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Opus Consulting Group
Photo Courtesy Opus Consulting Group
Opus works as an extension of its client’s management team, bringing new insights that help improve financial, operational and strategic performance.
Photo Courtesy Opus Consulting Group
Opus Consulting Group, based in Portland, has assisted over 120 New England companies and consulted with clients from Hawaii to Switzerland
Photo Courtesy Opus Consulting Group
Opus team members draw on a variety of professional disciplines, with experience leading both private and public companies in finance, operations, and strategic management.
A premier business performance consulting firm at the intersection of finance, operations and strategy
Opus was launched in 2009 with a team of professionals who wanted to contribute to the economic fabric of Maine.
President and Founder Jacques Santucci has an extensive background in executive management. Since making Maine his home in 1999, Jacques has leveraged his understanding of strategic and financial principles by creating new businesses and managing the strategic turnaround of others. His passion for helping businesses realize their full potential was the catalyst to build Opus.
Today, Opus is an established team of dedicated management consultants with an extensive network. What sets the firm apart from other consulting practices is its cross-functional approach to performance management: guide companies to transform, innovate and accelerate, working at the intersection of finance, operations and strategy. Since its beginning, Opus has followed these principles to support over 120 New England companies, and has consulted with clients from Hawaii to Switzerland.
Services for success
Opus serves companies with performance and management consulting services to improve financial, operational and strategic opportunities. The firm assists clients in various sectors such as manufacturing, professional services, hospitality, real estate, technology and multi-channel retailing.
Sometimes external advice and insights are necessary to turn a creative idea into a functioning business, or to get an established business back on track. By helping businesses evaluate their competitive landscape, Opus can bring to light opportunities and recommend strategies including seeking new markets, adding marketing channels, financial restructuring, turnaround or re-engineering internal processes.
As an extension of the management team, Opus brings new insights and challenges the status quo as a collaborator, coach and trusted partner to improve financial, operational and strategic performance.
Financial performance: Experts in improving financial performance, Opus has worked with firms of all sizes to refine financial decision-making. By assessing key metrics and developing an industry benchmark analysis, Opus quickly pinpoints areas for opportunity, initiates an improvement plan and creates sustainable profitability.
Opus collaborates with finance teams to determine the best solution for each case. Some companies need to build financial teams from the ground up; for these, Opus provides a hands-on training to a company’s first hires on best practices to poise the company for growth. Other companies may not need a full in-house team; in these cases, clients may outsource their financial operations to Opus as chief financial officer, so they can concentrate on other aspects of their business.
As an active member of the Turnaround Management Association, the team has worked on bankruptcy cases as examiner or chief recovery officer and has supported clients during a workout process and to develop turnaround plans. With the ability to quickly triage a company’s cash flow, consultants work with key stakeholders to find solutions. Opus has developed strong relationships with financial institutions, assisting its clients in various situations.
By providing customized financial performance consulting, Opus allows business owners to focus on critical issues.
Operational performance: Opus seeks to improve a client’s operational performance by strategically aligning its organization and identifying areas for improvement. One relevant project was the redesign of a shared services department within a multimillion-dollar health care company, which needed to assess its processes and operational excellence. By reassigning roles to align processes and providing recommendations for improvement, the Opus team was able to identify opportunities to improve cash flow by over $1.2 million annually.
Opus provides operational assistance as project manager and supports startup clients with project budgeting and management oversight. Often serving as conduit among lenders, investors and entrepreneurs, Opus provides financial institutions the oversight and expertise needed to move projects forward and close on time. Recent projects include overseeing the launch of Elsmere BBQ’s second restaurant in the Deering Center neighborhood of Portland, and a project adjacent to the redevelopment of the Scarborough Downs property that involves traditional bank and SBA financing.
Opus was a critical partner in my early development projects, such as the Press Hotel, assisting the project in its infancy as a finance manager. Opus’ interim CFO services supported the launch of my new firm Fathom Companies and they are highly supportive in training new personnel.
— Jim Brady Developer, Fathom Companies
Strategic performance: Opus specializes in creating strategic plans to address rapidly changing consumer markets and technologies. The firm’s planning is backed with strong financial modeling and decades of in-depth strategic experience. Business plans and their financial models constitute the blueprint of any company’s growth. So, it is vital to have proven, experienced professionals evaluating and producing a well-defined success formula.
Opus is very active in in the local development community having worked on projects such as the Press Hotel and a local waterfront project as finance manager. Opus is also known for its work from the ground up with companies such as Wellness Connection of Maine, which has five locations and today employs over 70 Mainers. As strategic advisor, Opus helped launched a strong and sustainable platform that ensured the company’s success.
Opus also works with young companies and startups to develop their initial business and commercialization plans. One area most entrepreneurs lack is being able to commercialize their business concept and take the big leap to market. Opus is there to help them with their business strategy. The team is involved with Startup Maine, helping build the Maine entrepreneurial eco-system.
As part of its practices, Opus incubates numerous affiliated companies serving as management and trusted partner. With that assistance, a technology company operating out of the Opus office recently secured $500,000 in seed-stage funding.
Jacques served as CFO and led the strategic vision for Wellness Connection of Maine. He helped grow the company from business plan to operating in six locations and employing over 70 Mainers.
— Board Member, Wellness Connection of Maine
A multidisciplinary team
The Opus Consulting Group methodology is unique in that it employs a cross-functional approach to ensure recommendations are exhaustive and transcend disciplines. The team has a mix of successful professionals with years of experience leading both private and public companies as well as finance, marketing and project management specialists. Client engagements are customizable and always utilize a team approach to provide the full breadth of services Opus can offer.
For the past decade, the Opus team has built a premier business performance consulting practice for Maine companies, and is committed to supporting the economic fabric of our state. In working with companies through various stages of development, the team is constantly developing ways to transform, innovate and accelerate, at the intersection of finance, operations and strategy.
Opus Ventures: a hybrid VC firm
Opus is always looking for the next opportunity to provide more specialized services to clients. Most recently, Opus launched Opus Ventures, an exciting project that pairs venture capital with management consulting oversight. The team is currently forming the venture fund that is aiming at growing the Maine economy.
Opus Ventures recently announced the formation of the Western Maine Venture Fund in partnership with Skowhegan Savings Bank, the first of its kind. The Western Maine Venture fund will focus on VC opportunities in Central and Western Maine. Opus Ventures focuses on startups in the industries of alternative healthcare, high technology, manufacturing, biotechnology, financial services and emerging industries.
With its roots in performance management, helping companies pivot and commercialize in new ways, in addition to financing, Opus Ventures provides startups with the business acumen and services that are key to their success.
Opus has proven through its work with existing clients that a collaborative approach is more effective. It enables Opus to create better-aligned teams that adapt to changes more quickly, offering an approach to venture capital that sees clients and investments as partners in building success.
