Carlos Salas Najera
Finance Expert
Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
February 26, 2020
Carlos is an FCA-regulated investment professional with an excellent track record of managing equity strategies. He helped raise AUM—from $200 million to over $1 billion—while the head of equities at LCAM. He is keen on projects that allow him to utilize his investing and machine learning background to add value. Carlos has extensive experience working with institutional investors, family offices, as well as UHNWI investors.
Carlos is available for hire
Hire CarlosCareer Highlights
Freelance Investment Research Consultant | University Lecturer
University of London
Head of Equities
London & Capital
Investment Analyst
BNP Paribas AM
Education
Master's Degree
New York Data Science Academy
Bachelor's Degree
London School of Economics and Political Science
Master's Degree
AFI Business School
Select Certifications
Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF)
CQF Institute
CF30 - Portfolio Management and Investment Analysis - Controlled Function
FCA - Financial Conduct Authority (UK)
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
Case Studies
Turnaround/Self-help Investment Strategy for Pension Plan Client
Corporate FinanceQuantitative AnalysisInvestment Portfolio ManagementEquity InvestmentMachine LearningForensic Accounting+ 1 more
Quantamental Analysis Case: Applying Alternative and Conventional Data to Industry Analysis and Stock Picking
Machine LearningQuantitative AnalysisFundamental AnalysisIndustry AnalysisCompetitive StrategyValuation+ 4 more
Tesco PLC | Key Performance Indicators
Alternative DataConsumer Marketplaces
Expertise
Corporate FinanceData ScienceEquity ResearchFinancial ModelingFundamental AnalysisMachine LearningPortfolio ManagementPythonWork Experience
2019 - PRESENT
Freelance Investment Research Consultant | University Lecturer
University of London
- Managed investment research and machine learning projects with clients, including investment banks, asset managers, and pension plans.
- Delivered lectures to university students on coding, data science, and machine learning using Python, VBA, and R programming languages.
- Built syllabus content and materials for data science and machine learning lectures using R and Python. The syllabus included advanced coding, supervised and unsupervised ML, and RL algorithms.
- Conducted corporate training for hedge funds, investment banks, and asset managers on behalf of the University of London. This helped secure critical contracts with large financial companies by leveraging machine learning and investment background.
Focus areas: Scenario Analysis, Analysis, Mentorship & Coaching, Data, Azure Machine Learning, Amazon Machine Learning, SQL, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Tutoring, Financial Training, Training Workshops, Video Streaming, Excel VBA, Investment Research, Lecturing, Public Speaking, Python, R, Coding, Data Science, Machine Learning, Research, Fintech, Quantitative Modeling, Financial Data Analytics, Data Analytics, Research Analysis, Hedge Fund Consultant, Reports, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), United Kingdom, European Union (EU), Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Business Services, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation
2018 - 2018
Portfolio Manager | Equity Analyst
Jefferies
- Involved in analytical and portfolio management, as well as the executive duties of Jefferies International's proprietary trading desk.
- Enhanced stock screening, strategy, and back-testing proprietary tools to shortlist long and short ideas (e.g., using conventional and alternative data to construct systematic screens and filter ideas more efficiently).
- Built proprietary tools using Python to enhance the desk workflow (e.g., developing a Python app with a user-friendly GUI to monitor and screen short positions and opportunities in real time).
- Performed regular portfolio management tasks (e.g., rebalancing, net and gross exposure risk management, derivative hedging, performance attribution analysis, and order execution) using discretionary trading and algorithmic order routing.
- Authored concise market comments daily for distribution to the head of sales and trading, which covered asset class moves, top stock movers, and a brief overview of hot topics that drove headlines.
