Meet the Team

With 30 years in executive financial management, Gerhard helps companies navigate critical decision-making processes with insights and direction grounded in financial expertise as well as interdisciplinary and intercultural experience. His career spans a variety of industries, regions, and organizations — from startups to Fortune 500 corporations.

In 2015, Gerhard founded Kratzer Consulting with the mission to bring clarity to financial information, transform this information into strategy, convert the strategy into action, and ultimately deliver results that improve his clients’ profitability and cash flow.

Gerhard holds a Master’s degree in Business Mathematics from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern in Germany.

Simon “Buddy” Blattner is a seasoned executive with over 40 years of leadership experience in telecom, manufacturing, industrial distribution, and value-added services. Known for his “fundamentals” approach, he focuses on educating teams and applying core principles to drive performance. His career spans North America, Northern Europe, and Asia.

At Kratzer Consulting, Buddy serves as Chief of Finance & Strategy, advising small and mid-sized companies on corporate finance, strategic planning, manufacturing operations, supply chain, and revenue growth. His portfolio includes interim and fractional C-suite roles, as well as high-impact advisory engagements in both private and nonprofit sectors.

Buddy holds an MBA in Finance from DePaul University and a BA in Political Science from UCLA. He has served on multiple nonprofit boards, chaired governance and finance committees, and reviewed more than 40 business titles as a manuscript reviewer for Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Paolo Chen is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of experience leading financial operations and scaling high-growth businesses. As a founding team member at Inspired Healthcare Capital, he was instrumental in building and scaling multiple companies into 8- and 9-figure enterprises.

Paolo has held leadership roles across industries including private equity, real estate, construction, and professional services such as healthcare, law, architecture, and marketing. His expertise spans the full spectrum of financial functions: accounting, audit, FP&A, and tax. He also brings extensive experience in capital raising and lender financing.

Paolo earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Arizona State University and has been a licensed CPA in Arizona since 2013.

Brandon Alsayed is a finance and real estate professional with 10+ years of experience driving growth, streamlining operations, and closing high-value deals. For a fast-growing cabinet company, Brandon helped doubling revenue in three years, building a wholesale division from scratch, and implementing systems that boosted efficiency company-wide.

Before becoming a fractional CFO at Kratzer Consulting, Brandon managed multimillion-dollar loan portfolios in commercial banking, structured complex credit deals, and advised business leaders on strategies to improve profitability.

Brandon graduated from W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

Garrett Drummond is an experienced finance leader with over 18 years of expertise in FP&A, accounting and portfolio management. His career includes 14 years at Nike as well as leadership roles at startups and PE-backed firms, with broad FP&A experience across technology, consumer products, manufacturing, and healthcare.

At Kratzer Consulting, Garrett supports FP&A initiatives, delivering reporting and insights that drive strategic decision-making for small and mid-sized companies.

Garrett holds a Master’s in Financial Analysis from Portland State University and a BS in Accounting from Oregon State University.

Ana Barriger is a financial services professional with experience supporting clients ranging from retail investors to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. She specializes in client relationship management, investment education, and process documentation, with a focus on clear communication and attention to detail.

At Kratzer Consulting, Ana provides financial analysis and reporting support for small and mid-sized companies, assisting with the preparation of financial statements and data verification.

Ana graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Finance and Economics 2023.

Riho Katsuta is an intercultural consultant and Japanese–English language specialist with over a decade of experience supporting individuals and organizations in cross-cultural communication, business development, and global strategy.

At Kratzer Consulting, Riho supports the development of international business by building and fostering relationships with Japanese companies and organizations, providing cross-cultural guidance, language services, and interpretation support.

Riho graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University in Tokyo with a concentration in International Business and Economics, and completed advanced training in medical, business, and conference interpretation at multiple professional interpreting schools.