Ryan is available for hire
Hire RyanRyan Kuhn
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Toptal Member Since
April 3, 2020
Ryan is an investment banker, private equity investor, and entrepreneur with experience across industries, including the industrials, energy, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and technology sectors. He has completed over US $5 billion in aggregate M&A and financing transaction value. Ryan enjoys working with entrepreneurs, corporations, and private equity clients to help create value.
Career Highlights
Managing Director
WaveCrest Securities
Vice President
Cambridge Capital
Analyst
J.P. Morgan
Education Highlights
Bachelor of Science Degree
Cornell University
Certification Highlights
SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Series 63
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Series 79
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
Expertise
Work Experience
Managing Director
2017 - PRESENT
WaveCrest Securities
- Led M&A sale processes, buy-side advisory assignments, and capital-raising initiatives for clients across industries and geographies.
- Wrote investment memorandums, conducted industry research, crafted transaction marketing materials, and built financial models.
- Maintained an active network and fostered deep relationships with entrepreneurs, corporations, venture capital firms, private equity firms, and debt providers.
- Sourced, negotiated, and closed transactions for clients by thinking strategically and creatively.
- Worked as an exclusive M&A sell-side advisor for a $15 million EBITDA asset-light freight forwarder and contract logistics provider.
- Served as an exclusive M&A sell-side advisor for a $40-million enterprise value fast-casual restaurant franchisee group with real estate sale-leaseback.
- Acted as a financial advisor for a $15 million Series B capital raise for PicoBrew, Inc., an IoT-enabled home and enterprise brewing company.
- Served as an operating partner at LDA Capital, a U.S., European, and South American-based hedge fund whereby I provided investment due diligence and industry advisory services in the industrials, energy, and transportation sectors.
- Provided strategic advice to Dune Road Capital Management, a Los Angeles, CA-based investment fund; also handled investment due diligence, capital raising support, and business plan execution services for early stage portfolio companies.
- Served as a strategic and business development consultant for Exafuel, a technology-enabled B2B SaaS platform focused on final-mile delivery.
Focus areas: Strategy, Capital Raising, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Lead Trainer
2016 - PRESENT
Fitch Learning and Adventis CG
- Taught valuation, financial modeling, accounting, and corporate finance concepts through Fitch Learning to bulge bracket investment banking analyst and associate classes and through Adventis CG to ivy league students.
- Led week-long training seminars teaching valuation, financial modeling, and equity capital markets (ECM) topics to notable institutions including Fidelity Investments, Citi (250 students), M. Klein and Company, and BlackRock.
- Conduct a two-day weekend boot-camp teaching students to build a complete three-statement financial model, valuation analysis, and LBO analysis at notable universities including Princeton, Brown, Cornell, and Georgetown.
Focus areas: Financial Modeling, Corporate Finance, Valuation, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Accounting
Interim CEO
2017 - 2018
Purple Services, Inc.
- Raised $3 million in Series A capital from blue-chip VCs (Montage Ventures), CVCs (Total SA), family offices (Haas Portman), and high net-worth individuals (Oscar Salazar, Uber's founding CTO) to provide technology-enabled mobile refueling services to passenger vehicles and commercial fleets.
- Won a competitive RFP with General Motors to provide mobile refueling services to its nationwide car-sharing fleet—Maven.
- Sourced and closed new B2B client accounts and developed strategic partnerships across the industry value chain.
- Built a technology platform product roadmap and integrated the company's API into all the major automotive OEM vehicles. Our integration into connected cars allowed for remote fuel tank monitoring and vehicle tracking that facilitated artificial intelligence predictive refueling.
- Drove profitability by changing the company's business model from an on-demand focus to one centered on servicing aggregated density.
Focus areas: Profit & Loss (P&L), Mobile, Clients, Sourcing, B2B, Series A
Vice President
2016 - 2016
Cambridge Capital
- Led two asset divestitures for Toronto-based Calyx Transportation Group, a transportation and logistics portfolio company of Wynnchurch Capital, that sold to TransForce, Inc. (TFI International), a $4 billion enterprise value Canadian transportation company. Built the financial model, wrote the confidential information memorandum (CIM) and teaser, and developed the management team presentation. Contacted over 100 strategic acquirers and closed the transactions at a 10x EBITDA valuation.
- Ran a sale process for Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation, a $700 million enterprise value intermodal, 4PL, and truck brokerage logistics company, that sold to private equity firm The Jordan Company.
- Supported the $125 million sale process of ITRenew, an IT asset disposition company, to private equity firm Zelnick Media Capital (ZMC).
- Founded the firm's energy supply chain practice focused on upstream oilfield services, downstream fuel distribution, and distributed energy smart grid.
- Mentored and trained the firm's associates and analysts.
