For Discussion Purposes - Prepared by the Subject Himself

Kunal Tolani:
a long-hold asset in energy transition & deal origination.

Deal advisory and private equity, CFA Charterholder, energy transition focus. My work, track record and thinking - laid out as an investment memorandum.

01

Executive Summary

I'm a deal advisory and private equity professional working at the intersection of private equity and the energy transition. As Assistant Manager at KPMG, I sit within the UK deal origination practice in Deal Advisory & Strategy - building PE asset pipelines across Energy Transition sectors, identifying near- and long-term investment opportunities, preparing client-ready investment materials for buy- and sell-side mandates, and coordinating across global stakeholders to accelerate conviction on target assets.

I lead a team of consultants and associate consultants as their direct performance manager, and I've embedded AI tooling into recurring origination workflows, from pipeline screening through to asset pack production. Before KPMG I spent over three years at Acuity Knowledge Partners as sector head for Climate Tech & Energy, supporting a tier-1 US investment bank.

Alongside the day job, I mentor CFA candidates and write on deal advisory, energy transition, the CFA journey, and the day-to-day of working as a finance professional - a practitioner's view from inside live pipelines, not commentary from the sidelines.

Away from the desk, I play tennis, train in the gym most days, and write - blogs and articles on finance, energy transition, CFA prep, and life in general.

Kunal Tolani
Exhibit A The PrincipalKunal Tolani
Current RoleAssistant Manager, KPMG
PracticeDeal Advisory & Strategy
CoverageEnergy Transition / Climate
CredentialCFA Charterholder
Experience~8 years
BaseGurugram, India
// Sector Coverage Depth
Energy TransitionCore
Power & UtilitiesDeep
Oil & Gas / LNGDeep
Industrials & ServicesWorking
Framed CFA Institute Charter awarded to Kunal Tolani
Exhibit B CFA CharterCFA Institute
02

Investment Highlights

0/3

CFA, first attempt

All three CFA levels cleared on the first attempt - the technical foundation behind both the day job and the coaching platform.

~0y

Across the deal lifecycle

Origination, M&A execution support, pitch books, credit opinions, and ESG integration - from research seat to origination seat.

ET

Energy transition depth

Pipeline coverage across EV charging, battery storage, biomethane, offshore wind services, and circular economy.

T1

Tier-1 client exposure

Former sector head for Climate Tech & Energy supporting a tier-1 US investment bank's sustainable banking franchise.

PM

People leadership

Direct performance manager to a team of consultants and associate consultants, with a coaching-first management style.

AI

AI-native workflows

Embedded AI tooling into recurring origination and research workflows - an operating edge, not a talking point.

03

Track Record

2024 - Present

Assistant Manager, Deal Origination

KPMG - Deal Advisory & Strategy

Supports the UK deal origination practice: PE pipeline build across energy transition sectors, asset pack and thematic POV production, buyer/seller universe mapping, and stakeholder coordination across global teams. Manages and coaches a junior team.

2021 - 2024

Sector Head, Climate Tech & Energy

Acuity Knowledge Partners - Sustainable & Impact Banking

Led sector coverage supporting a tier-1 US investment bank across origination, M&A execution, pitch books, credit opinions, and ESG integration. Co-authored published work on India's energy transition.

Earlier

Business Associate / Portfolio Operations

KPMG · Indus Valley Partners

Foundational years in advisory and buy-side portfolio operations - where the research discipline and financial modelling habits were built.

Credentials

CFA Charterholder · B.A. (Hons) Economics

CFA Institute · Dyal Singh College, University of Delhi

All three CFA levels cleared on the first attempt. Economics honours from Dyal Singh College, University of Delhi - the quantitative grounding beneath the deal work.

04

Growth Platforms

Platform A

Deal Advisory & Energy Transition

Perspectives on European PE deal origination and the energy transition - where capital is moving, which sub-sectors are getting crowded, and what an originator sees before the market does.

  • Energy transition sub-sector theses
  • PE pipeline & exit environment commentary
  • Carve-out and sell-side opportunity patterns
View Insights
Platform B

CFA Mentorship & Guidance

Informal mentorship for CFA candidates from someone who cleared all three levels on the first attempt and applies the curriculum on live deals. Perspective on how to study, what actually matters, and how the material shows up in real finance work.

  • Personalised guidance for candidates
  • Level-by-level study strategy
  • How the curriculum applies on real deals
Connect with Me
CFA Program curriculum and Schweser notes on a shelf with a CFA Society India recognition

Discipline. Focus. Consistency. Patience.

// The foundation behind the charter
05

Insights

LinkedInDeal Origination

I was proud of the wrong number

Early in my origination work days, I was proud of the wrong number. I'd sent 40 target profiles in a week. Felt productive.

Read →
LinkedInCareer Strategy

CFA or MBA? It's the wrong question

My DMs are filled with - "CFA or MBA?" I believe it's the wrong question. It's like asking whether you should learn to cook or lea...

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LinkedInEnergy Transition

Battery storage stopped being a venture bet

5 years ago, battery storage was a venture bet. Today it's an infrastructure asset. That shift is the whole story in energy transi...

Read →
LinkedInCredit Markets

The sub-2% private credit default rate isn't real

The private credit (PC) default rate is below 2%. Except that sub-2% default rate isn't real.

Read →
LinkedInCFA Prep

Most people study CFA Level II like it's still Level I

I think more people fail CFA Program Level II than they expect. And it's probably not because it's harder. It's because they study...

Read →
LinkedInEnergy Transition

2025 was a weird year for energy transition deals

2025 was a weird year for energy transition deals. Deal volumes dropped 15%. Fewer transactions closed. A lot of people read that ...

Read →
Show more on LinkedIn →
06

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