New firm helps businesses evaluate their financial position to make decisions about funding growth, managing challenges, selling the company and other strategic matters
Unique á la carte CFO services for growing or transitioning companies
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. August 16, 2016—Business strategy and finance expert Frank Williamson announced today the launch of a business consulting firm that focuses on the financial side of a business, versus the marketing or operational approach of the typical consulting firm.
Oaklyn Consulting helps business owners use financial data to navigate strategic issues and challenges, such as responding to an offer to buy the company or determining why and how to pursue growth funding.
“As we talk with business owners, and the lawyers, bankers, wealth managers, accountants and investment bankers who support them, we hear that people are struggling with business strategy and financial questions that they don’t have the time, staff or context to dig into,” said Williamson, who is Oaklyn Consulting’s managing partner and the former managing partner of FourBridges Capital Advisors, a Southeastern mergers and acquisitions advisor.
“Oaklyn Consulting was formed to meet this need. We offer the expertise needed to anticipate investors’ questions, recast financial planning and analysis, and understand industry trends – combined with the understanding and emotional sensitivity required to listen carefully, help companies reach strong decisions they are comfortable with and communicate effectively with capital providers,” he added.
The firm is headquartered in Chattanooga and will serve businesses across the Southeastern United States in a range of industries, as well as across the globe in the financial services and healthcare industries.
Oaklyn Consulting is already serving clients within multiple industries facing a variety of financial issues, including:
- Advising a health care company seeking growth funding
- Helping a physicians’ practice respond to a private equity group’s offer to buy the practice
- Providing “á la carte” chief financial officer (CFO) services to a venture-funded transportation company
- Helping a family-owned manufacturing business understand its options for transitioning management
- Connecting a financial advisory firm with strategic partners who share its vision for growth
- Helping a business services company evaluate a potential merger partner
“Business owners are seeking our assistance on a variety of strategic issues, particularly those that involve financing growth or managing succession. In these cases, there is sometimes a clear opportunity to seek competitive proposals from banks or investors, but often there is not. Instead, the best course might be to make operating changes, build a long-term financing relationship or even ‘do nothing, but with new conviction,’” said Williamson.
We have found that most business owners are sales- and marketing-driven, but they are thrown into financial decision-making by default of their title—even if it’s not how they can best serve their companies,” said Williamson. “Moreover, most CEOs are so close to their business that it’s hard for them to be fully objective when important strategy questions arise – not to mention that they are up to their eyeballs with daily priorities and don’t have the staff or time to handle things like investor relations or capital-raising work. For most companies, these aren’t daily needs that require full-time staffing. But when the need arises, it’s critical to have the right counsel by your side,” he added.
With more than 20 years of business, finance and investment experience, Williamson has closed more than $7 billion in mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions, ranging from $500,000 to $1 billion, and has held leadership positions in corporate development, strategy, merger integration, finance, sales, marketing, underwriting and investments.
Before serving as managing partner of FourBridges, Williamson was an executive at Unum Group during a time when the company grew from $2.5 billion to $10 billion in annual revenue, serving among other roles as Chief Investment Officer and head of capital management. The Harvard Business School graduate also served as interim COO for Vets First Choice, which was, at the time, the fastest growing business services company on the Inc. 500 list. Williamson currently sits on the board of LaunchTN, a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee.
About Oaklyn Consulting:
Founded in 2016, Oaklyn Consulting is a strategy consulting firm with a financial focus. It serves businesses across the Southeastern United States in a range of industries, as well as across the globe in the financial services and healthcare industries. Oaklyn Consulting helps business owners with questions about business and financial direction to clarify alternatives, analyze costs and benefits and reach well-informed decisions. Oaklyn Consulting is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee and led by Managing Partner Frank Williamson.