Spotlight: Natalie Baharun, Senior Project Manager

When asked to demystify her field, Natalie offers a clear and straightforward description: "The simple description is that I model hypothetical liquidations of a Company's inventory, ensuring the Company can borrow the money they need and that the Lender is protected from the risk of a worst-case outcome."

In essence, Natalie's role is to act as a crucial link in the financial supply chain. She must understand the intricate mechanics of various industries—from how food gets from the farm to your plate to the global factors influencing metals production—and translate those real-world complexities into secure financial valuations.

Her inspiration for this focus stems from a deep appreciation for the U.S. economy's backbone: "Farmers and manufacturers have long been the backbone of the US economy, but have also undergone tremendous changes in the last few decades. To be on the forefront of how these businesses have adapted to increasing globalization is fascinating work."

The world of inventory valuation is full of nuance, and Natalie points out a common borrower misunderstanding: "In appraisal, not all inventory is created equal. A finished good ready for sale typically has a higher recovery value since it has a captive customer base; whereas work-in-process or raw material stock is often a fraction of that, requiring more time and money to find potential buyers."

Currently, her attention is fixed on timely issues that directly impact her clients:

• Tariffs: Until tariff escalations settle down and rates stabilize, Natalie believes purchasing and inventory planning will continue to present a challenge for companies.

• Weather Events in Food: She sees how droughts, tropical storms, and even infestations can cause changes to global harvest yields and result in market pricing swings across any commodity.

A key focus for Natalie is improving communication in a field that requires juggling relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders—lenders, borrowers, internal teams, and more. Her commitment to streamlining processes is highlighted by her work on "combo deals," which are multi-discipline assignments requiring intense internal collaboration to deliver a seamless product externally.

Like many in the industry, Natalie acknowledges the potential future opportunity presented by automation but notes the inherent challenge: "Our appraisals are both complex and boutique. Each analysis is as unique as the companies we appraise."

When it comes to staying ahead of the curve, Natalie doesn't just rely on news headlines; she goes straight to the source. "For industry knowledge relevant to my specialty, it mostly comes down to reading industry news extensively and learning from the Companies we appraise. They are the true experts."

Looking ahead, Natalie is excited about the opportunity to re-examine existing processes with the emergence of our revamped GA Group, aiming to continue to be leaders in education, both about the appraisal process and about the industries we specialize in.

Natalie's approach to her work is deeply informed by her personal life. As a new parent, her concept of time and efficiency has definitely shifted. This translates into a professional goal to be as effective and respectful with everyone's time as she can be.

Ultimately, what makes Natalie an invaluable asset is her mindset: "I think I'm a good listener and deeply curious." She firmly believes an appraisal that doesn't reflect the company's unique perspective is "incomplete." Taking the time to listen and learn about what makes each company and its inventory unique is what truly sets her appraisal product apart.

Thank you, Natalie, for your dedication to excellence and for providing essential expertise to our clients!