SJ Varghese & Co LLP

Business Consultant, Corporate Finance Adviser

London

 Health Products: Start-up; Manufacturing, Strategy, Corporate Finance Following on from the US federal government’s multi-billion dollar initiative to re-shore critical manufacturing capacity to the USA, engaged by a group of entrepreneurs involved in starting up PPE (latex glove) manufacturing to identify JV partners globally and secure funding. After securing $150m of investment and a partner for glove manufacturing with a factory being built to go on-stream in 2022, the brief was expanded to do the same for synthetic latex manufacturing. Another JV was secured and a $250m investment is in the process of being finalised with manufacturing expected to commence in 2023.

 Subscription Flowers: Start-up; D2C e-commerce, Strategy, Corporate Finance; Financial Advisory Engaged by a seasoned flower industry veteran to help launch a subscription D2C flower business to develop strategy, secure seed funding and put in place all financial and reporting systems. £150,000 seed funding secured and Series A equity funding being lined up.

 Waste to Energy: International Expansion Strategy, Scaling up, Corporate Finance Engaged by waste to energy company with innovative technology to raise both equity and debt to scale operations both domestically and internationally. Term sheets secured for funding in excess of $200m.

 Pioneering Communications Consultancy: Services, Strategy, Financial Advisory Engaged by a then one-year old start up business that pioneered internal employee communications and behavioural change management as stand-alone disciplines. The brief was to put in place financial systems and provide strategic advice to take the business mainstream. Worked closely with management while the company expanded into the US and developed the discipline to work with 37 of the top 50 FTSE100 firms, eventually being acquired by Omnicom, one of the top three global marketing service companies, at a very large earnings multiple, much higher than prevailing in the sector. Post-sale, continues to advise the Chairman in a personal capacity.

 Cell Tower Management: Market Entry Strategy (Indonesia) Engaged by a US$35 billion fund based in London to investigate the potential and, if possible, set up an independent cellular tower management business in south East Asia with up to US$250 million of initial capital. Did detailed market research to establish demand and regulatory constraints. Due to restrictive local laws on foreign ownership, identified potential joint venture partners and set up corporate structure via a Singapore holding company.

 Top-10 US Gaming Group: Strategy; Market Entry; Corporate Finance Engaged by a top-10 US gaming group to plan entry into the UK market pursuant to liberalisation of the UK gaming sector. Identified and helped execute several acquisitions of UK gaming groups, as well as establishing greenfield operations and assisting with creating a joint venture with a UK league football club to create a US style gaming experience on land next to the club’s stadium. When the UK gaming liberalisation was reversed within three years by the government, worked to unwind the earlier deals to enable the US group to exit.

 Music Major: Corporate Finance, Restructuring and Development Strategy, Public to Private Inducted as pro-tem CFO of a team led by the former UK president of one of the major music companies to take private the third largest music company in the world at the time, listed on the London Stock Exchange and whose share price was languishing. Had full responsibility for all financial modelling and scenario planning for the post deal period, along with the deployment of the required debt and equity funding. A funding package of some USD 5 billion was secured from a combination of buy-out funds and commercial banks.

 Private Equity Fund: Corporate Finance, Strategy, Restructuring Engaged to advise a highly discreet fund specialising in recovery investments in identifying and making acquisitions in the declining UK steel refractory and chemicals manufacturing sectors. Identified suitable targets and subsequently played leading role in negotiating the acquisition and leading the debt fund raising for a large, ex-ICI, North East England manufacturing facility. Inducted to the acquisition vehicle board as a non-executive director with a remit to devise a value enhancement strategy. Created and implemented a strategy to split the business into two operating companies and a property company, all of which were subsequently divested, netting an overall equity return in excess of 7x initial investment.

 Electrical Engineering and Systems: Manufacturing, Market Entry (India), Development Strategy and Corporate Finance (UK) Engaged by one of the leading German manufacturers of electrical fittings, to advise on entry into India. Extensive market research was carried out to form the basis of a market entry strategy that informed an execution plan resulting in establishment of an Indian subsidiary. Subsequently, when the entire group worldwide was acquired by Matsushita Electricals of Japan, was engaged to advise on aspects relating to the impact on the UK subsidiary.

 Telecoms Infrastructure: Market Entry and Development Strategy (India); Corporate Finance; Financial Advisory Identified an opportunity to establish a cellular tower management business in India. Brought on financial partners after 6 months of detailed research on the ground with mobile operators, telecom regulator and other government agencies and the banking sector before incorporating an operating company, being the first independent tower company in India. Signed a first deal worth US$65 million to build 1,000 towers, marking the birth of the tower management business in India. Company has gone on to invest over US$600 million and build c.10,000 towers.

Expertise

Strategy
Corporate Finance
Market Expansion

Summary

Strategy | Market Acquisition | Finance

We help our clients develop the most appropriate strategy for their needs at any given point in their development timeline. This can comprise general growth and development and/or expansion strategies, whether geographic expansion, diversification or upstream/downstream expansion.

We develop specific market acquisition strategies and tactics that effectively address our clients’ market challenges and enable rapid market expansion. This can be by way of organic growth and/or through partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and incorporating digital strategies as an integral part of the solutions.

We assist our clients to finance the execution of the strategies that have been adopted. This can consist of debt, equity or project funding or a combination thereof.