Mark Bower
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Miami Beach, FL, United States
Toptal member since August 3, 2021
Mark has a background in emerging markets. He has led the research and marketing for funds focused on Argentina and Brazil, and now on global equities for Helm Partners. He has also worked with over a dozen startups internationally in marketing, fundraising, and corporate strategy. With 20 years of experience on both sides, he is a key bridge between companies and investors and is very passionate about working with talented entrepreneurs to help grow their businesses.
Career Highlights
Software Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Writer
Substack
- Produced a 15-20pp monthly report on topics all around the world.
- Performed a deep dive into Argentina's pre-election changes.
- Focused extensively on the risks in Taiwan and the underrated from China.
Advisor
Helm Partners
- Completely overhauled company marketing materials and message to restate the core focus and simplify the takeaways. Dramatically increased potential client interaction. The firm has grown AUM by 50% in 2021.
- Led the research into various emerging markets and equities. Avoided Turkey and Argentina and heavily invested in South Africa and energy companies. Published research on many countries, including China/Taiwan relations.
- Led industry research into banks globally (Italy, Spain, Turkey, South Africa, etc.), into steel producers, and led macro research on a host of topics from volatility to US elections.
Private Investor
Private Investor and Advisor
- Created marketing materials for Collective Equity, helped plan the business model, and led the fundraising for the first $15 million fund.
- Helped raise several hundred thousand dollars in startup funding for Claimfound. Helped the company in an exit to a pre-IPO healthcare company and various other endeavors.
- Invested in and exited into several successful startup such as Qualia Labs and Medefer Inc.
- Became a partner at Life & Soul Pictures, a UK-based film production company focused on developing content. Raised several hundred thousand dollars for various projects.
Capital Raising Consultant
Alternative Assets
- Created a pitch deck using existing marketing materials to tell the story and the economics of investing in barrel aging of commodity products.
- Conducted a sensitivity analysis on returns under different assumptions of underlying commodity prices.
- Created an IRR calculation for returns to investors.
Partner, Head of Emerging Markets
Bienville Capital Management
- Led the creation of the Argentina fund (2014-2018). Raised $240 million, invested in public equities, and returned 90%+.
- Managed a team of analysts focused on finding values in emerging market equities.
- Led the creation of a Brazil-focused fund, which returned 40% from 2016-2018.
- Researched and successfully traded on many major macro and political cycles—India 2014/15, Brazil 2016-18, Argentina 2013-18, and Middle East 2013 and 2017-2019.
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Philosophy
Emory University - Atlanta, GA, USA
Skills
Finance
Fundraising, Financial Modeling, Investment Portfolio Management, Wealth Management, Capital Raising, Growth Equity, Equity Research Analysis, Equity Research, Private Equity Secondaries, Valuation, Microeconomics, Forecasting, Startup Funding, Seed Fundraising, Market Research, Revenue & Expense Projections, Global Macro Strategy, Taxation, Investment Memoranda
Industry Expertise
Macroeconomics, Asset Management, Financial Services, Capital Markets, Real Estate, Venture Capital, Early-stage Startups, Film & Television
Geographic Expertise
Brazil, Argentina, Latin America (LATAM), Saudi Arabia, Middle East, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa
Output Software
Excel 2016, Microsoft PowerPoint
Other
Pitch Books, Emerging Markets, Financials, Exchanges, Bloomberg Terminal, Global Banking, Pitch Decks, Hedge Funds, Politics, Financial Analysis, Startups, Portfolio Management, Pitch Deck Consultant, Investor Presentations, Finance, Alternative Investments, Investment Analysis, Investments, Stock Market, Policy, Geography, Business Planning, Media, SaaS, Movies, Business Plan Consulting, Fundraising Strategy, Early-stage Venture Capital, Excel 365, Marketing, Equity Markets, Economics, Pitch Presentations, Hedge Funds, Business Strategy, Trading, Equities, Fixed Income, Financial Writing, Commodities
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