Focus areas: Fraud Investigaton, Fundamental Analysis, Pairs Trade, Scenario Analysis, Competitive Strategy, Industry Analysis, Trading, Investments & Risk Management, Equity Investment, Stock Analysis, Analysis, Data, Quantitative Analysis, Data Science, Investment Research, Coding, Healthcare, REITs, Biotech, Amazon Machine Learning, Energy, R, SQL, Financial Services, Value Investing, Software, Semiconductors, Banking & Finance, Asset Management, Industrials, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Equity Derivatives, Technology, Bloomberg, Microsoft Outlook, Esports, M&A (Buy-side), Wealth Management, Investment Portfolio Management, Food & Beverage, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, S&P Capital IQ, Arbitrage, Hedge Funds, Excel Modeling, Python, Machine Learning, Investments, Business Models, Excel VBA, Investment Analysis, Company Research, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Cross-border M&A, Valuation, Equity Research, Financial Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Derivatives, Forensic Accounting, Financial Statements, Distressed/Special Situations, Risk Management, Stock Trading, Equity Research Analysis, Portfolio Management, Financial Modeling, Investment Ideas, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Forecasting, Research, Investment Funds, Equity Markets, Insurance, Fund Management, Business Strategy, Quantitative Modeling, Three-statement Modeling, Family Office Consultants, Family Office, Business Planning, Asset Allocation, ESOPs, Financial Data Analytics, Data Analytics, IFRS Adjustments, US GAAP, Accounting, Research Analysis, Reports, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Investor Relations, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), United Kingdom, European Union (EU), United States, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Business Services, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation
2011 - 2016
Head of Equities
London & Capital
- Led a team of two junior analysts responsible for long-only and absolute return long/short equity mandates, delivering compounded annual growth of 15% to 18% and achieving Sharpe ratios of 1.8x to 2.0x for an institutional client base.
- Increased AUM from less than $200 million to over $1 billion. Attained several industry awards, such as the "Alternative Investment Awards - Best Global Equity Strategy distributed in the UK" in 2015 and 2016.
- Built the investment process for multiple in-house equity strategies using a 3-pillar approach: an ML-powered stock screener, a systematic "quantamental" scoring pillar, and a disciplined, bottom-up analysis pillar.
- Conducted an in-depth analysis of thematic basket trends that resulted in superior returns from investing in secular trends, such as cybersecurity, obesity, robotics, IoT, or renewable energy.
- Involved in the origination, due diligence, negotiation, and execution of private deals. The due diligence conducted was praised by investors as multiple fraudulent corporate cases were successfully detected, including Powa Technologies.
- Developed ESG criteria to launch a long-only portfolio in 2013, which allowed the firm to attract substantial new assets and jump ahead of competitors before the inception of the current ESG bull market.
- Delivered training to junior staff and seminars to clients, including family offices, pension plans, and UHNWI. Some of the topics were applied AI and ML, financial statement analysis, forensic accounting, corporate finance, and quantitative methods.
Focus areas: Investor Presentations, Fraud Investigaton, Due Diligence, Pairs Trade, Scenario Analysis, Deal Execution, Deal Flow Origination, Competitive Strategy, Industry Analysis, Trading, Investments & Risk Management, Equity Investment, Stock Analysis, Analysis, Corporate Governance, Data Science, Investment Research, Coding, Africa, China, Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Factset, REITs, Biotech, Amazon Machine Learning, Emerging Markets, Energy, SQL, Financial Services, Value Investing, Software, Semiconductors, Banking & Finance, Asset Management, Industrials, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Equity Derivatives, Technology, Bloomberg, Microsoft Outlook, Stock Trading, M&A (Buy-side), Wealth Management, Investment Portfolio Management, Equity Research Analysis, Food & Beverage, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, S&P Capital IQ, Financial Training, Training Workshops, ESG, Arbitrage, Hedge Funds, Excel Modeling, Python, Machine Learning, Investments, Business Models, Excel VBA, Investment Analysis, Company Research, Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Cross-border M&A, Venture Capital, Valuation, Equity Research, Financial Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Public Speaking, Mentorship & Coaching, Risk Management, Data, Private Equity, Corporate Finance, Financial Modeling, Forensic Accounting, Financial Statements, Distressed/Special Situations, Portfolio Management, Quantitative Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, Investment Ideas, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Forecasting, Research, Investment Funds, Equity Markets, Insurance, Fund Management, Business Strategy, Fintech, Quantitative Modeling, Credit Ratings, Credit/Debt, Three-statement Modeling, Family Office Consultants, Family Office, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Asset Allocation, Market Research, ESOPs, Exchange-traded Funds (ETF), Credit Analysis, Retail & Wholesale, Financial Data Analytics, Data Analytics, IFRS Adjustments, US GAAP, Accounting, Research Analysis, Investment Banking, Mining, Reports, Investor Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Fund of Funds, Investor Relations, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Asia, United Kingdom, European Union (EU), United States, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Business Services, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation
2005 - 2010
Investment Analyst
BNP Paribas AM
- Performed in-depth sector and industry analysis. This included interviewing stakeholders and examining macro drivers, supply chain, supply and demand dynamics, and degree of competitiveness (HHI, competitors, new entrants, and structural threats).
