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If you’re looking for expert help with communication, financial modeling, or research, DBA is here to assist you. Our team of knowledgeable professionals is committed to providing you with the highest level of service and support to help you achieve your goals.

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DB Academy Group LLC
(612) 868 5040
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    Leslie Gilmartin

    Leslie Gilmartin

    Advisor, Audit & Controllership

    Leslie Gilmartin, CPA is a senior finance and accounting executive with more than 30 years of experience spanning audit, controllership, consulting, and corporate accounting leadership. As an independent consultant for over two decades, she has partnered with companies to enhance compliance, streamline operations, and strengthen internal controls. Her consulting expertise includes Sarbanes-Oxley audits, compliance projects, financial reporting, capital budgeting, and restructuring of complex legal and financial reserves, often driving multimillion-dollar improvements and significant cost savings.

    Earlier in her career, Leslie held leadership roles as Controller at Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT), where she managed all core financial operations and guided ERP implementation, and as Manager of Corporate Accounting at Sony Corporation of America, where she directed financial statement preparation for 20 U.S. subsidiaries and supervised the corporate accounting department. She also gained valuable experience in audit roles with PwC and KPMG, serving both Fortune 500 and private clients across sectors such as technology, utilities, publishing, and municipal government.

    Leslie holds a Master of Business Administration from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics from Merrimack College. She is an active Certified Public Accountant and is based in New Jersey.

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    Svetlana Sandberg

    Advisor, Healthcare Strategy

    Svetlana Sandberg is a healthcare strategy executive with deep experience in enterprise operation, business transformation, and innovation. As Vice President of Innovation & Strategy at UnitedHealth Group, she leads initiatives to accelerate product development and optimize capital allocation, aiming to improve time to market and drive long-term growth across the organization.

    Prior to her current role, Svetlana served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Optum Financial, supporting a platform processing over $500B healthcare payments and serving over 27 million consumers. She played a pivotal role in shaping corporate strategy, managing performance, leading cross-functional initiatives, and executing Optum Financial M&A agenda. Her efforts helped deliver significant revenue and IOI growth, along with major advancements in consumer and provider financial solutions.

    Earlier, she held senior leadership roles in population health, readmissions strategy, and clinical innovation, driving modernization of Medicare programs, deployment of digital health tools, and clinical cost savings. Throughout her career at UnitedHealth Group, she has built a reputation for aligning stakeholders, navigating complex organizations, and executing strategic priorities with measurable impact.

    Svetlana holds an MBA in Finance and Healthcare from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors and spending time with her family. She is based in Edina, Minnesota.

    Adila Secerkadic

    Executive Assistant
    Adila Secerkadic is an Executive Assistant at DBA, providing organizational and administrative support to the team.
    Over the course of her career, she has gained experience in a variety of business roles, but a clear thread throughout has been her passion for structure, thoughtful planning, and reliable execution.
    Organization is not just part of her job – it’s something she naturally brings into daily life. She values simplicity, trust, and meaningful work, and especially enjoys creating clarity and ease in fast-moving environments.

    Ryan Davitt

    Analyst
    Ryan Davitt is an emerging finance professional with expertise in financial analysis, risk assessment, and investment strategy. As an Analyst at DBA Group, he applies his analytical skills to support high-growth businesses in achieving their financial goals.
    Ryan’s foundation in finance began at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, where he pursued degrees in Finance, Business Data Analytics, and Economics. A Barrett Honors College Scholar, he consistently earned Dean’s List recognition.
    During his internship as a Credit Risk Analyst at DriveTime, Ryan led an APR elasticity analysis, uncovering profitability opportunities in auto loan financing. He also utilized advanced Python analytics to validate data integrity and developed policy recommendations projected to increase total NPV by $2 million.
    Beyond finance, Ryan co-founded Official Annie Cat, a pet-focused social media brand, growing it to 191,000 followers. He also served as a Fund Manager for ASU’s Student Investment Management Fund, overseeing a $1.2 million portfolio, and was part of the winning team in the 2023 U.S. Desert Local CFA Research Challenge.
    Outside of work, he enjoys basketball, camping, cars, coffee, cooking, and painting. Ryan is based in Mesa, Arizona.

