Laura St. John

The Strategic Finance Translator

Translating financial discipline and complex deal execution into accelerated growth with a CFO lens that keeps strategy grounded in real world outcomes

About

A company’s trajectory is shaped by its capital decisions and the strength of its strategic partnerships. Laura St. John has worked at the center of some of the semiconductor industry’s most consequential transactions and now brings that perspective to the realities of building an AI company from the ground up.

As Senior Finance Director of Corporate Development at Intel, she structured major transactions spanning billions of dollars with Apollo, UMC, and Brookfield, while serving as board chair and other leadership roles across those transactions. Her work helped realize Intel’s capital investment strategy during a highly complex period for the company. At Ampere, she led M&A integration and business development initiatives that contributed to the company’s AI revenue growth.

Today, Laura is Co-Founder of MisaLabs.ai, giving her direct operating experience with the financial priorities, partnership structures, and strategic decisions that define a company’s future. That perspective goes beyond deal mechanics to the realities of execution and scale.

Laura holds an MBA from the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management and a BA from the University of Minnesota. At TechArena Advisory, she helps companies prioritize capital, structure partnerships, and navigate M&A with clarity.

Core Expertise

Anchor Focus Areas

P&L Leadership & Performance Optimization

Capital Allocation & Strategic Investment Decisions

M&A, Partnerships & Post-Deal Integration

Other Focus Areas

  • Enterprise FP&A & Financial Planning
  • Product & Commercial Finance
  • Market Expansion & Financial Modeling
  • Investor-Ready Financial Modeling & Operating Plan Design
  • Strategic Business Partnering
  • Scenario Planning & Decision Support
  • Post-Merger Integration & Value Realization
  • Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence

Testimonial

Laura is that rare finance partner every business leader hopes for.  She jumps in immediately, asks the right questions, and pushes herself to get to the heart of complex issues. Laura is the trusted partner you want in the room when things get difficult: strategic, practical, relentless, and deeply invested in helping shape the business.

— Chris Campbell, VP Head of Corporate Development, Cirrus Logic

Where This Expertise Fits

  • AI, Data Center & Advanced Technology
  • Enterprise & High-Growth Technology Companies
  • Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships
  • Venture-Backed & Pre-IPO Companies