA’s largest charter (~$200M) network of 25 schools
- Analyzed and prioritized 50+ R&D investments for a ~$64B beverage company
- Conducted due diligence for an automobile manufacturer acquiring a large RV competitor. Acquisition was the largest transaction in the company’s history
- Analyzed competitors and industry trends to create a competitive intelligence report for a leading cruise company
Expertise
Industries
- Automotive
- Consumer Products
- Financial Services
- Food and Beverage
- Industrials
- Nonprofits
- Private Equity
- Retail
- Tourism/Hospitality
- Transportation Services
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Market Intelligence
- GTM Strategy
- Organizational Design
- Due Diligence
Representative Clients
- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
- AlphaSights
- Aramsco
- Ares
- Authen Activewear
- Avantax Wealth Management
- ChromoLogic
- Financial Recovery Technologies
- Pepsi
- Singer
- Uber
- Viking Cruises
- Winnebago
- FounFounder, Practiko, LLC
- Managing Director, WM Partners
- Co-founder, PadInMotion
- Principal, Bain & Company
- MBA, Harvard Business School
- MSc, Economics, LSE
- BA, Economics, ITESM
Representative Projects
- Co-led the creation of a ~$300M fund focused on nutritional supplements. Sold to Clorox for ~$700M. Rolled up five nutritional supplement players, doubling revenue and increasing EBITDA 10x within three years.
- Created a customer focused growth strategy for a major pharma company focused on customer driven growth doubling stock value within 12 months
- Co-founder of PadInMotion, providing tablet technology for patients at hospitals, achieving exponential growth in first five years
- Developed detailed growth strategy (brand-pack) to reactivate growth for a beverage company in a mature market to reach >8% CAG
- Redesigned organization of major retailer in Mexico to double LATAM business in 5 years with lower costs
- Redesigned new commercial model to boost efficient growth for a major pharma company
- Developed multiple R&D and growth strategies for a variety of mid and large pharma customers across different therapeutic areas such as oral contraceptives, cardiovascular, and ophthalmology
- Conducted due diligence and created an expansion strategy for a network of radiotherapy centers
Expertise
Industries
- Chemicals
- Consumer Products
- Education
- Financial Services
- Health & Wellness
- Healthcare Services
- Industrials
- Pharmaceuticals
- Retail
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Post-merger Integration
- Organizational Design
- Marketing
- Profit Improvement
- Due Diligence
- Strategy Implementation
Representative Clients
Companies
- 3 of the top 5 pharma companies
- National chain of pharmacies
- Mid size pharma
- Network of radiotherapy centers
- Leading mass retailer
- Global beverage company
- Leading multinational food player
- Global beer company
- Leading international green house operator
PE Firms
- Top tier PE firms
- Mid size PE firm
- Founding member of WM Partners focused on health and wellness
- International producer of specialty chemicals
- Founder, Maven Associates
- Principal, Stagen
- VP Strategy & BD, GES
- Manager, Bain & Company
- Engineer, Black & Veatch
- MBA, Tuck-Dartmouth
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Rice University
- BA, Economics, Claremont McKenna College
Representative Projects
- Led development of a strategy to accelerate company growth and maximize exit valuation multiples for a ~$300M metal manufacturer
- Developed a growth strategy for a ~$200M online consumer loan business
- Created a roadmap for a ~$40M publisher to improve profitability and pursue new strategic growth opportunities
- Conducted a 3-week due diligence of a PE acquisition target in the equipment moving space
- Led the development of a profit improvement plan for a hydraulic seal manufacturer
- Developed a 5-year Value Creation Plan for a ~$600M wine distributor in Canada post acquisition by a PE fund
- Built a growth strategy for a ~$200M luxury recreational boat manufacturer
- Conducted a 3-week due diligence of a PE acquisition target in the land management space
- Developed detailed analysis of the Top 20 competitors of a national big box retailer
- Created a growth strategy for a ~$100M SaaS business
Expertise
Industries
- Business Services
- Consumer Products
- Financial Services
- Manufacturing
- Metal Fabrication
- Restaurants
- Retail
- Technology
- Transportation Services
Project Types
- Due Diligence
- Growth Strategy
- M&A/PMI
- Marketing/Branding
- Organizational Design
- Profit Improvement
Representative Clients
Companies
- Cobalt Boats
- At Home
- Safariland
- PointClickCare
- WorldStrides
- Alliance Equipment
- Arterra Wines
- Craftmark Bakery
- Raybern’s
- PDC
- Best Egg
PE Firms
- Carlyle Group
- JMI Equity
- Ontario Teachers
- Anchor Partners
- Satori Capital
- Founder, Forseti Partners
- VP Analysis/Planning, Amtrak
- Manager, McKinsey
- Engineer, GM/Ford
- Faculty, Univ. of Michigan
- MBA, Cornell
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Michigan
- BS, Aerospace Engineering, Iowa State
- Representative Projects
- Developed market assessment and growth analysis for advanced soft magnetic materials (ferrites, nanocrystallines, amorphous.)
- Developed comprehensive commercial assessment of the impact of wide bandgap semiconductors on power electronics markets.
- Developed North American market entry strategy for new high horsepower diesel engine joint venture.
- Created a strategic roadmap for a manufacturer of hydraulic off-road axles for trucks and agricultural equipment, including the analysis of alternative motive technologies.
- Developed go-to-market and share capture strategy in the large industrial gear market.
- Developed detailed growth strategies for the largest global Tier 1 heavy truck axle/brake manufacturer.
- Led comprehensive sourcing and supply chain optimization efforts for a $7B aerospace tier 1 supplier with >$1.5B in external spend. Developed category specific strategies for a complete range of manufactured components and services.
- Served as the CPO for a $10B entertainment and technology supplier, managing over $2B in annual external spend.
Expertise
Industries
- Automotive
- Manufacturing
- Medical Devices
- Technology
- Transportation Services
Project Types
- Growth Strategy
- M&A Strategy
- Operations
- Procurement/SCM
- Organizational Design
- Due Diligence
Representative Clients
Companies
- Meritor
- BNSF Logistics
- Alcoa
- Cummins
- General Electric
- Ticketmaster
- Northwest Hardwoods
- Mark43
- MTD
- Xerox
- Spirit Aerosystems
PE Firms
- Onyx
- HCI
- Ontario Teachers
- Watermill