Alex Esterkin-Independent Consulting Expert — AI Model Evaluation & Training
Check rate
Experience
Independent Consulting Expert — AI Model Evaluation & Training
Mercor
Freelance subject-matter expert engaged through specialist AI talent networks to support frontier model evaluation and post-training for leading AI research labs, including work on OpenAI models.
- Designed and applied evaluation rubrics to assess model performance on complex business strategy, commercial analysis, and financial reasoning tasks.
- Scored and ranked model outputs against structured criteria, providing written rationale used to guide reinforcement learning from human feedback.
- Authored expert-level prompts, task sets, and reference answers grounded in real-world consulting workflows to strengthen model capability in commercial domains.
- Identified reasoning errors, factual inaccuracies, and analytical gaps in model responses, with detailed feedback informing training data quality.
- Contributed to rubric design and calibration across reviewer cohorts, improving consistency and reliability of scoring standards.
Senior Strategy Lead, Founding Team
Neuron Group
Founding member, leading the team responsible for strategy, capital formation, and commercial planning for a high-growth technology platform.
- Prepared investor materials and financial models for seed investors ($5–15M), institutional investors ($600–700M Series A / PE), and debt providers evaluating $3B+ financing capacity.
- Developed and executed the company's fundraising strategy in partnership with the CEO.
- Built strategic narratives and data packs tailored to venture, private equity, and infrastructure investors.
- Led development of the company's long-term strategic roadmap including market positioning and capital planning.
- Coordinated cross-functional inputs across technical, commercial, and financial teams to support investor engagement.
Senior (MBB-Principal Equivalent)
Mars & Co
- Led 5–7 person consulting teams delivering strategic engagements for global FMCG companies with $20B–$100B+ revenue, translating complex market and operational data into actionable growth strategies adopted by executive leadership.
- Designed and delivered a global competitive strategy for a $100B FMCG multinational, conducting full competitor performance analysis and strategic scenario modelling to support a target of 40% revenue growth over 5 years.
- Built and tested new packaging and pricing strategies across multiple international markets for a global beverages manufacturer, supporting a programme projected to accelerate ~15% category growth over two years.
- Developed trade and channel strategy for a global biscuit manufacturer using detailed sales and pricing analysis to identify initiatives expected to deliver 1–2 percentage points of margin improvement despite inflationary cost pressures.
- Led supply chain synergy analysis across two multinational organisations with ~$1B combined procurement spend, identifying $50M+ annual cost reduction opportunities through procurement consolidation and operational efficiencies.
Management Consultant
North Highland
- Delivered operating model redesign and performance improvement initiatives across telecom, financial services, retail, and public sector organisations.
- Completed a Chief of Staff secondment supporting CEO strategic priorities and commercial performance analysis.
- Developed multi-million-pound business cases supporting digital and operational transformation initiatives.
- Contributed to enterprise-scale change programs across multinational organisations.
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Food and Beverage, Banking and Finance, Government and Administration, Retail, Telecommunication, and Information Technology.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Strategy, Business Intelligence, Operations, Logistics, Procurement, and Sales.
Summary
Strategy leader operating at the intersection of technology platforms, capital formation, and commercial strategy. Experience spanning high-growth startups and global strategy consulting, advising executives and investors on growth strategy, capital allocation, and operational execution. Combines analytical rigor with entrepreneurial execution to translate complex market dynamics into scalable business strategies.
Skills
- Strategic Planning & Roadmapping
- Commercial Analysis And Strategy Formation
- Capital Raising & Investor Strategy
- Financial Modelling & Capital Structuring
- Startup Strategy & Execution
- Commercial & Market Strategy
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Private Equity & Investor Advisory
Languages
Education
University of Nottingham
BA · Economics and Spanish · United Kingdom
Certifications & licenses
CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting
Statistics
Experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Alex is based in London, United Kingdom and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.
Alex speaks the following languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate).
Alex has at least 12 years of experience. During this time, Alex has worked in at least 4 different roles and for 4 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 11 months. Note that Alex may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Alex would be well-suited for roles such as: Independent Consulting Expert — AI Model Evaluation & Training, Senior Strategy Lead, Founding Team, Senior (MBB-Principal Equivalent).
Alex's most recent position is Independent Consulting Expert — AI Model Evaluation & Training at Mercor.
In recent years, Alex has worked for Mercor, Neuron Group, and Mars & Co.
Alex is most experienced in industries like Food and Beverage, Banking and Finance, and Government and Administration. Alex also has some experience in Retail, Telecommunication, and Information Technology.
Alex is most experienced in business areas like Strategy, Business Intelligence, and Operations. Alex also has some experience in Logistics, Procurement, and Sales.
Alex has recently worked in industries like Food and Beverage and Information Technology.
Alex has recently worked in business areas like Strategy, Business Intelligence, and Logistics.
Alex holds a Bachelor in Economics and Spanish from University of Nottingham.
Alex has 1 certificate: CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting.
Alex is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
Daily rate distribution
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Average rates for similar positions
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The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 31 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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