Mark Bryson, CFA, Finance Expert in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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Mark Bryson, CFA

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Toptal Member Since
June 22, 2018

Mark is a freelance research analyst and corporate strategy advisor specializing in digital transformation. He has worked with some of the top corporate innovation funds globally, identifying investment opportunities across several disruptive technology verticals. Mark began his career as an equity analyst, which allowed him to develop foundational expertise in fundamental research and financial modeling—skills he leverages today as a research-led strategy consultant and M&A advisor.

Business ResearchBusiness Plan ConsultingMarket ResearchValuationFinancial ModelingFinancial ReportingRevenue & Expense ProjectionsFinancial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)Equity ResearchFundraisingFundraising ConsultantExit StrategyMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Market Research AnalystMarket Sizing

Career Highlights

Market Research, Corporate Strategy, and M&A Advisory
JLL Technologies
Market Research and M&A Advisory
Advocate Aurora Health
Equity Research and Sales
Avior Capital Markets

Education Highlights

Honor's Degree
University of Pretoria

Certification Highlights

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA Institute

Case Studies

Expertise

Asset ValuationEquity ResearchFinancial ModelingFundraisingMarket ResearchMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Pitch DecksStrategy

Work Experience

Market Research, Corporate Strategy, and M&A Advisory

2021 - PRESENT
JLL Technologies
  • Collaborated with the JLL technologies strategy team across several key projects.
  • Conducted research on the flexible office market, sizing up the market opportunity, evaluating technologies supporting the ecosystem, and identifying attractive points for investment.
  • Led the market sizing efforts as part of a growth strategy project for one of the core portfolio companies. Developed a detailed market sizing model that served as the basis for identifying greenfield growth opportunities.
  • Drove the market sizing efforts as part of a market feasibility project assessing the product market fit for an emerging technology product.
  • Testimonial: "Mark is [hardworking], smart and insightful, and very collaborative. I highly recommend Mark for any team looking for a talented corporate strategy expert." – The client.
Focus areas: Market Research, Strategy, Business Strategy, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Management Consulting, Growth Strategy, Business Models, Business Plan Consulting

Director

2018 - PRESENT
Capitalx
  • Provided fundraising advisory services to entrepreneur-led ventures, preparing pitch deck material and introducing them to investors.
  • Worked with private equity and venture capital funds to source deal flow and identify investment opportunities by utilizing fundamental research.
  • Operated with a global venture capital fund with $1.5 billion of assets under management to identify investment opportunities within digital logistics. The project included market sizing, landscaping, and an M&A search.
  • Released several white papers on themes across digital transformation, including The Rise of Digital Health and The Rise of Advanced Robotics.
Focus areas: Board Presentations, Board of Directors, Funding Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Presentations, Modeling, Pitch Decks, M&A Modeling, Value Investing, Asset Valuation, Valuation, Growth Capital Raising, GAP Analysis, Investor Presentations, Dividend Policy, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), DCF Valuation, Due Diligence, Acquisitions, Accounting, Structuring of Funds, Cost of Capital, ICO Plans, ROI, Growth Equity, Equity Capital, Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), Private Equity, Equity Valuation, Equity Financing, Equity Research, Market Research, Investments, Finance Strategy, Venture Funding, Early-stage Venture Capital, Startup Funding, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financing, Business Plan Consulting

Market Research and M&A Advisory

2020 - 2021
Advocate Aurora Health
  • Conducted research into five emerging healthtech segments.
  • Performed market sizing assessment to estimate the total addressable market and market landscaping to identify and rank potential M&A targets for each assignment.
  • Engaged in a follow-up project six months after the engagement upon the client's request.
  • Testimonial: "Mark helped us identify leading & emerging companies in the sectors under consideration for our investments...He's a fantastic collaborator & [well-practiced] working across all time zones. I highly recommend his advisory services."
Focus areas: Market Research, Market Research Analyst, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Financial Analysis, Market Research & Analysis, Business Models, Climate Change, Early-stage Venture Capital, Revenue & Expense Projections

Equity Research and Sales

2011 - 2016
Avior Capital Markets
  • Joined Avior as a small boutique equity research and trading firm with less than 20 staff members and a ranking of tenth in the JSE Broker Survey. Helped grow the business to 60+ staff members, expanded trading capabilities across Africa opened offices in London, and achieved a top three rating for research in the JSE Broker Survey, facilitating a public listing in 2017.
  • Served as a lead equity research analyst in the industrial and platinum mining sector, developing detailed financial models, valuations, and market commentary for mid-cap companies such as Impala Platinum (IMP:SJ), Anglo Platinum (AMS:SJ), Lonmin (LON:SJ), Kap Industrial (KAP:SJ), Metair (MTA:SJ), and Adcorp (ADR:SJ).
  • Constructed a detailed model that incorporated macroeconomic data, industry information, and industry capacity and demand factors to predict platinum group metal prices.
  • Received a high rating in the annual client survey for my research on mid-tier industrial stocks.
  • Contributed to Avior’s corporate governance research, which was consistently rated the top governance product that covered JSE-listed companies.
  • Was promoted to an equity sales position and communicated trade ideas to clients including Aberdeen, Schroders, Invesco and Goldman Sachs.
  • Contributed to business development efforts by actively expanding Avior's client base with an emphasis on driving new business in the United Kingdom.
  • Arranged corporate access and roadshows for offshore investors, establishing relationships with leading South African CEOs, facilitating meetings and tours in London, and throughout Africa.
Focus areas: Value Investing, Asset Valuation, Cash Flow Calculation, CFA Level 3, CFA Level 2, CFA Level 1, Fund Governance, GAP Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting, Data Analysis, Due Diligence, Investor Presentations, DCF Valuation, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), Financial Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, Revenue Modeling, Equity Research Analysis, Market Research, Growth Equity, Equity Financing, Equity Capital, Equity Valuation, Equity Research, Investment Thesis, Valuation Modeling, Valuation, Forecasting, Business Models
2006 - 2009

Honor's Degree in Finance and Investment Management

University of Pretoria - Pretoria, South Africa

JANUARY 2013 - PRESENT

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

CFA Institute