Brian Weisman, CFA, Finance Expert in Stamford, CT, United States
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Brian Weisman, CFA

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
Stamford, CT, United States
Toptal Member Since
January 3, 2024

Brian is a chartered financial analyst (CFA) with nine years of experience working as an investment professional for hedge funds and two years as an investment banker for Barclays Capital. Brian started a hedge fund with a distressed and short-selling strategy. He taught M&A/LBO financial modeling at investment firms and banks. He's analyzed and helped execute multiple LBO/M&A/restructuring deals. His expertise touches nearly all of finance. Brian's started two tech companies and a hedge fund.

Investment AnalysisCorporate Finance ConsultantBankruptcyBusiness Plan ConsultingFintechFintech ConsultantStartup ConsultingPitch Deck ConsultantInvestment BankingFractional CFOCorporate FinanceValuationFinancial ModelingDue DiligenceEquity Research

Career Highlights

Founder and Portfolio Manager
Self-employed
Research Analyst
Bardin Hill Investment Partners (formerly Halcyon, $10bn credit fund with $2bn hedge fund)
Vice President
Silverpeak Credit Partners ($10bn private equity firm with $300mm hedge fund)

Case Studies

Work Experience

Fractional CFO, M&A/Fundraising/Valuation/Modeling/Restructuring Expert, Modeling Instructor

2023 - PRESENT
Freelance Clients
  • Recommended $8.5 million (3.0% of EBITDA) SG&A cost reductions to globally restructure business units to CEO and CFO. Analyzed opportunities on behalf of business units and corporate functions to execute on tasked savings.
  • Helped a private company make a successful acquisition. Led financial modeling, due diligence, and analysis for a $40 million EV bolt-on acquisition at 6.3x EBITDA. Analyzed unit economics of every product category.
  • Created model and synergy action plan for 90% RIF of HQ supporting unsuccessful $130 million bid (10x EBITDA) on appliances division in bankruptcy because winning bid had strategic synergies to target's manufacturing segment.
  • Taught modeling seminars encompassing M&A, LBOs, bankruptcy, three statements, and unit economics for 120 attendees, achieving a score of 95% and an NPS of 72. Clients included private equity, private credit, universities, and investment banks.
  • Built a global cost-saving initiatives model to maximize teamwork and idea generation across 17 business units and five cost workstreams.
Focus areas: M&A Modeling, M&A (Buy-side), Financial Modeling, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Free Cash Flow (FCF), Financial Statements, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Deal Structuring, Consumer Lending, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Pricing, Investments, Investment Memoranda, Business Process Optimization, SaaS, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Credit/Debt, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail & Wholesale, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Equity Raises, Enterprise Software, Video Games, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, Fundraising Strategy, Forecasting, Operating Models, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Investor Presentations, Direct to Consumer (D2C), eCommerce, Marketplaces, ROI, Leveraged Finance, Cash Flow Management, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Consumer Products, eCommerce Analysis, Fractional CFO, Business Plan Consulting

Founder and Portfolio Manager

2020 - 2023
Self-employed
  • Led and negotiated a 5-month launch with a prime broker, an auditor, a fund administrator, legal counsel, and fundraising.
  • Launched a hedge fund on July 29, 2020, by fully investing personal net worth plus capital from friends and family.
  • Covered sectors such as tech, video game, consumer, auto, business services, power plants, fintech, and specialty consumer finance.
  • Executed trades while analyzing and modeling four monthly ideas using a proprietary strategy with a pipeline of over 240 ideas.
  • Prepared 20-page quarterly investor letters containing a performance recap, research insights, and market outlook.
  • Bought Allied Esports equity to generate 85% in four months, resulting from its World Poker Tour segment divestiture.
  • Purchased Vistra Energy equity and recycled it into warrants, generating over 100% in nine months as a deep-value SOTP trade that began in the summer of 2021.
  • Analyzed and executed number one investment by shorting Tesla with 117% return using multi-year puts to minimize downside risk with catalysts such as -20% price cuts in China, rising competition, and falling factory utilization.
Focus areas: Valuation, Financial Modeling, Portfolio Management, Investment Research, M&A Modeling, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Distressed/Special Situations, Microsoft Excel, Restructuring, Corporate Finance, Financial Analysis, Corporate Development, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Business Strategy, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Models, Investment Analysis, Forecasting, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Due Diligence, Equity Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Finance Consultant, Equity Research, Public Companies, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Reorganization, Corporate Insolvency, Accounting, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cash Flow Forecasting, Debt Restructuring, Financial Restructuring, M&A (Buy-side), Data, Financing, Scenario Analysis, Deal Structuring, Consumer Lending, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Fintech Consultant, Pricing, Investments, Private Equity, Renewable Energy, Investment Memoranda, SaaS, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Hedge Funds, Bloomberg, Credit/Debt, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail & Wholesale, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Capital Raising, Intellectual Property Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Fund Formation, Equity Raises, Legal Technology (Legaltech), Video Games, Hedge Funds, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, Healthcare, Fundraising Strategy, Operating Models, Manufacturing, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Investor Presentations, Direct to Consumer (D2C), eCommerce, Marketplaces, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Renewables, ROI, Leveraged Finance, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Consumer Products, eCommerce Analysis, Fintech, Fund Management, Business Plan Consulting

