Benjamin is available for hire
Hire BenjaminBenjamin Bryer, CFA
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
West Chester, PA, United States
Toptal Member Since
March 11, 2021
A CFA charterholder with an MBA from NYU, Ben has more than 10 years of buy-side experience. Having worked in both institutional asset management (fixed income) and middle-market private equity, Ben has been involved with a wide variety of transactions. As a freelancer, Ben offers M&A advisory services to buy-side and sell-side clients, specializing in due diligence, financial modeling, valuation, and deal structuring.
Certification Highlights
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA institute
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
Founder and Managing Partner
2019 - PRESENT
Highspire Holdings, LLC
- Constructed a bank buyout model to perform LBO analysis; determined that sponsor would need 38% multiple expansion to meet hurdle rate; concluded that the deal was not feasible since return projections did not justify the required multiple expansion.
- Led buy-side due diligence, including engagement of third-party advisors, for a potential $2.25 million acquisition; uncovered significant CAPEX requirements; the analysis was used in negotiations to support a proposed $450 million purchase price decrease (to $1.8 million).
- Built a dynamic LBO model with multiple pro forma operating and financing scenarios to evaluate a potential $4 million buyout; the model was used to produce insights that supported financing and transaction agreement negotiations.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Private Equity, Due Diligence, M&A (Buy-side), M&A Modeling, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Financial Modeling, Valuation, Entrepreneurial Finance, Market Research, Credit Analysis, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Scenario Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Investment Research, Industry Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, Due Diligence Consultant, Cash Flow Modeling, Capital Structuring, Pro Forma Analysis, Asset Management, Forecasting, Accounting, Financing, Investment Analysis, Investments, US GAAP, Trade Finance, Credit/Debt, Private Company Valuation, Three-statement Modeling, CAPEX
Senior Associate
2018 - 2019
Main Line Equity Partners
- Responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, valuation, financial modeling, financing, closing, and portfolio company management.
- Performed valuation analysis on potanital acquisition targets using public company comparables, precedent transactions, DCF, and LBO methodologies.
- Conceptualized and led the execution of operationally-focused value creation initiatives.
- Created investment memoranda, including teasers, internal investment committee memos, and lender presentations.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Valuation, Private Equity, Entrepreneurial Finance, Market Research, Credit Analysis, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Scenario Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Investment Research, Industry Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, M&A (Buy-side), Due Diligence Consultant, Cash Flow Modeling, Capital Structuring, Pro Forma Analysis, Asset Management, Forecasting, Accounting, Financing, Investment Analysis, Investments, US GAAP, Trade Finance, Credit/Debt, Private Company Valuation, Three-statement Modeling
Credit Research Associate, Structured Finance
2015 - 2018
Vanguard Group, Inc.
- Directed the fundamental credit review of asset-backed security (ABS) transactions; collaborated with portfolio managers and traders to manage the $19 billion ABS position held across Vanguard’s active and index fixed income portfolios.
- Constructed detailed, transaction-specific financial models to perform cash flow analysis on ABS deals in the primary and secondary markets.
- Invested in transactions sponsored by companies in a wide variety of industries and collateralized by both traditional and highly-esoteric assets, such as coin-counting kiosks, tugboats, and franchised quick-service restaurant royalties.
Focus areas: Structured Products, Structured Finance, Financial Modeling, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Modeling, Investment Research, Due Diligence, Credit Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Market Research, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Scenario Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Industry Analysis, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Due Diligence Consultant, Capital Structuring, Pro Forma Analysis, Asset Management, Forecasting, Accounting, Financing, Investment Analysis, Investments, US GAAP, Trade Finance, Credit/Debt, Private Company Valuation, Three-statement Modeling
Credit Research Associate, Investment Grade Corporate Credit
2014 - 2016
Vanguard
- Generated in-depth fundamental credit research on issuers within the insurance, banking, and asset management sectors; supported senior analysts, portfolio managers, and traders on the investment grade team.
- Built, maintained, and managed financial models used to facilitate new deal analysis, monitor current holdings, and generate company-specific and sector-level relative value recommendations.
- Conducted scenario analysis and ad-hoc research projects on topical issues.
Focus areas: Credit Analysis, Pro Forma Analysis, Financial Analysis, Investment Research, Financial Modeling, Due Diligence, Valuation, Market Research, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Scenario Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Industry Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Due Diligence Consultant, Cash Flow Modeling, Capital Structuring, Asset Management, Forecasting, Accounting, Financing, Investment Analysis, Investments, US GAAP, Credit/Debt, Three-statement Modeling
Education
2019 - 2021
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
NYU Stern School of Business - New York, NY
2007 - 2011
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
University of Richmond - Richmond, VA
Certifications
FEBRUARY 2016 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA institute