Finance and Financial Management

Shawn W. Smith - Founder / Owner

University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Arkansas | 1992

While attending the University of Arkansas, Mr. Smith was selected to serve as a student portfolio manager for the prestigious Rebsamen Trust investment portfolio, gaining hands-on experience in securities analysis, portfolio management, and investment decision-making. During this period, he also participated in an educational visit to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, providing firsthand exposure to the capital markets and reinforcing a lifelong interest in finance, investments, valuation, and corporate transactions.

Questbridge Business Consultancy was established to provide business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors with practical guidance in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, financial management, valuation, start-up development, and operational improvement.

Over the years, Mr. Smith has served as a trusted advisor, Interim CFO, transaction consultant, and strategic partner to companies across multiple industries.

Bub's Inc. | 2010 – Present

Bub's operates a specialized fleet of vacuum trailers and transportation equipment dedicated to the collection, hauling, processing, and disposal of organic waste streams generated by food processing facilities.

Serving as the company's Part-Time CFO and strategic advisor, Mr. Smith oversees financial planning and analysis, accounting oversight, banking relationships, cash flow management, capital expenditure planning, acquisition evaluations, partner buyouts, divisional restructuring initiatives, lender negotiations, and long-term strategic planning. He works closely with ownership to identify growth opportunities, improve financial performance, and evaluate strategic investments.

Oil Harvest, LLC | 2010 – Present

Oil Harvest operates a specialized processing facility focused on extracting and recovering marketable commodities from organic waste streams generated by food processing operations.

As Part-Time CFO, Mr. Smith provides financial leadership and strategic guidance in areas including budgeting, forecasting, banking relationships, capital planning, operational analysis, acquisition opportunities, ownership transitions, business development initiatives, and long-term growth planning.

Regional Towing & Recovery Company | 2019 – Present

A regional towing, recovery, roadside assistance, and transportation services provider operating across multiple service lines, including light-duty towing, heavy-duty towing, accident recovery, fleet services, impound management, and emergency roadside assistance.

Mr. Smith serves as Part-Time CFO and strategic advisor, providing leadership in financial management, performance measurement, lender relations, capital planning, acquisition analysis, fleet expansion decisions, customer diversification initiatives, ownership planning, and strategic growth initiatives. His involvement has included evaluating acquisitions, assisting with operational improvements, and helping ownership increase profitability and enterprise value.

11i Solutions, Inc. | 2008

11i Solutions was a communications, networking, and technology services company focused on wireless infrastructure and enterprise communications solutions.

Mr. Smith was involved in the finance and accounting functions of the organization and participated in several strategic initiatives, including the evaluation of acquisition opportunities, start-up ventures, valuation analysis, cash flow forecasting, capitalization planning, and efforts related to a proposed reverse merger transaction involving a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The experience provided valuable exposure to growth-stage financing, corporate transactions, and public market considerations.

Aerospace Systems, Inc. | 2008 – 2011

Aerospace Systems provided engineering, certification, and regulatory compliance services to the aviation industry.

Mr. Smith served in a financial controller capacity, overseeing accounting functions, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, operational analysis, and financial management support for company leadership.

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BioBased Technologies focused on the development and commercialization of environmentally friendly products designed to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources through renewable materials and energy-efficient technologies.

Mr. Smith worked on a variety of strategic initiatives, including profitability analysis, financial forecasting, operational assessments, capital planning, and business development projects. He served as a liaison between finance and operations, helping leadership evaluate opportunities, allocate resources, and support company growth initiatives.

Dixie Development was a vertically integrated commercial development organization generating approximately $45 million in annual revenue.

Mr. Smith oversaw the operations of 11 active operating companies and a portfolio of 36 real estate holding entities. His responsibilities included strategic planning, budgeting, capital allocation, financial reporting, lender relations, organizational development, risk management, investor communications, and oversight of commercial development projects. Working closely with ownership, financial institutions, attorneys, investors, and senior management, he helped drive operational performance while supporting long-term value creation initiatives.

Truman Arnold Companies is a wholesale petroleum distributor and owner/operator of airport fixed-base operations (FBOs) and fuel distribution assets.

Mr. Smith supported petroleum futures trading and hedging activities, worked alongside the wholesale marketing division, coordinated with accounting and finance teams on financial reporting initiatives, and developed financial models related to terminal acquisitions and strategic investment opportunities.

Independent Propane Company was a rapidly growing national propane and refined petroleum products distributor that expanded through an aggressive acquisition strategy.

As Lead M&A Analyst, Mr. Smith conducted more than 150 business valuations and played a key role in the financial analysis, due diligence, negotiation support, and successful execution of over 35 acquisitions. These transactions contributed to a highly successful consolidation strategy that increased enterprise value from approximately $7 million to nearly $100 million. His responsibilities included:

• Business valuation and financial modeling
• Acquisition target identification
• Due diligence coordination
• Deal structuring analysis
• Lender and investor presentations
• Integration planning
• Post-acquisition performance evaluation

In addition to his M&A responsibilities, Mr. Smith served as Director of Supply and Distribution, overseeing commodity procurement activities, inventory management, logistics planning, supplier negotiations, pricing strategies, and sophisticated risk management programs involving futures contracts, swaps, options, and other derivative instruments.

Clark Refining & Marketing was a major independent petroleum refining and marketing company operating refineries, terminals, wholesale distribution assets, and retail fuel networks throughout the United States.

As Refinery Scheduler, Mr. Smith coordinated the movement of finished petroleum products from a 65,000-barrel-per-day refinery into pipeline systems, terminals, river barges, and distribution networks. Prior to that role, he served as Manager of Excise and Sales Taxes, overseeing a team of six professionals responsible for preparing and filing more than 130 monthly tax returns with aggregate liabilities exceeding $30 million per month.

Continental Ozark was a petroleum transportation and energy infrastructure company specializing in the ownership and operation of pipeline, terminal, and midstream petroleum assets. Mr. Smith began his professional career supporting accounting operations, multi-state excise and sales tax compliance, financial reporting, and accounting functions related to pipeline and terminal facilities. This role provided a strong foundation in financial controls, regulatory compliance, and operational accounting within the energy industry.