Carlos Salas Najera, Finance Expert in London, United Kingdom
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Carlos Salas Najera

Verified Expert  in Finance

Bio

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.

Career Highlights

Freelance Investment Research Consultant | University Lecturer
University of London
Head of Equities
London & Capital
Investment Analyst
BNP Paribas AM

Education Highlights

Master's Degree
New York Data Science Academy
Bachelor's Degree
London School of Economics and Political Science
Master's Degree
AFI Business School

Certification Highlights

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

Work Experience

Freelance Investment Research Consultant | University Lecturer

2019 - PRESENT
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 Funds, Reports, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), United Kingdom, European Union (EU), Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Alternative Investments, Public Companies, Quantitative Finance, Backtesting, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Futures, Startups, Options Trading, Investment Strategy

Value Investing Modeling Expert

2023 - 2023
DYFInvesting INC
  • Reviewed DYF's website to upgrade the user experience regarding GUI and content provided to users.
  • Performed valuation model review, particularly identified weaknesses and proposed solutions to enhance it, including a new approach to using revenue consensus figures. A new WACC calculation methodology was introduced, among many others.
  • Gave scoring model recommendations: outlier treatment, data normalization, ML model selection, and cross-validation, among many others.
  • Provided ideas to enhance the DYF model in the future, e.g., EVA, sector-specific model, etc.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Investments, Equity Research

Portfolio Manager | Equity Analyst

2018 - 2018
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 Investigation, 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, Biotechnology, 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 Consulting, 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), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), United Kingdom, European Union (EU), United States, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Public Companies, Quantitative Finance, Backtesting, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Futures, Options Trading, Algorithmic Trading, Investment Strategy

Head of Equities

2011 - 2016
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 Investigation, 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, Biotechnology, 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, Environmental, Social, and Governance (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, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Asia, United Kingdom, European Union (EU), United States, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Alternative Investments, Public Companies, Quantitative Finance, Backtesting, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Commodity Markets, Futures, Options Trading, Algorithmic Trading, Investment Strategy

Investment Analyst

2005 - 2010
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 Investigation, 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, Environmental, Social, and Governance (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 Consulting, 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, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Spain, European Union (EU), United States, Data Science, Data Analysis, Management Consulting, Quantitative Research, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, Alternative Investments, Public Companies, Quantitative Finance, Backtesting, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Commodity Markets, Futures, Options Trading, Algorithmic Trading, Investment Strategy
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

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

Finance

Equity Research, Equity Research Analysis, Investment Portfolio Management, Wealth Management, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Fundamental Analysis, Due Diligence, Fraud Investigation, M&A (Buy-side), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Accounting, IFRS Adjustments, Corporate Finance, Stock Trading, Equity Derivatives, Valuation Modeling, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Value Investing, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Credit Analysis, Exchange-traded Funds (ETF), Market Research, Asset Allocation, Three-statement Modeling, Fund Management, Forecasting, Data Analysis, DCF Valuation, Revenue & Expense Projections, REITs, Private Equity, Cross-border M&A, Fund of Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Credit/Debt

Output Software

Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook

Data & Analysis Software

Bloomberg, SQL, R, Tableau, FactSet

Industry Expertise

Food & Beverage, Financial Services, Capital Markets, Macroeconomics, Retail & Wholesale, Technology, Industrials, Energy, Asset Management, Banking & Finance, Semiconductors, Software, Public Companies, Venture Capital, Oil & Gas, Mining, Healthcare, Renewable Energy, Insurance, Real Estate

Geographic Expertise

Asia, European Union (EU), United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Asia-Pacific (APAC), China, Africa

Other

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Startups, Business Models, Financial Forecasting, Movies, Video Streaming, Financial Analysis, Data Science, Coding, Investment Research, Portfolio Management, Quantitative Analysis, Mentorship & Coaching, Analysis, Stock Analysis, Equity Investment, Investments & Risk Management, Trading, Industry Analysis, Competitive Strategy, Deal Execution, Scenario Analysis, Pairs Trade, Company Research, Investment Analysis, Esports, Investor Presentations, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC), Investor Reporting, Reports, Hedge Funds, Investment Banking, Research Analysis, US GAAP, Consumer Marketplaces, Data Analytics, Financial Data Analytics, Alternative Data, Investments, Forensic Accounting, Machine Learning, Python, Excel Modeling, S&P Capital IQ, Financial Statements, Excel VBA, Public Speaking, Lecturing, Training Workshops, Financial Training, Tutoring, Derivatives Consulting, Hedge Funds, Arbitrage, Investment Ideas, ESOPs, Business Plan Consulting, Business Planning, Family Office, Family Office Consultants, Quantitative Modeling, Fintech, Business Strategy, Equity Markets, Investment Funds, Research, Management Consulting, Quantitative Research, Alternative Investments, Quantitative Finance, Backtesting, Backtesting Trading Strategies, Futures, Options Trading, Algorithmic Trading, Investment Strategy, Biotechnology, Risk Management, Distressed/Special Situations, Data, Corporate Governance, Amazon Machine Learning, Emerging Markets, Credit Ratings, Commodity Markets, Deal Flow Origination, Azure Machine Learning, Fraud Detection

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