    Charles Wyatt

    Advisor, Finance & Controllership
    Charles Wyatt is a finance executive with 20+ years of experience driving financial strategy, capital management, and operational efficiency. As CFO of Vertical Insure, he plays a key role in scaling and innovating within the embedded insurance space.
    Specializing in early-stage technology and SaaS companies, Charles has helped raise nearly $1 billion in debt and equity across Series A–C and recapitalization financings. He excels in financial planning, capital structuring, and team building, having implemented best-in-class processes, controls, and technology to support rapid growth.
    Prior to Vertical Insure, Charles was CFO at Nice Healthcare, Total Expert, and Renters Warehouse, where his leadership earned him recognition as a Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal CFO of the Year. His early career also includes leadership roles at SUPERVALU and Code42, optimizing financial infrastructures for high-growth companies.
    Charles holds a B.A. in Finance from California State University, Fullerton, and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Margareta Klincic

    Advisor, Tech Strategy
    Margareta (Maggie) Klincic is a global strategy and operations leader with a strong foundation in technology, consulting, and finance. With over a decade of experience spanning Google, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs, she brings a rare blend of analytical rigor, operational execution, and cross-cultural leadership to her work.
    Most recently, Margareta served as Product Strategy and Operations Principal at Google Cloud, where she led strategic initiatives for the Telco vertical across Europe, helping shape go-to-market plans and scale operations. Prior to that, she held several leadership roles within Google Cloud, including Head of Sales Strategy and Operations for the UK & Ireland and Strategy & Operations Lead for Southern Europe and Emerging Markets, where she partnered with executive stakeholders to accelerate regional growth and optimize commercial performance.
    Before joining Google, Margareta spent nearly six years at McKinsey & Company, where she advanced to Engagement Manager, advising global clients across sectors on strategy, transformation, and performance improvement. Her earlier experience includes serving as Head of Finance, Fundraising & Operations at the health-tech startup Bellabeat and completing an Investment Banking Summer Associate role at Goldman Sachs.
    Margareta holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and earned her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Zagreb – Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, where she also served as a teaching assistant and contributed actively to student organizations and fundraising initiatives.
    Fluent in multiple languages and deeply committed to global impact, Margareta is passionate about empowering women in business, supporting innovation ecosystems, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. She is currently based in London, UK.

    John Stame

    Advisor, Tech & Data Architecture
    John Stame is a business systems leader, strategist, and advisor with 35+ years of experience optimizing operations through technology-driven transformation. Having held leadership roles at Documentum, Microsoft, Chevron, and Atlassian, he has helped organizations enhance efficiency and scale through enterprise architecture, strategic planning, and process optimization.
    John specializes in business systems management, SaaS analytics, and application rationalization, with expertise across finance, accounting, procurement, and HR. He has led initiatives across Lead/Quote to Cash, Record to Report, AP/AR, Procure to Pay, and Hire to Retire, leveraging enterprise architecture methodologies to streamline operations.
    At Documentum, John led Knowledge Management initiatives, while at Microsoft, he served as a Platform Strategy Advisor, guiding organizations in adopting strategic IT frameworks. His work at Chevron and Atlassian focused on enterprise architecture and IT portfolio management, driving operational efficiency and scalability.
    John holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from California State University, Chico. He is based in Eagle, Idaho.

    John Bennett, CPA

    Advisor, Finance & Controllership
    John Bennett, CPA is a finance and advisory executive with 30+ years of experience leading cost optimization, process transformation, and global business strategy. Having held leadership roles at KPMG, Accenture, PwC, IBM, and HP, he has advised Fortune 500 companies across industries, driving efficiency and operational excellence.
    John began his career in Canada, earning his CPA designation with KPMG before transitioning into consulting. He specialized in cost reduction and process improvement across consumer goods, technology, energy, and healthcare, including negotiating joint exploration costs for ARCO, BP, and Exxon in Alaska.
    His career later expanded globally, where he advised on multi-process outsourcing strategies across India, Eastern Europe, China, and Latin America. He then refocused on zero-based budgeting, process optimization, and shared services strategy, aligning finance and operations with technology-driven transformations.
    John holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Saint Mary’s University and his CPA designation. He is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
    Dino Bilankov

    Dino Bilankov

    CEO & Founder
    Dino Bilankov is a corporate finance executive with extensive experience in FP&A, strategic planning, and investor relations. As founder of DBA Group, he partners with venture-backed, PE-owned, and founder-led high-growth businesses, providing tailored financial solutions and strategic insights to drive operational excellence and growth.
    Prior to founding DBA Group, Dino served as Chief Financial Officer for UnitedHealthcare’s Southwest Markets, managing a $2.5 billion P&L across multiple states. Earlier in his career, he worked in corporate strategy and business development at UnitedHealthcare, leading M&A analyses and strategic initiatives for the then $250 billion enterprise. He also gained private equity and investment banking experience at Diamond Castle Holdings and RBC Capital Markets, developing deep expertise in financial modeling, valuation, and transaction execution.
    Dino holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Minnesota, where he captained the Division I tennis team on a full athletic scholarship. He later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. In addition to his corporate leadership, Dino is an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.
    Outside of his professional work, he enjoys playing tennis, practicing jiu-jitsu, spending time outdoors with his family, and perfecting his guitar and piano skills. Dino is based in Mesa, Arizona.