Jesse Ransford wasn’t supposed to end up in finance. As a kid in a small charter school in Aspen, he spent more time rehearsing lines for school plays than thinking about Excel models. His favorite role was the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, a character perpetually racing against time. The irony wasn’t lost on him years later when he found himself building valuation models under tight deadlines for corporate clients.
“Every client engagement brings a different puzzle,” Ransford says. “Sometimes it’s sector dynamics, sometimes it’s unique tax structures.”
Now, he works as a corporate finance consultant at Economic Partners, New York, advising companies on financial reporting, tax structuring, and valuation matters across technology, energy, and retail sectors. He develops advanced Excel models for complex valuations, conducts industry research, and spearheads economic reports that shape how leadership teams understand their own worth.
After years at the charter school, Ransford wanted broader horizons. He convinced his parents to send him to boarding school in New Hampshire, where he found himself surrounded by students from around the world. The experience forced him to navigate unfamiliar social and academic terrain, building adaptability that now serves him in client work. Those relationships still matter, and the experience of making a case with limited leverage taught him something that translates directly to corporate consulting.
Jesse Ransford studied economics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, building the technical foundation that now informs his work. After college, the next move was obvious. New York City represented proximity to the brightest minds in his field, the kind of environment where standing still means falling behind.
“Professionally, you’re surrounded by some of the brightest minds in finance, and that energy is contagious,” Ransford says. “Personally, it’s the culture. I can leave a client meeting and on the same day explore an art gallery or try food from halfway across the globe.”
Several months into his New York chapter, he’s still discovering neighborhoods and building routines.
Technology companies present a particular challenge in valuation work. High growth and recurring revenue look attractive on paper, but many operate without profitability. Energy clients face different problems: cyclical commodity prices, regulatory uncertainty, and capital-intensive infrastructure. Retail businesses wrestle with thin margins and brutal seasonality.
“The toughest challenge is reconciling complexity with clarity,” Ransford says. “Each requires a unique lens, but the common thread is balancing transparent reporting with the reality that business models don’t always fit neatly into valuation frameworks.”
That gap between textbook models and messy reality defines much of his work at Economics Partners. Financial reporting standards demand consistency, but business models evolve faster than accounting frameworks. Helping leadership teams tell their story accurately without obscuring legitimate complexity is central to what consultants do.
One project stands out in Jesse Ransford’s early career. A multi-entity tech company preparing for merger and acquisition needed restructuring analysis. Each business unit operated with a completely different revenue model. Standard comparables didn’t apply cleanly to any of them.
Ransford worked across teams to tailor models for each vertical, aligning assumptions that initially seemed incompatible. The process involved late nights reconciling data sets and pressure from deal advisors who wanted simple answers to complicated questions.
“The final product didn’t just assign value,” he says. “It reshaped how the leadership thought about their structure and negotiation strategy.”
When the deal closed, the analysis had given them leverage in negotiations they wouldn’t have had otherwise. For Ransford, knowing his work had tangible impact on a high-stakes outcome justified the intensive effort required.
That kind of intensity requires recovery strategies. He maintains his edge through habits formed outside the office. “Whether it’s CrossFit or skiing steep terrain, those activities sharpen my resilience and focus, which translate directly into problem-solving in finance,” he says.
Something fundamental is shifting in corporate finance consulting. Tasks that consumed days of manual labor are becoming automated. Data gathering that required junior analysts combing through filings now happens in minutes through AI-powered platforms. Comparable company screening that once meant building elaborate spreadsheets from scratch can be generated automatically.
“I’m really energized by how artificial intelligence is reshaping valuation work,” Ransford says. “It frees consultants to focus more on judgment and storytelling with numbers instead of mechanical inputs.”
The implications extend beyond efficiency gains. When routine tasks get automated, the value proposition for consultants shifts entirely.
“I think consulting is going to become less about crunching numbers and more about interpretation,” he says. “Automation and AI will handle much of the standardized work, but consultants who can explain, challenge assumptions, and translate models into strategy will stand out.”
This evolution creates opportunities for platforms that streamline valuation analysis, making sophisticated financial work more cost-effective for clients. Jesse Ransford sees that shift as significant for the industry. Smaller companies that couldn’t afford traditional consulting fees might access institutional-grade analysis. Private equity firms could run scenario analyses in hours instead of weeks.
For newcomers entering the field, Ransford offers practical advice.
“Don’t get overwhelmed by the idea that your first job defines you,” he says. “Think of it as a launchpad. Focus on building core skills, asking better questions, and finding mentors who push you to think critically.”
He adds a counterintuitive point: “Be humble. Finance rewards curiosity more than bravado. The faster you learn to say, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out,’ the quicker you’ll grow.”
That willingness to acknowledge gaps matters more as the field evolves. Geopolitical volatility and policy shifts force companies to stress-test assumptions constantly. Scenario analysis becomes essential when conditions change rapidly. Consultants who can model multiple futures and help leadership teams prepare for various outcomes provide clear value.
Growing up in Colorado, Jesse Ransford carried the weight familiar to many high-achieving students: the pressure of benchmarks. Grades had to be perfect, applications needed flawless essays, internships required networking and hustle and each goal achieved immediately gave way to the next one.
“That drive paid off, but it also came at the expense of perspective,” he says. “If I could rewind, I’d remind myself that failure isn’t fatal, and growth often comes from the unexpected turns.”
One lesson emerged that changed how he approaches work. It arrived early in his consulting career, when a client asked him to analyze a sector he knew nothing about. The temptation to say yes, to fake competence until he figured it out, was powerful.
“Boundaries matter,” Ransford says. “Early in my career, I learned that saying no when something is outside your scope or expertise isn’t a weakness. It’s integrity.”
That moment of honesty earned more respect than false confidence would have. The client appreciated the candor, and Ransford learned something important: long-term trust and credibility outweigh any short-term win.
The principle extends beyond client work. In an industry known for demanding hours, setting boundaries becomes practical. Knowing when to push and when to recover makes the difference between sustainable performance and burnout.
His current routine reflects that understanding. “Skiing is still part of my DNA, and I try to get back to Colorado whenever I can for powder days,” he says.
Those trips serve a purpose beyond recreation. Returning to the mountains provides perspective on what mattered before career ambitions took over: the physical challenge of steep terrain and the focus required when consequences are immediate.
The transition from Aspen to Manhattan involved adjusting to different rhythms. Jesse Ransford left behind a town where running into familiar faces was inevitable and arrived in a city where anonymity is the default state.
Theater still matters to him. Those years doing school productions taught him about timing, inhabiting different perspectives, and performing under pressure. All of it remains relevant.
“Growing up in Aspen, theater was formative for me, and now in NYC, I’m excited to explore Broadway and the city’s cultural scene as a way to recharge,” he says.
Beyond theater, the city’s culinary diversity provides constant discovery. He can explore global cuisines without leaving the five boroughs, a contrast to Aspen’s more limited options. The neighborhood discovery process continues as he maps out coffee shops, gyms, and professional gathering spots.
“After a childhood in Aspen and years in Colorado, it’s exhilarating to be in a city that never slows down,” Ransford says.
The professional benefits are clear. In finance, proximity matters. Deals happen over dinners and partnerships form through industry events. Being physically present in Manhattan creates opportunities that remote work can’t replicate.
Standing at his desk with Manhattan stretching out below, Ransford applies lessons learned across different contexts, and now. he’s learning to perform in an environment that rewards adaptation while maintaining judgment about when to push forward and when to step back.
