Management Consultant

Highest qualification
MBA – Finance (2003)
Helsinki School of Economics

Since the end of MBA in 2003, has been working as a freelance consultant for one client AIU (American Insurance Underwriter: subsidiary of AIG), managing a number of concurrent projects for the group.

Prior to his MBA, Eric worked for Arthur Andersen and previously for AGF (Insurance Firm), subsidiary of Allianz. Eric started his career in 1997 with PFA Insurance and was in charge of reorganizing retail insurance agency after bankruptcy.


Key Skills
Highly numerate with keen attention to detail and the ability to absorb quickly large amounts of data
Client focused with the ability to quickly establish effective working relationships
Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to write clear and concise reports

Knowledge
International Team and project Management
Insurance and Reinsurance processes and system
Strategy for Insurance Firms

Arthur Andersen – Senior Consultant – 2002
Client: GAN GROUPAMA
Following a law voted by the French Government in 2001 (tax reductions for a certain type of placement), GAN GROUPAMA decided to adapt one of its existing products for meeting the new requirements and therefore accessing a new potential market

Phase 1: Assess the potential market and attractiveness
Description of the tasks performed
1. Data Gathering and build up Assessing methodology

2. Market Review
Assess the reason / rationale for entering this new market
Description of the Industry structure in terms of market forces, opportunities, threats and key competitors (differentiators, key products, leaders, followers)

3. Existing Operation Review
Assess the capacity of the existing organization for serving the new market
Assess the existing cost model and find areas for reaching economy of scales

Key Deliverables:
Devised the Commercial Strategy (Products package to be sold, distribution networks to be used)
Delivered the full distribution strategy and its’ implementation schedule
Profit and Cost model for assessing the operating costs of the new organization
Build the business plan for evaluating the new cash flow to be gained from the new market
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods

Phase 2: Develop the product for a distribution test
4. Products package development
5. Pricing strategy
Also, based on the analysis already conducted, fixed the client’s entire pricing strategy for the product.
Key Deliverables:
Developed and implemented full commercial marketing tool set
Created the marketing package (full marketing mix)
6. Organisation Review
Delivered a complete review of impact consequences, based on the previous organisational structure and the subsequent need for new organisational processes & infrastructure to be implemented.

Phase 3: Creation of a subsidiary for handling the new activities
Based on the test results and the recommendations, GAN GROUPAMA decided to create a subsidiary for handling and managing/tracking the new activity.
7. Distribution Strategy and planning process
Sole charge for the development of the new distribution strategy and planning process.
Key Deliverables:
Balance Scorecards to allow the subsidiary to accurately follow activities
Analysis of new potential distribution network
MBA – 2003 – 6 Month Project
SAMPO Oy
During MBA, studied for the CFO of SAMPO (Mr Peter Johansson), the non-life insurance market in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe in order to assess the Merger and Acquisitions opportunities and also define a feasible strategy for its non-life subsidiary IF Group (Definition of an exit strategy for IF Group).
Description of the tasks performed
Potential Markets to enter (new countries)
8. Data Gathering and build up Assessing methodology
9. Market analysis (Initial steps of a M&A process)
Macroeconomics analysis for the targeted countries
Assess the reason / rationale for entering new markets (new countries for Sampo)
Description of the Industry structure in terms of market forces, opportunities, threats and key competitors (differentiators, key products, leaders, followers)
Identification of potential targets (base on their products and position within the market, Assessing external strengths and weaknesses)
Key deliverables
Market Analysis per country with main indicators, interest of the market

Potential Targets (new countries)
10. Financial analysis - Validation of potential targets
Financial analysis of primary financial statements - historical and forecast
Selecting the best targets using our financial, strategic and operational analysis;
11. Valuation of potential targets
Determining the value span of the business to be acquired and identify potential synergies to be obtained by the acquirer through the acquisition;
Market methodologies: comparable quoted companies and comparable transactions considering metrics such as TEV / Sales and TEV / EBITDA as well as other industry specific metrics

12. Potential costs savings
Identifying and valuing potential synergies
Key deliverables
Financial Analysis of M&A opportunities
Cost evaluation of the potential acquisition, potential benefits for SAMPO
13. M&A Feasibility
Calculation of Rates of return
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods
14. IF Group Evaluation
Operation Review and Financial Analysis
Definition of an exit strategy for IF Group
End Deliverables:
- Complete review of potential targets within a number of specific countries
- Significant interest and buy in to the exit strategy from IF Group
- Presentation of end results to CFO


2003 – 2004 – AIG – Freelance Consultant – Project Management and consulting tasks
Project 2 – PMP in Europe
AIG Existing Portfolio review
Deliverables
Market segmentation for the different lines of business and the distribution strategy to be followed (Major accounts – Top 400 firms per country, Corporate Accounts)

1. Existing Operation Review
Assess the capacity of the existing organization for serving the new market
Assess the existing cost model and find areas for reaching economy of scales

2. Align the organisation to the new strategy
Conduct a complete process review (Service Centre, Sales Processes)
Build up new organisational structure and processes for the servicing units and sales unit – Creation of a new unit for Claims – Accelerated Action Unit

3. Financial analysis – Valuation of the whole project and benefits
Build Profit and Loss model for assessing the operating costs of the new organization
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods

Deliverables
Recommendations to the executives on whether or not they should change their organisation, how to do it and the consequences for the existing operation
New organisation for major and corporate accounts

