Determined overall company strategy and acquisition plans for investing in existing oil and gas producing leases and assets and then enhancing production. Also,  Recruited executive management team including former executives from Chemical Bank, Deloitte Consulting, among others along with experienced petroleum engineers, environmental and land experts, IT and systems integration specialist, and onsite well operations managers.  Secured over $300MM in private equity commitments, raised over $120MM in private equity for a specific transaction, and helped identify and negotiate bank senior secured financings.  Speaker & Industry Expert: MergerMarket Energy M&A Conference ’10 – presentation focused on overcoming the effect the 2009 recession; and the value of stabilizing cash flows by employing hedging programs.

Determined overall trading strategy for various private commodity trading and hedging entities including:  Grew a $2,000,000 trading account to over $17,000,000 in about 4 years.  Co-Author of financial textbook: Currency Options: Hedging and Trading Strategies (Business One Irwin ISBN: 1-55623-170-9):  Proprietary black-box computer trading program: combined hundreds of proprietary mathematical equations into a real-time computer-trading program that interprets price movement and volatility data, and then generates and executes specific trading decisions.  Frequently called on to contribute to various trade publications.  Authored a real-time proprietary VBA/Excel position manager computer program that allowed for single point trade entry, real-time position value calculations, and end-of-day reconciliation.  Series 3 accreditation: as issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and administered by the National Futures Association

"Team Leader, Commodity Trader, Risk Management Expertise & Angel Investor "

Determined overall trading strategy for various private commodity trading and hedging entities including:  Grew a $2,000,000 trading account to over $17,000,000 in about 4 years.  Co-Author of financial textbook: Currency Options: Hedging and Trading Strategies (Business One Irwin ISBN: 1-55623-170-9):  Proprietary black-box computer trading program: combined hundreds of proprietary mathematical equations into a real-time computer-trading program that interprets price movement and volatility data, and then generates and executes specific trading decisions.  Frequently called on to contribute to various trade publications.  Authored a real-time proprietary VBA/Excel position manager computer program that allowed for single point trade entry, real-time position value calculations, and end-of-day reconciliation.  Series 3 accreditation: as issued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and administered by the National Futures Association.

Determined overall company strategy and direction for this dairy product manufacturer of innovative high-protein, high-calcium, low-lactose, nonfat milk foods and beverages. Successfully raised over $4MM in start-up venture capital from institutional and angel investors, and arranged for an additional $9MM in structured financing. Inspired and caused to develop the Intellectual Property, recruited the R&D and manufacturing teams, coordinated new product development and branding efforts, developed large customer accounts, academic partnerships, and negotiated contracts for strategic acquisitions and partnerships. Other highlights include:  Assembled multinational BOD & management team.  Assembled worldclass Advisory Board.  Facilitated the creation of the “NUU” Brand icon.

Entrepreneurial venture to design, construct and operate an integrated hog development that employed a unique “Horizontal Cooperative Structure” that Mr. Achs authored while working with senior government officials in Paraguay, Colombia and Brazil. Although politics prevented the Big Sky Farms project from moving forward, Mr. Achs:  Raised $2.5MM in start-up capital from angel investors and then worked to raise $50MM in PE through a strategic partner; $140MM mezz/IRB, and $200MM in debt.  Helped create an eco-friendly anaerobic waste-handling system that helped secure the State DEQ permit.  Purchased the largest contiguous working ranch in Southern Idaho from JR Simplot and then restructured the 5,312 acres to maximize grain production and cattle feeding performance; implemented hedging and forward marketing programs that stabilized cash-flow, augmented profitability, and increased the appraised value of the ranch by 250% in less than 5 years.