- Conducted intensive financial modeling, which included financial statements, adjustments and projections, fundamental ratio analysis, forensic accounting analysis, and valuation.
- Covered companies within the industrial, technology, consumer, and telecommunication sectors in North America, UK, and Europe, with the capacity to provide monitoring and regular model updating of approximately 40 to 50 live ideas in portfolios.
- Performed idea generation for derivative strategies for hedging and directional purposes using a proprietary model. The model considered multiple inputs (moneyness, implied volatility cheapness, etc.) and was backed by scholarly research.
- Built a pair trading surveillance model for stocks under coverage using a quantitative approach, including vector autoregression (VAR), the Engle-Granger approach, backtesting, and daily surveillance of the significant pairs with automated signals.
Focus areas: Investor Presentations, Fraud Investigaton, Macroeconomics, Pairs Trade, Scenario Analysis, Competitive Strategy, Industry Analysis, Equity Investment, Data, Investment Research, Coding, Healthcare, Factset, Energy, Financial Services, Value Investing, Software, Semiconductors, Banking & Finance, Asset Management, Industrials, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Equity Derivatives, Technology, Bloomberg, Microsoft Outlook, Stock Trading, M&A (Buy-side), Capital Markets, Investment Portfolio Management, Equity Research Analysis, Food & Beverage, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, ESG, Arbitrage, Excel Modeling, Investments, Movies, Business Models, Excel VBA, Investment Analysis, Company Research, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Cross-border M&A, Valuation, Equity Research, Financial Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Quantitative Analysis, Financial Statements, Forensic Accounting, Corporate Finance, Stock Analysis, Analysis, Corporate Governance, Derivatives, Fundamental Analysis, Financial Modeling, Investment Ideas, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Forecasting, Research, Investment Funds, Equity Markets, Insurance, Fund Management, Business Strategy, Quantitative Modeling, Credit Ratings, Credit/Debt, Three-statement Modeling, Family Office Consultants, Family Office, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Market Research, ESOPs, Credit Analysis, Retail & Wholesale, Financial Data Analytics, Data Analytics, IFRS Adjustments, US GAAP, Accounting, Research Analysis, Investment Banking, Reports, Investor Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Fund of Funds, Investor Relations, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Spain, European Union (EU), United States, Data Science, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Business Services, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation
Education
2016 - 2017
Master's Degree in Data Science and Machine Learning
New York Data Science Academy - New York, USA
2010 - 2010
Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics - Game Theory
London School of Economics and Political Science - London, UK
2004 - 2005
Master's Degree in Finance
AFI Business School - Madrid, Spain
2000 - 2004
Bachelor's Degree in Business & Economics
University of Alicante - Alicante, Spain
Certifications
APRIL 2019 - PRESENT
Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF)
CQF Institute
JUNE 2013 - PRESENT
CF30 - Portfolio Management and Investment Analysis - Controlled Function
FCA - Financial Conduct Authority (UK)
NOVEMBER 2012 - PRESENT
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute
NOVEMBER 2010 - PRESENT
Investment Management Certificate
CFA Institute, United Kingdom