William Y.

William Yang

5.0

(2)

FP&A | Cornell MBA | Entertainment and Consumer Tech

Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell) Logo

Studied at Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell)

Lionsgate Logo

Hiring Manager at Lionsgate

Successful clients at

Available Tuesday at 3:00 AM UTC

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

William's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $69/hr

Get help with Variance Analysis, Skill Building, and .

William’s FP&A Qualifications

Experience level: Manager

I currently serve as a Director of FP&A Business Strategy and Planning at Lionsgate, the largest independent film studio in North America. Previously, I held was a FP&A manager at a hyper growth CPG company where I focused heavily on gross margin. In addition, I have experience working in an OpEx FP&A role supporting the IT division of the third largest nonprofit healthcare system in the U.S. My experience working in different FP&A roles helps me to understand the different skillsets needed for success. Pre-MBA I worked across Accounting, Tax and M&A. During my tenure at PwC I served over a dozen clients across entertainment and media, financial services and technology. I eventually exited to industry and spent almost 3.5 years at two well known consumer electronics brands: Beats by Dr Dre and Apple. Having this prior experience in Accounting related roles allows me to understand how to convey transferrable skills to FP&A for those with similar backgrounds who wish to make a pivot.

William can help with:

Variance Analysis

Skill Building

Financial Modeling

Financial Planning & Analysis

Networking Strategy

Interview Prep

Budgeting & Forecasting

LinkedIn Review

Resume Review

View all of William’s categories

About William

I didn’t enter the professional world knowing I wanted to end up in FP&A. Like many people in finance, I started in accounting because it felt practical and stable. Over time, I realized I was more energized by the “why” behind the numbers than the reporting itself. That curiosity pushed me to deepen my modeling skills, pursue advanced education, and eventually move into strategic FP&A within the entertainment industry. Today I work in Business Strategy & Planning at Lionsgate, where I help leadership evaluate decisions that shape the direction of the largest mini major studio in North America. But what excites me most isn’t the title — it’s helping others navigate their own pivots. I know what it feels like to: • Question whether you’re in the “right” finance track • Try to break into a more strategic role • Compete for roles without a perfect background • Wonder how to stand out in a crowded applicant pool I'm a strong believer in building a system in the job search or career up leveling process. We’ll build a clear strategy for your goals — whether that’s landing your first FP&A role, breaking into media, or leveling up within corporate finance — and we’ll focus on what actually moves the needle. I believe careers compound like investments. Small strategic moves today can dramatically change your trajectory over time. If you’re serious about being intentional with your career, I’m here to help.

Why do I coach?

Although I attended a full time MBA program, I was pursuing a path that was outside of the traditional on campus recruiting process. Later on, I made an industry pivot into one of my desired industries which was entertainment and media. It was a long process and I took away many learnings along the way. My goal is to share this with others and help them achieve their career aspirations.

Work Experience

Lionsgate Logo

Director, FP&A Business Strategy and Planning

Lionsgate

July 2022 - Present

Hiring Manager

- Promoted from Senior Manager, FP&A Business Strategy and Planning (July 2022 - March 2025) - Co-manage the quarterly forecasting and annual budgeting process for the Motion Picture Group Business Unit - Analyze impacts to operating income and cash flow based on film performance updates, release strategies, impairments, etc - Create and maintain proforma film slates reflecting latest assumptions, release dates and operating margins - Forecast content cash spend for both acquisition and production films - Partner with Sales Planning and Marketing teams to drive ongoing process improvements during planning cycles - Leverage PowerQuery to build historical vendor level spend analysis for home entertainment marketing - Manage one direct report Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), Project Management and +1 skill

Patco Brands Logo

Manager - Financial Planning & Analysis

Patco Brands

December 2020 - July 2022

Hiring Manager

MPL is maker of margaritas, tequila, hard seltzers and Irish cream liqueur among other spirits under our own brands and for private labels. Brands with nationwide distribution include Rancho La Gloria Ready to Drink Margaritas, TX Ranch Water Co Hard Seltzer, Pipers Irish Country Cream and Magave Tequila. Sold at major retailers including Costco, H.E.B, Kroger's, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and many more. ✔Built the company's first gross margin model, incorporating disparate data sets from Sales, Logistics and Procurement ✔Created multi-scenario bottoms up P&L forecast to highlight key business performance value drivers and support valuation by The Wine Group, the second largest US wine company ✔Automated the preparation of weekly and monthly operating KPI reports by creating automated Excel and Google Sheets dashboards utilizing Query functions ✔Selected and implemented the company's first FP&A planning tool Financial Planning, Planning Budgeting & Forecasting and +3 skills

Providence Logo

Senior Financial Analyst

Providence

2019 - 2020

Supported business unit with operating expenses of $200M+ and headcount of 700+ within the technology division of 3rd largest nonprofit healthcare system in the country with $25B+ in systemwide operating revenue. Budgeting, forecasting, month end close, ad hoc financial analysis and business case development for technology investments. ✔Exceeded FP&A quarterly forecast accuracy KPI of within 3% by validating committed contracts, identifying restructuring charges and building in operational cost avoidance and savings plans ✔Identified levers in response to impact of COVID-19 by analyzing operating expense outlook around spend types, strategic initiatives, contract duration and committed vs renewals ✔Minimized omissions in FY20 operating budget by discovering disconnects in PY operating and capital budgeting process through partnering with program managers to discover $15M+ in unaccounted operating expenses related to strategic capital investment projects ✔Created Excel based prepaid amortization tool to facilitate development of FY20 budget, reducing time spent by 50%

Independent consultants Logo

FP&A Analyst

Independent consultants

January 2019 - April 2019

Client: Los Angeles based management consulting startup founded by former AMEX and Accenture employees ✔Built from scratch bottoms up revenue, headcount and operating expense forecast models ✔Created Excel based engagement profitability tool to help assess go/no-go decision in response to RFPs

BR Venture Fund Logo

Associate

BR Venture Fund

June 2017 - May 2018

Performed due diligence and made investment recommendations on seed stage companies - analysis of business models, financial projections, market research, regulatory landscape, exit ops and management team assessment

Apple Logo

Tax Analyst

Apple

August 2014 - April 2016

Focused on deal close and post merger integration for $3B Beats Electronics and Beats Music deal, the largest deal size to date in Apple's history. In addition, I conducted due diligence for ongoing M&A deals across various tech verticals as member of a cross-functional M&A team.

Beats by Dre Logo

Senior Tax Accountant

Beats by Dre

January 2013 - July 2014

- First hire to report directly to VP of Tax and International Operations - Supported launch of US and International DTC, rollout of in store POP displays nationwide and various retail initiatives - Conducted sell side due diligence to facilitate minority investment from The Carlyle Group

PwC Logo

Senior Tax Associate

PwC

September 2008 - January 2013

- Fortune 500 and mid market clients across entertainment and media, financial services and technology sectors

William was also given offers to work at

  • Mattel Logo

    Mattel

Education

Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell) Logo

Johnson Graduate School of Management (Cornell)

Master of Business Administration - MBA, Financial Analysis and Consulting

Activities and societies: BR Venture Fund; Old Ezra Finance Club; High Tech Club; Media, Entertainment & Sports Club; Health Hackathon; Colombia Trek

USC Marshall School of Business Logo

USC Marshall School of Business

Master’s Degree, Business Taxation

University of Washington Logo

University of Washington

Bachelor's Degree, Accounting

2 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


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William Y.

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