Focus areas: Advisory, Capital Raising, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
M&A Consultant, Healthcare Private Equity
2015 - 2016
Canons Park Advisors
- Sourced, negotiated, and closed acquisitions for Patient Home Monitoring, a provider of home-based healthcare equipment, supplies, and monitoring services. The company's M&A roll-up thesis sought to capitalize on the trend of Medicare reimbursement for elderly home-based treatment in order to alleviate the aging baby boomer strain on hospital systems. Scaled the company to $130 million of revenue through acquisition.
- Developed the business plan for Inspira Financial, a revenue cycle management platform company focused on aggregating niche healthcare financial services leaders. Sourced, negotiated, and closed acquisitions of medical billing, medical collections, and revolving line of credit (RLOC) providers.
- Formed and funded several capital pool companies (CPCs) on the Canadian exchanges and consummated reverse merger transactions.
Focus areas: Private Equity, Negotiation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
M&A and Strategy
2014 - 2015
World Fuel Services (NYSE:INT)
- Led the $260 million acquisition of ExxonMobil's on-airport fueling operations in Canada and France. Coordinated the diligence process and built deal consensus across the relevant commercial business heads in order to convince the CEO and CFO to move forward with the transaction. Then led the negotiation and execution of the definitive agreement.
- Executed the $137 million acquisition of MultiService Corporation, a global transaction management company specializing in fleet, government and commercial payment programs primarily through closed-loop networks. The acquisition represented World Fuel Services' first significant step in its value creation strategy to acquire and develop technology solutions that would augment its core value proposition of distributing commoditized fuel products.
- Closed the $65-million acquisition of Pester Marketing, a Colorado-based retail and wholesale fuel marketer, and led the post-acquisition retail gas station c-store real estate divestment. Liaised with World Fuel Services' legal team, commercial business heads, real estate team, and tax team to model the financial returns and understand the tax implications of the post-acquisition real estate divestment mechanics.
- Founded the company's corporate venture capital (CVC) group and led its first venture investment as lead investor of a $10 million Series B round for NanoVapor—a provider of volatile organic compound (VOC) industrial vapor management solutions to the aviation, marine, crude by rail, tanker, and gas station end-markets. Spearheaded the negotiation of a most favored nation commercial agreement whereby World Fuel Services would cross-sell refined fuel products to NanoVapor's customer base.
- Spearheaded the firm's Asia market entry strategy by conducting research and working with commercial business heads. Led the company's $15 million acquisition of an Indonesian lubricants distributor for state-owned Pertamina.
Focus areas: Research, Corporate Development, Business Development, Strategy, Valuation, Financial Modeling, Venture Capital, Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Senior Associate, Energy and Commodity Private Equity
2010 - 2013
Oxbow Carbon (Koch Brothers)
- Led the acquisition diligence process for a $400 million Sweden-based manufacturer and distributor of activated carbon solutions. Formulated Oxbow's initial market entry strategy by conducting a global landscape analysis breaking down the competitors, regulatory environment, demand catalysts, and supply chain. Presented the analysis to William I. Koch, Crestview Partners, and the other Oxbow board members in order to get their approval to move forward with an acquisition-fueled market entry strategy that involved an active pipeline of several transactions simultaneously.
- Responsible for the diligence, financial modeling, and investment committee presentation of Oxbow's $125 million purchase of an additional 40.0% ownership stake in Petroleum Coke Industries Company (PCIC), a Kuwaiti-based producer and distributor of calcined petroleum coke.
- Refinanced Oxbow's $1.1 billion credit facility with blue-chip institutions Bank of America, BNP Paribas, and Natixis. Wrote the 100-page confidential information memorandum, built the financial model, solicited bank interest, and managed the roadshow process.
- Closed the $170 million acquisition of International Commodities Export Corporation (ICEC), a global marketer of fertilizer, sulphur, and sulphuric acid.
Focus areas: Market Entry, Valuation, Asset Management, Corporate Development, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Financial Modeling, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Analyst
2006 - 2009
J.P. Morgan
- Led the financial modeling, valuation, and transaction execution process as the lead-right book-runner for the $360 million IPO of Education Management Corporation (EDMC), a for-profit post-secondary education company backed by Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Providence Equity, and Leeds Equity Partners.
- Served as the lead financial analyst responsible for financial modeling and transaction materials preparation as M&A buy-side advisor to Emerson Electric in its $1.5 billion hostile cross-border acquisition of the UK-based Chloride Group PLC, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) company.
- Supported the transaction execution process as co-manager of Emerson Electric's $1.2 billion investment grade bond offering and Tyco International's $500 million investment grade bond offering.
- Built financial models, conducted research, and developed extensive pitch decks for corporations and private equity firms focused on the industrials sector.
Focus areas: Education, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Valuation, Leveraged Buyout (LBO), Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Logistics, Transportation & Shipping, Industrials, Private Equity, Bonds, Initial Public Offerings, Debt Capital Markets, Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Education
2002 - 2006
Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Economics and Business Management
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY, USA
Certifications
OCTOBER 2018 - PRESENT
SIE | Securities Industry Essentials Examination
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
FEBRUARY 2017 - PRESENT
Series 63
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
JANUARY 2017 - PRESENT
Series 79
FINRA | Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
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