Research Analyst

2018 - 2020
Bardin Hill Investment Partners (formerly Halcyon, $10bn credit fund with $2bn hedge fund)
  • Outperformed Standard & Poor's -4% return in 2018 by earning 30% on short ideas, such as CONN and SIG, from the subprime credit unwind.
  • Generated 33% in two months from short-selling Signet Jewelers equity at $60.
  • Investigated, modeled, and analyzed 40+ companies, which was more than any other 10-person team in 1.5 years.
  • Drove through Bardin Hill’s 3+ month iterative executive committee from start to finish and deployed $40 million of capital across four top ideas after receiving approvals on investment proposals through a 5-person senior committee.
Focus areas: Valuation, Distressed/Special Situations, Corporate Finance, Financial Modeling, M&A Modeling, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Portfolio Management, Investment Research, Microsoft Excel, Corporate Development, Restructuring, Financial Analysis, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Business Strategy, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Models, Investment Analysis, Forecasting, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Due Diligence, Equity Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Pitch Decks, Corporate Finance Consultant, Equity Research, Public Companies, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Reorganization, Corporate Insolvency, Accounting, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cash Flow Forecasting, Debt Restructuring, Financial Restructuring, M&A (Buy-side), Data, Financing, Fundraising, Scenario Analysis, Deal Structuring, Consumer Lending, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Fintech Consultant, Pricing, Investments, Private Equity, Renewable Energy, Investment Memoranda, SaaS, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Hedge Funds, Bloomberg, Credit/Debt, Structured Finance, Pitch Deck Consultant, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail & Wholesale, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Intellectual Property Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Fund Formation, Equity Raises, Enterprise Software, Video Games, Hedge Funds, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, Healthcare, Fundraising Strategy, Operating Models, Manufacturing, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Direct to Consumer (D2C), eCommerce, Marketplaces, ROI, Leveraged Finance, Cash Flow Management, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Consumer Products, eCommerce Analysis, Fintech, Business Plan Consulting

Vice President

2016 - 2018
Silverpeak Credit Partners ($10bn private equity firm with $300mm hedge fund)
  • Outperformed Standard & Poor's 9% internal rate of return (IRR) by earning 18% IRR from 2016-2018, which grew assets under management by 500% to $300 million.
  • Covered sectors such as casinos, consumer, tech, power plants, E&P, and oil refiners.
  • Led Philadelphia Energy Solutions investment through a committee on the thesis of removing Carlyle's ability to extract $270 million from the oil refinery to the detriment of creditors through the bankruptcy process.
  • Underwrote a thesis based on fixing fraudulent conveyance through bankruptcy and sum of the parts analysis to buy Caesars' 2nd lien debt at a 40% discount relative to its casino peers.
  • Bought a first-lien Philadelphia Energy Solutions term loan to generate 29% in five months by buying at a multiple of 5x in bankruptcy.
  • Purchased second-lien Caesars casino bonds to generate 68% in nine months by buying at a multiple of 5.6x in bankruptcy.
  • Mentored three junior analysts on investigative due diligence, financial accounting, financial modeling, and analysis.
Focus areas: M&A Modeling, Corporate Development, Corporate Finance, Distressed/Special Situations, Financial Analysis, Investment Research, Financial Modeling, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Microsoft Excel, Portfolio Management, Restructuring, Valuation, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Business Strategy, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Models, Investment Analysis, Forecasting, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Due Diligence, Equity Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Pitch Decks, Corporate Finance Consultant, Equity Research, Public Companies, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Reorganization, Corporate Insolvency, Accounting, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cash Flow Forecasting, Debt Restructuring, Financial Restructuring, M&A (Buy-side), Data, Financing, Fundraising, Scenario Analysis, Deal Structuring, Consumer Lending, Fintech Consultant, Pricing, Investments, Private Equity, Renewable Energy, Investment Memoranda, SaaS, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Hedge Funds, Bloomberg, Credit/Debt, Structured Finance, Startup Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail & Wholesale, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Project Finance, Capital Raising, Intellectual Property Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Fund Formation, Equity Raises, Enterprise Software, Video Games, Hedge Funds, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, Healthcare, Fundraising Strategy, Operating Models, Manufacturing, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Investor Presentations, Direct to Consumer (D2C), eCommerce, Marketplaces, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), ROI, Leveraged Finance, Cash Flow Management, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Consumer Products, eCommerce Analysis, Fintech, Business Plan Consulting