4. Implementation Phase
Evaluate the impacts to the existing organisation (essentially impacts to existing resources)
Build implementation plan for the new organisation
Include a Change Management program
Deliverables
Framework for actions for implementing the new organisation

5. Management tools
Build Tools for managing the new organisation
Build new processes for the new units
Definition of key KPIs and SLAs
Implementation of dashboard and scorecards

2004 – 2005 – AIG – Freelance Consultant
URI Project – Sponsor
Project 3 – Reduce AIG Europe Receivables – 13 Countries covered
Implementation of a new system for handling the receivables at URI level

1. AIG Existing Receivables review
Assess the existing organisation efficiency in collecting their receivables
Find source of inefficiency
Deliverables
Receivable process review
Recommendation for improving their collection process vis-à-vis Reinsurers

2. Disposal of non-core operations within AIG RISO (Reinsurance Services Office)
Process and Organisation Review
Assess the part of the processes to be decentralised over other AIG organisation
Estimate the consequences in terms of resources within the organisation

3. Financial analysis – Valuation of the whole project and benefits
Build financial forecasts and projections for the new organisation (AIG Europe)
Expressing business results in accounting language (Build new P&L)
Benefits of the new organisation for the cash flow forecast
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods
Deliverables
Recommendations to the executives on whether or not they should dispose the existing subsidiary

4. Implementation Phase
Evaluate the impacts to the existing organisation (essentially impacts to existing resources)
Build implementation plan for the new organisation
Include a Change Management program
Deliverables
Framework for actions for implementing the new organisation
Implement the new organisation in the first country

5. Management tools
Build Tools for managing the new organisation
Definition of key KPIs and SLAs
Implementation of dashboard and scorecards






2006 – AIG – Freelance Consultant – Project Management
Creation of a new subsidiary for covering 6 countries in Europe
Project 4 – Small Business Initiative

1. Market Review
Assess the reason / rationale for entering new markets
Description of the Industry structure in terms of market forces, opportunities, threats and key competitors (differentiators, key products, leaders, followers)

2. Existing service provider Review
Consider which functions can be performed in-house versus outsourcing to external service provider
Select best service providers (BPO centre of excellence)
Conduct a due diligence vis-à-vis key players for outsourcing most of the processes
Deliverables
Selection of the best service provider for outsourcing the non core processes.

3. Organisation to be set-up
• Envision the post-project entity and its relationship vis-à-vis the outsourcer

4. Build Financial Forecasts – Profit and Cost Model
Build the profit and cash flow forecast model
Financial forecasts and projections for the new subsidiary (the one in charge of developing and distributing the product) – cash flow
Forecast the associated cost (BPO Cost)
Deliverables
Profit and cost model for the new entity (BPO cost included)

5. Financial analysis – Valuation of the whole project and benefits
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods

6. Implementation Phase
Maintain and protect the financial integrity of forecasts and models
Build implementation plan for the new business (BPO project, IT development project, new product to be built, and set up of the new organisation
Outsourcing of the administration activities to third party
Development of a new application for handling the product within the third party
Deliverables
Framework for actions for implementing the new organisation (Project planning and key milestones)
Distribution strategy, product development – on-going project
Implement the new organisation in the first country

2007 – AIG – Freelance Consultant – Project Management – Region covered : Asia, Australasia, Latin America and US
Project 5 – Multinational Operation (Risk Management and Risk Transfer)


1. AIG Existing Organisation review for multinational program (Reinsurance and Risk Management)
Assess the existing organisation efficiency in servicing their clients
Find source of inefficiency
Deliverables
Reinsurance process review (premium collection, claims payments)
Recommendation for improving their processes vis-à-vis Reinsurers, captives and clients

2. Disposal of non-core operations within AIG offices worldwide (Reinsurance Services Office) – Mainly cash collection, administration tasks and cash payments
Process and Organisation Review
Assess the part of the processes to centralised within AIG RISO
Estimate the consequences in terms of resources within the organisation

3. Financial analysis – Valuation of the whole project and benefits
Build financial forecasts and projections for the different offices
Expressing business results in accounting language (Build new Budget Model for RISO)
Benefits of the new organisation
Compute NPV using capitalized cash flow and discounted cash flow methods
Deliverables
Recommendations to the executives on whether or not they should centralise some of the activities within one of their subsidiary

4. Implementation Phase (Under validation by AIG NY)
Evaluate the impacts to the existing organisation (essentially impacts to existing resources)
Build implementation plan for the different countries
Include a Change Management program
Deliverables
Framework for actions for implementing the new organisation
Implement the new organisation in the first country

6. Management tools
Build Tools for managing the new organisation
Definition of key KPIs and SLAs
Build new budget for RISO, ABC model (fees based on use of necessary resources per account complexity)


2007 – AIG – Freelance Consultant (current project) – Region Covered : Asia, Australasia, Latin America and US
Project 6 – Build a data warehouse for reporting purposes in NY
1. URI Information
Review AIG RISO Data Warehouse for finding data to be sent to NY
Map in the process where data are collected
Deliverables
URI Data mapping
2. Data Quality
Based on extracts, compare set of data with existing data with NY
Deliverables
Data Gap Analysis
Proof of concept for URI Information for multinational accounts
3. URI Reporting Processes
Build a process for recording missing data within the subsidiaries
Deliverables
New processes
New application
4. Datawarehouse