Chestnut Associates is the successor to a financial consulting group founded in 1992 by several accounting firms to better serve their clients' business needs. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, we serve companies based in both Northern and Southern California.
Management Team
Rajeev (Raj) Seshadri, Managing Principal
Raj has a seasoned, 20+ year track record with businesses in the $10M to $50M revenue range that are entering a transformative phase and require a rapid response to business pressures. Retained as CFO/CEO/CRO he has focused on corporate development activities – including recapitalizations, M&A, crafting owner liquidity events, working out bank loan problems, and developing and implementing business models for profitability and growth. He worked with companies in the Internet/software, construction, engineering services, defense aerospace, computer outsourcing, hard-goods retail and media (both print and online) industries. Also, he has assisted the loan workout departments of certain major banks in resolving problem loans.
He specializes in particularly stressful situations and is focused on building corporate value for company stakeholders outside the bankruptcy process wherever possible. His experience covers operational and financial improvements at publicly-traded companies subject to SEC regulations; private-equity sponsored consolidations; family or founder-run businesses seeking exit strategies; as well as venture-capital invested companies.
Raj started his career in corporate finance at a regional securities broker-dealer. He has an MBA with Distinction, from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and a BSME from IIT. He has been nominated to the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young, & INC. magazine.Raj has held the NASD/SEC General Principal license. He is a past member, Board of Directors, TMA, Northern California Chapter; and FEI’s Silicon Valley Chapter. He is a member of ACG, Council of Business Advisors and ASIS International.
Management Team
Rajeev (Raj) Seshadri, Managing Principal
Raj has a seasoned, 20+ year track record with businesses in the $10M to $50M revenue range that are entering a transformative phase and require a rapid response to business pressures. Retained as CFO/CEO/CRO he has focused on corporate development activities – including recapitalizations, M&A, crafting owner liquidity events, working out bank loan problems, and developing and implementing business models for profitability and growth. He worked with companies in the Internet/software, construction, engineering services, defense aerospace, computer outsourcing, hard-goods retail and media (both print and online) industries. Also, he has assisted the loan workout departments of certain major banks in resolving problem loans.
He specializes in particularly stressful situations and is focused on building corporate value for company stakeholders outside the bankruptcy process wherever possible. His experience covers operational and financial improvements at publicly-traded companies subject to SEC regulations; private-equity sponsored consolidations; family or founder-run businesses seeking exit strategies; as well as venture-capital invested companies.
Raj started his career in corporate finance at a regional securities broker-dealer. He has an MBA with Distinction, from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and a BSME from IIT. He has been nominated to the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young, & INC. magazine.Raj has held the NASD/SEC General Principal license. He is a past member, Board of Directors, TMA, Northern California Chapter; and FEI’s Silicon Valley Chapter. He is a member of ACG, Council of Business Advisors and ASIS International.