Investment Analyst

2014 - 2016
FrontFour Capital
  • Covered sectors such as consumer/retail, media and telecom, E&P, power plants, and video games.
  • Attracted the €30 billion company Vivendi to build a 26% stake after the Sohn Canada conference and meetings with Ubisoft's CEO to close the valuation gap.
  • Bought Ubisoft equity to generate 100% in a year with $25 million in profit, which was the fund's top investment in 2015.
  • Educated the Wall Street investment community on how to value UBI vs. US peers with product portfolio analysis, unit economics, and IFRS accounting nuances regarding capitalized vs. expensed research and development.
Focus areas: M&A Modeling, Corporate Development, Corporate Finance, Distressed/Special Situations, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Investment Research, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Microsoft Excel, Portfolio Management, Restructuring, Valuation, Startups, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Business Strategy, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Models, Investment Analysis, Forecasting, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Due Diligence, Equity Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Corporate Finance Consultant, Equity Research, Public Companies, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Reorganization, Corporate Insolvency, Accounting, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cash Flow Forecasting, Debt Restructuring, Financial Restructuring, M&A (Buy-side), Data, Financing, Scenario Analysis, Fundraising, Deal Structuring, Consumer Lending, Fintech Consultant, Pricing, Investments, Private Equity, Renewable Energy, Investment Memoranda, SaaS, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Hedge Funds, Bloomberg, Credit/Debt, Startup Consulting, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Retail & Wholesale, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Project Finance, Intellectual Property Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Fund Formation, Equity Raises, Enterprise Software, Video Games, Hedge Funds, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, Healthcare, Fundraising Strategy, Operating Models, Manufacturing, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Investor Presentations, Direct to Consumer (D2C), eCommerce, Marketplaces, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Renewables, ROI, Leveraged Finance, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Consumer Products, eCommerce Analysis, Fintech, Business Plan Consulting

Investment Banking Analyst

2012 - 2014
Barclays Capital
  • Helped execute a $4 billion debtor in possession for a $40 billion restructuring on TXU, originally one of the largest leveraged buyout (LBO) deals.
  • Assisted in executing two $1 billion LBO deals, performing all the financial modeling, due diligence, and collaboration with private equity firms.
  • Supported oil-and-gas and power companies to help raise high yield and levered loans and restructure their debts.
Focus areas: M&A Modeling, Corporate Development, Corporate Finance, Distressed/Special Situations, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Investment Research, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Microsoft Excel, Portfolio Management, Restructuring, Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Business Strategy, Strategy, Profit & Loss (P&L), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Models, Investment Analysis, Forecasting, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Due Diligence, Equity Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Pitch Decks, Corporate Finance Consultant, Equity Research, Public Companies, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Research, Reorganization, Corporate Insolvency, Accounting, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cash Flow Forecasting, Debt Restructuring, Financial Restructuring, M&A (Buy-side), Data, Financing, Fundraising, Investment Banking, Scenario Analysis, Deal Structuring, Pricing, Investments, Private Equity, Renewable Energy, Investment Memoranda, Communication, Business Process Analysis, Business Planning, Comparable Company Analysis, Bloomberg, Credit/Debt, Pitch Deck Consultant, Pricing Models, Pricing Strategy, Investment Committee Advisory, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Stock Analysis, Research, Data Research, Stock Market, Financial Reporting, Project Finance, Capital Raising, Private Equity Valuation, Loans, Finance, Equity Raises, Hedge Funds, Debt Analysis, Business Evaluation, Deal Sourcing, Budgeting, Budget Modeling, CFO, Internal Financial Reporting, M&A (Sell-side), Fundraising Strategy, Operating Models, Manufacturing, Unit Economics, Equity Markets, Equity Research Analysis, Investor Presentations, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Renewables, ROI, Leveraged Finance, Cash Flow Management, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, CAPEX, US GAAP, Business Plan Consulting
2008 - 2012

Bachelor's Degree in Finance

New York University | Stern School of Business - New York, New York, United States

AUGUST 2019 - PRESENT

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

CFA Institute

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