Peter Wells
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
New York, NY, United States
Toptal member since December 19, 2018
Peter began his investment banking career at Moelis & Co., where he completed $10 billion in M&A, restructuring, and financing deals. He recently served as the CFO of a software startup raising $6 million of capital. As a freelancer, he enjoys working on transactions for high-growth companies. Peter has extensive experience working with clients to assess new opportunities and position them with the resources to fuel their growth.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Industry Expertise
- Agriculture
- Accounting Services
- Advertising & Marketing
- Waste Treatment, Environmental Services & Recycling
- Finance
- Lending & Brokerage
- Investment Banking
- Venture Capital & Private Equity
Other Expertise
- Corporate Finance
- Creative Financing
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Private Equity
- Stock Price Analysis
- Three-statement Modeling
Work Experience
Corporate Development and Financial Advisor
Freelance Clients
- Advised and implemented spin-out strategies to form two new ventures, one in logistics and the second in sustainability, built around the primary fresh produce distribution business.
- Led the acquisition, financing, and redevelopment of two cold storage warehouse facilities totaling $15 million in asset value.
- Managed the fundraising process resulting in $22+ million in capital investments while leading internal financial returns analysis of 10+ investment and financing opportunities.
- Provided guidance and oversaw the implementation of a standalone finance function for the logistics division with $20 million in annual sales, including staffing and ERP system implementation.
CFO
PaulJoseph&Co
- Oversaw the fund formation process, including jurisdiction, licensing, drafting operating agreements, and fund offering documents while reducing setup costs by over 50%.
- Implemented systems for monthly performance reporting and verification, along with investor communication and marketing.
- Negotiated and implemented agreements for fund administration, compliance, reporting, legal, and third-party marketing to provide services to hedge fund operations.
COO | CFO
MIND Media
- Built a detailed financial model for internal projections and external fundraising efforts.
- Structured and managed three fundraising rounds, securing $6 million in outside investment.
- Led all of the aspects of the fundraising process; managed and developed relationships with investment firms, prepared investor materials, negotiated, and drafted deal documentation.
- Sourced and structured key supplier and distribution partnerships in North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Acted as a project manager for successfully rebuilding the software platform and associated tech hardware.
Financial Analyst
Equity Hedge Fund (Confidential)
- Built detailed financial models to evaluate investments in publicly traded equities.
- Reviewed public documents and analyst reports building a multiple-scenario analysis for future revenue and profitability.
- Worked on a contract basis directly for a portfolio manager with $50 million of equity invested in a long/short emerging market strategy.
Associate
Moelis & Company
- Joined as the first analyst to start at the firm's inception and earned an early promotion to associate after 2.5 years in the analyst program.
- Advised clients in the media, gaming, and telecommunications sectors; evaluated principal investment opportunities for Moelis Capital Partners.
- Led the development of a merger model for Univar's (NYSE:UNVR) $1.2 billion acquisition of Basic Chemical Solutions and drafted investment memorandum for the associated debt financing.
- Analyzed financial recoveries to key debt and equity stakeholders and viability of restructuring proposals under various operating scenarios as part of Citadel Broadcasting's $2.4 billion Chapter 11 restructuring.
- Managed the transaction process, drafted investment memorandum, and built a financial model for The Gores Group's $345 million sale of portfolio company Global Tel Link to Veritas Capital and Goldman Sachs.
- Closed over ten transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $10 billion.
- Executed numerous transactions in the healthcare industry sector, including facilities, insurance, and IT clients.
Junior Analyst
UBS Investment Bank
- Built financial models to evaluate the credit worthiness of leveraged buyouts and investor returns for private equity funds.
- Conducted company and market research to support business development and pitch processes.
- Developed a quarterly review of activist hedge fund activity distributed to all of the global managing directors across the bank.
- Received an early promotion after one year of a two-year program at the position.
Fund Administration
The Gores Group
- Worked with fund operations team to draft quarterly investor letters to limited partners of the private equity fund.
- Assisted with fund accounting and capital calls for new investments.
- Supported the investment team with the valuation of the portfolio for quarterly reporting, including an analysis of public comps and precedent transactions.
- Maintained the operational accounting systems for general partner and operational improvement groups.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Certifications
Series 34
National Futures Exchange
Series 3
National Futures Association
Series 63
FINRA
Series 79
FINRA
Series 7
FINRA
Skills
Finance
Fund Management, Capital Raising, Comparable Company Analysis, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Three-statement Modeling, Debt Restructuring, Venture Funding, Equity Financing, Creative Financing, Project Finance, Stock Price Analysis, DCF Valuation, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Accounting, Cash Flow Forecasting, CFO, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Fundraising, Revenue & Expense Projections, Deal Analysis, Fund Analysis, Fund Structure, Accounting Systems, Reverse Mergers, Cap Table Formation, Fund Formation, Startup Funding, Investment Memoranda, Financial Restructuring, Debt Raises, M&A (Buy-side), Leveraged Buyout Modeling, M&A (Sell-side), Capital Structuring, Five-year Projections, Valuation Analysis, Equity Valuation, Investment Thesis, Investment Monitoring, Debt Structuring, Operational Finance, Private Company Valuation, Valuation
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote
Data & Analysis Software
Bloomberg, Capital IQ, QuickBooks Online, Salesforce, FactSet, Microsoft Access
Industry Expertise
Public Companies, Financial Services, Hospitals, Healthcare, Technology, Health & Wellness, Agrotech, Agribusiness, Venture Capital, New Business Ventures, Digital Currencies
Geographic Expertise
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, China
Other
Startups, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Excel Modeling, Corporate Restructuring, Spinoffs, Debt Financing, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Leveraged Finance, Cap Tables, Merger Benefits, Strategic Planning & Execution, Hedge Funds, Media, Experiential Marketing, Stock Market, DCF Modeling, Exit Planning, Hedge Fund Consultant, Quantitative Analysis, Advertising, Financial Forecasting, Pitch Decks, Pitch Presentations, Business Administration, Partnerships, Financing, Investment Banking, Deal Sourcing, Investments, M&A Due Diligence (Financial), Deal Closure, Deal Flow Origination, CIO, Market Intelligence, Manufacturing, HubSpot, Social Media, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Marketing, Slack, Post-merger Integration, Media Purchasing, Project Bidding, Options, Corporate Governance, Entity Selection & Formation, Company Formation, Growth Strategy, Branding, Strategy, Joint Venture Development, Joint Ventures, eCommerce, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Fractional CFO, Business Planning, Funding Presentations, Investor Presentations, Budget Modeling, Stock Analysis, Investment Ideas, Investment Cases, Performance Analysis, Investment Funds, Investment Analysis, Pitch Preparation, Alternative Investments, Investment Performance Reporting, Company Strategy, Brand Positioning, Industry Analysis, Acquisition Analysis, PV Analysis, Acquisitions, Standalone Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Corporate Law, Global Distribution Strategy, Private Placements, Advertising Campaigns, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Investor Relations
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